Finding LOVE at SUMMER CAMP: A True Story About Meeting My Husband at CAMP GREENTOP

New Year's Eve: A night of celebration, excitement, and spending time with loved ones.

Not me? I spent my New Year's Eve typing an application that changed my life. Completely.

It all started when I was scrolling through my Facebook news feed and noticed a photograph that captured my attention there was a group of friends all wearing t-shirts and holding flags representing their nationalities. It gave me so much warmth and happiness looking at how smiley and chilled they all seemed. It was like they had been friends forever and had not met that summer.

I emailed my school friend Stephen and asked him about his camp experiences. He said that it was a life-changing experience, he made lots of new friends and was moving to Australia to live with his girlfriend whom he met at camp.

My first thought was WOW, I want to go, sign me up and get, me on that plane ASAP.

Stephen introduced me to Camp Leaders, and he said that they will help me on my journey. So, I spent the best part of five hours writing a lengthy application.

I waited for a phone call.

A few days later, I spoke with Team Turtle at The Camp Leaders' office in Liverpool. From then on, I attended an interview, edited my application to make it better, and finally attended the Camp Leaders job fair in

Manchester.

I arrived in Manchester the night before so that I could be up bright and early ready to hopefully be placed.

PLACED that word that we all wait to see in bright letters at the top of our application page.

If anyone is waiting to be placed and is checking every minute of every day, constantly refreshing the page. Then try your utmost best to get to the job fairs. They are such an interesting and worthwhile way to learn about the type of camp that you would like to go to.

If you are lucky to get placed, you may meet possible future camp friends. I nearly didn't make it to the job fair, but it was the best decision I made thanks to Team Turtle, who explained to me on the phone that going to the job fair will give me and others such a great insight into the camps you would like to possibly spend your summer at.

When I arrived at the job fair, we went into a room filled with other potential Counsellors. I had an experience I would never forget. We were asked to take part in a 'repeat after me song'. A traditional camp song that you will sing at camp with your campers possibly around the campfire. We sang 'The Moose Song' it was so much fun.

Little did I know that I would be singing this song a lot more that summer.

Everyone went into a large conference room where camp directors and previous Counsellors were ready to greet you with open arms and answer any questions you may have.

Luckily, I was PLACED :D

At an amazing camp for people with disabilities in Maryland called 'Camp Greentop'.

I was introduced to other Counsellors via a Facebook group, where we could get to know one another. I even attended a special needs day to learn more about the type of camp I would spend my summer at. I had the opportunity to meet some of the Counsellors on the day, who were also going to Camp Greentop.

All of the Counsellors could keep in touch via the Facebook group to exchange helpful information, plans for travel after camp, etc. Counselors from previous years were on hand ready to answer any questions.

I began talking to a guy named Wayne, who had been to Camp Greentop before, this would have been his third summer. We spoke every day via email, text, and phone.

At camp, Wayne and I became great friends, and eventually, as the summer progressed our friendship grew into love, and we are still together to this day 10 years later.

I made lifelong friends from all over the world.

Many of them attended our wedding in July 2014, which was a wonderful steppingstone in our life.

We have both continued to work with adults with disabilities as I became a Support Worker working in a residential home supporting adults with disabilities and shortly after as a Health Care Assistant in the NHS, working within stroke rehabilitation. Wayne's best friend Tim, whom I also met at Camp Greentop helped me to become a Support Worker, as he also worked at the same residential home in Hertfordshire, where I moved to after camp to start my new life with Wayne.

We have made so many amazing memories in the last 10 years thanks to Camp Leaders. Many of these consist of Wayne and I traveling to Washington and Baltimore during camp breaks and traveling to Canada, Chicago, and New York City for three weeks after camp. We have attended Winter Camp at YMCA Camp Letts in Edgewater, Maryland too.

We had the opportunity of returning to Camp Greentop for one session in July 2022. If you would like to see what we got up to at Camp Greentop this summer, we have created a travel series on our YouTube called

'A Summer at Camp Greentop' featuring a 'Walkthrough and Driving Tour of Camp Greentop' and a 'Tour of Cabin B1' (one of the many cabins at camp).

This has enabled us to spend time with friends who live in many parts of the world. We may not see them every day, but memories last forever.

Going to Camp has changed our lives for the better. Please do not hesitate to visit campleaders.co.uk

it will be the best website you will ever visit.

Camp Leaders change lives, help to build memories, help to make lifelong friends, and most importantly can help you to help others by giving them the best summer of their life.

What do you think? Are you ready to have the best SUMMER of your life? Let us know your thoughts!

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