Summer camp has come to a close. The campers have gone home. The staff have cleaned the camp and headed home. What now?
For many years my first thought was to get away from camp. Take a vacation. Go someplace where I could forget about the summer and just relax. A number of years ago I left the day after camp and went to Germany for two weeks. No cell phone, no e-mail, no contact with camp. I was able to forget about the struggles and challenges of summer. It was a wonderful time of relaxation and rest.
Unfortunately, what I discovered was that with time, particularly away from camp, the issues I faced at camp began to fade from memory. With each passing day it was harder to recall those moments during the summer when I said "we have to change _____ next summer." The small issues from weeks of working with campers and staff 24/7 became less urgent.
Over the past several years I've forced myself to take a different approach to my immediate post camp schedule. Instead of getting away, both physically and mentally, I try to revisit the summer in as much depth as possible. I reflect on the daily details of how camp ran. What worked, what didn't? What decisions did I make, both good and bad? How did I lead and how did the staff respond? My goal is to capture as much detail as possible so I and the camp can learn from the summer. I don't want issues, no matter how small to get lost and go unaddressed.
Once I have an opportunity to reflect on the summer and gather those thoughts I'm then ready for a time away. It's even more restful now because I know I've processed the summer, gathered the lessons learned and positioned myself to begin preparing for next summer.
