It might be the only place in the world where there is a group of thirty or so teenagers and young adults singing at the top of their lungs about vultures. And yes, I was right in the middle of the crowd; probably the loudest one there. It was a typical day working at Drumlin Farm Day Camp, a wonderful little community that I like to call home. I have grown immensely through the years on the farm, and I am proud to call myself one of the nature enthralled, energized, and outgoing Teacher Naturalists that facilitates the camp. I spend my days helping children milk cows, teaching campers how to make popsicle stick sheep, making kids feel better when they are homesick, and spending a whole lot of time devoted to making sure that children keep their hands out of the goats’ mouths.…show more content… Growing up, strangers petrified me, crowds were a disaster, and making new friends was far from easy.
It was not until fourth grade when my mom signed me up for summer camp at Drumlin Farm that my life started to change. I squeezed my mom’s hand the first day at drop off, both embarrassed that I was holding onto her so tight and just too terrified to let go. As others went around the circle and introduced themselves, I quivered as my mom walked away. I was alone with strangers - my worst fear.…show more content… She tried to coax me to catch frogs with the others, and urged me to volunteer as the bat in the echolocation game we were playing. As the two week session progressed, I warmed to Charlie’s prodding and gradually stepped out of my protective shell. It was easier to make friends than I had thought. The other kids were just as intrigued by animals as I was, and were more than happy to include me when weeding the garden or making miniature houses out of sticks for fairies. They liked me for me, and I started to feel comfortable being myself- something that had always felt
