The guest blog this week is courtesy of Alyson, Assistant Director of Camp Starlight

As we go about our everyday, it is easy to think that the world is made up of just our friends, family and the people we see on a regular basis. We associate and spend time with people from similar places, cultures and backgrounds and can sometimes even forget there is a big world outside our own.  Whether you are a camper or a staff member, going to camp makes you see the world differently! Camp gives you the benefit of coming into contact with people from different schools, communities, countries and cultures from around the world. We make it a point of hiring counselors from across the globe for this reason.

After traveling around the world to meet our counselors, we know that everyone loves to see that some of our soccer coaches are from England and it’s great to be out of the lake with our mates from Australia! They bring so much to the camp experience. Not only are they fun, and we love hearing their lovely accents (we love trying to repeat them too!) They share stories about growing up in places we may have never been. They also teach us new activities, create new interests and help us see the world differently. And what happens is that even though many of our international staff live far away, and talk funny, we realize we are not all that different. These relationships help us to grow and force us all to learn about getting along with others and not just the people we see as like ourselves. Camp teaches you that there is so much more out there, and campers and staff walk away with a greater understanding of themselves and others.

–Alyson

*This blog was originally published on the Camp Starlight website http://www.campstarlight.com/blog/uncategorized/its-a-small-world-after-all-2/ on April 28, 2012.