What inspired you to travel abroad?
What inspired me to go abroad was my love for travel and my love for teaching. I have always been obsessed with travel, ever since I was a kid. I was sure I wanted to go to Italy because I had gone the previous summer but I only got to see Venice, so I wanted another opportunity to see more of Italy.
Why did you choose You Can Camp?
I chose You Can Camp because I looked at the website and watched the videos from previous years and it looked like a camp I really wanted to be a part of. Then, I had an interview with one of the directors and after she explained everything about how the camp works, I felt You Can Camp was the perfect place to volunteer for the summer.
The counselors at You Can Camp on the Explore Italy and become a camp counselor program!
What was your favorite part about your host country/city?
It’s hard to pick just one thing to be my favorite part of Cupra Maritima, but I loved how peaceful it was. It was really nice to get away from the craziness of the big cities and be in the countryside. The town outside the camp is also really good, we got to go to the beach and walk around the main town square.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
What made my experience abroad extraordinary was getting to meet so many cool people from different parts of the world. It’s amazing how quickly you bond with the other counselors and by the end of the 2 weeks, it feels like we’ve all known each other for 2 years. It was also amazing to see the kid’s progress in their English language skills.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
The local staff supported us by providing us with everything that we needed for every activity we did or game that we played, they were also always present during group activities and regular ESL games so as a counselor you’re never really alone. Also during orientation, we practice many of the games and activities, so usually, you're familiar with them before you do it with the kids.
The final day of camp was bittersweet. Sad to say goodbye, but happy it happened.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
It’s hard to think of something I would do differently, I really feel like I made the most of my time at camp, but I guess I would have to say I wish I had taken time during break to socialize more during the breaks we had during the day, but I was usually tired so I would take a quick nap during break time.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
A typical day at camp was waking up at 8:30 am, and eating breakfast by 9 am. Then we had our morning ESL games and worked on video projects. Lunch was at 1:00 pm and lasted an hour, then the free time from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm.
Then we had afternoon ESL games for an hour and a half followed by pool time. Dinner was at 8:00 pm and after dinner was a different activity every night, talent show, scavenger hunt, etc.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?
During my free time, I traveled to different parts of Italy; Rome, Milan, Napoli, and Calabria. I made some really good friends at the camp and a few of us actually traveled to Rome together when the camp finished and did some sightseeing for a few days. I recommend taking advantage of being in Italy and traveling either before or after the camp.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
The accommodation was at country house una, which is a huge piece of property with a restaurant/dining hall, a soccer field, a huge pool, cabins, and a lot of open space for other outdoor activities. The thing I liked most about it was the view. It overlooks the ocean and it was beautiful to wake up every morning and look at an ocean view.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
I think everyone should know it’s okay to be a little nervous at first, everyone else is in the same boat as you. Everyone’s coming to a new place, far from home and meeting new people, doing something completely new for the first time, but after the first two days, you’ll feel right at home at You Can Camp.
The view from camp was beautiful! The camp counselors loved it in particular.
Would you recommend You Can Camp to others? Why?
I would definitely recommend the program to others because it really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Also, the amount of support the counselors receive from the directors and the local staff is really helpful. Anyone who is already in teaching/coaching or thinking about going into teaching should consider applying as it would help build the schools necessary to work with kids and teens.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
I think there are many benefits to traveling abroad, but the biggest one is probably meeting new people. As an American, it was really cool for me to be around people from Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, South Africa, and a few other countries. Any type of travel is always an opportunity to broaden your horizons.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
Now that I’m home, my life has been impacted by my time abroad because I have returned home with a bunch of amazing new memories that will last a lifetime. I also teach ESL students at my full-time job here in the States, so I use some of the fun games and activities that we did at camp for my students here.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
For me, meaningful travel is travel outside of just going somewhere and sightseeing. It’s about going to a new place and immersing yourself in the culture. That usually includes travel king somewhere outside of the typical tourist destinations and may also include living or working with locals.
