ACA Home Forums What do you do with your time off?

Its the weekend and it made me think about what iI always did on my days off.

There was always a few things that had to happen.

1st Eat Out!
2nd Walmart Run
3rd Sleep

At the over night camp I worked at we got 2 days off followed by 3 days on and repeat. Time off would start at 6pm and go until 6pm the following day. I really enjoyed the time off but it was a lot. We also go 48hrs off once every year. Many staff took the 48hr leave to travel a little.

At the YMCA camp we got one night off a week starting at 6pm till midnight. After that we got Friday from about 8pm till Sunday at noon for staff or 10am for directors. (Unless you had to work that weekend.)

What did you do on your days off and how many did you get?

My list is very similar, I do go out and eat but its more for a drink and to socialize. Walmart and sleeping of course. The issue is that on our camp doesnt have staff parking, so counselors who bring their cars to camp leave them at the camp office in the city and then get bused about 70 miles to the camp. The camp has one senior staff member drive on their day off, and pretty much if you want a trip into town you have to go where they go in the camp van. TYpically on your day off your stuck in camp until lunch, then after lunch they drive into town, you get there at about 2 and then they pick you up at 5 and back to camp in time for dinner. The drop off place is always Walmart for the camp supply run.

I would add two things that I do 1) Haircut and 2) Spa.

The spa thing started when I was at a Y camp that was only about 1 1/2 hours from the metro YMCA and a lot of people drove. Well the camp job came with free membership to the metro YMCA, and they had a health center, we could use as part of the facilities, so Id book a massage and then lounge in the hot tub, and steam room etc. Afterwards wed grab something to eat and drink, then drive back to camp. Since then Ive tried to figure out a way to get a massage on my days off.

Our staff works on a rotation. We have two nights off each week, and one day off. Group A would have Monday, Wednesday, Friday nights off, with one of those being a day off. Group B would have Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday nights off, with one of those being a day off. All staff is on Sundays all day. On Sunday evenings we have staff night where the staff can hang out in the dining hall while the oldest campers "babysit" the younger campers.

My nights off I usually go out to eat and maybe go to a movie. On days off, I sleep in, do laundry, do a Wal-Mart or Target run, and maybe one of those days off I travel into New York City.

- Teenster

Most of my camps have 2 hrs off per day and then friday evening or saturday morning until sunday morning all staff are off because there are no campers.

My daily time off priorities vary, though sleep, Target, showers, and making end of session cards for the campers, and checking in with the outside world. On the weekends I typically go out to eat or come back home to lounge around and have time away. I want to spend more weekends at camp this summer, or with camp people.

1- Eat Out
2- Target Run
3- Go to the local mall and see a movie-- for the air conditioning

We have an hr off a day off. Then from like 8pm-ish Friday and all day Saturday off. I live about 35mins from camp so I usually run home and sleep in my own bed :)

The camp I am at now, its only a 1 week only camp and no one gets any "time off". The volunteers are on duty 24/7. The volunteers dont even get an hour off a day so that is why so many seem tired by the 3rd day of camp, plus the camp is in the middle of no where-- at least 25 mins from the nearest town.

[quote=tigerdragon]We have an hr off a day off. Then from like 8pm-ish Friday and all day Saturday off. I live about 35mins from camp so I usually run home and sleep in my own bed :) [/quote]

I have been jealous a few times of staff who live close to camp. With that said I do love being on the other side of the country away from everything for the summer.

Luke I feel the same way when I was at camp the whole summer. I live in the mid west and the camps I worked at were on the east coast.

Luke, it's a nice break getting to go home. Our camp is pretty small and pretty much all of our staff live within an hour or less of camp! a lot stay on the weekends but I love having my day away

Tigerdragon I am not sure I would like having all the staff so close. I like it when my staff spends time together on their days off. If everyone lived close I would fear that most would just go back to their own family/friends.

What about international staff, about 3/4 of our staff is international this year?

PsyGuy I love it when most of the staff is international. Really brings a fun new vibe to camp.

So do I, at my past camps (this is my second year) most people were local. Here with so many international staff everyone sticks around or goes into town for a drink and dinner.

At the camps I worked at, I felt like I was an international staff member even though I am an American. I live near Chicago, and I worked at camps on the east cost so I could not eaisly go home during my off time.

I had one camp where 93% of the counseling staff was international where we had 6 staff members from the USA.

I always thought it was good to exercise and get some stress out. Also it can be a good time to plan activities for the rest of the week.

When I first started working at camps we never got time off during the day. We had to wait until it was a scheduled full day off. I slept in , did laundry and went into town. I always tried taking the international staff with since I knew most of them did not have a car and I did.

Fred Epstein
Happyday

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