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My Summer Vacation: No Thanks Teen Tour. I Have a Job.

I Chose The Perfect Summer Job Over Teen Tours

I think that all teens anticipate the amazing adventures that summer will bring. I’m always excited for the opportunity to fill my days with whatever I want to do and be with whomever I want; sleep in and staying out late is a must.

But after about two weeks of this, summer begins to lose its appeal. My friends venture away to camps and summer programs or start jobs. So obviously, the only choice left for me is to find something to do.

The summer before my freshman year was a little dull. I volunteered three days a week at a preschool camp. The hours were few there and there was no real companionship there, so I abandoned that after one summer. For my summer vacation this time, I needed something fun, something that would possibly give me some spending money and something that wasn’t so demanding of my time.

Many of my friends participated in crazy teen tours, where they met new friends and took part in awesome service projects and interesting outdoor experiences. One friend went to Costa Rica for a month; it was the “best summer of my life!”. Another went to Alaska. These experiences seemed too intimidating. I am not the outdoorsy type, nor do I feel comfortable turning strangers into life-long friends. So, teen tours were definitely outside my comfort zone.

So what I did on my summer vacation was look into finding a summer job. I felt pressure to find the perfect summer job. I didn’t want to give up my precious summer for just anything. Eventually I ended up finding a job as a camp counselor at a theater day camp. The hours were convenient and took up the long stretch of the day when I wanted to get out of the house because nothing much happens. As it turns out, three years later, I still work there every summer. It was the perfect summer job! It was the best decision I ever made. I want to go to work everyday. I’ve made amazing friends and have so many hilarious memories—and one-day, my experience will look great on a “real” job application.

Samantha Zabell just graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in journalism.

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