The summer of 2011 did a lot for me – I met some of the people that have gone on to be some of my best friends and inspirations, i had just finished a University degree and had got a good grade and i was working at a very fun job – a summer camp. The year before this I had been in New York working at a day camp teaching kids between the ages of 7-17 how to make animations and websites but in 2011 I couldn’t really afford to go back and my best friend suggested a job at a company she worked at every summer.

I had a great time as an Activity Leader – going on excursions, doing fun activities with the kids and just having fun. I met some fantastic people and a lot of them I still try and keep in contact with as a lot of them made me very happy and even though a lot of them live abroad in places like Slovenia, America, Australia i still talk and think about them everyday.

One of the people I met at summer camp was called Evelina – I learnt a lot from her (and still do as she is one of my best friends even to this day). She was Latvian (as was another Activity Leader called Walter  who I still keep in contact with to this day and find an inspiration) and the one thing I loved about her was learning about Latvian culture. I adore learning about other countries traditions anyway but some of the things I learnt that they do I absolutely loved (like laughing at watermelons whilst you cut them to make sure they are sweet).

One thing I loved about Latvian culture was that they love to live off the land  – i learnt how to do mushroom picking (i still wouldn’t do it alone ever only under the supervision of Evelina) I learnt what geocaching was (although walking through a woods at midnight will still haunt me to this day) and I was welcomed to the world of going shrimping at night – or in terms that may not get turned into something dodgy – rockpooling at night.

The students had to be in their houses at 10pm at night if you were not one of the Activity Leaders on Bedtime duty you could finish at thisd time. We would usually head to the teachers house and open up a few drinks to celebrate the end of the day. Due to the fact I lived in the teachers house and I don’t think I was working that day, I was already in my PJs when the girls came back for celebratory drinks. All the guys were on the night duty so it was nice to have some girly time.

We didnt really get round to drinking instead we just got talking, I can’t really remember about what but ot got onto Evelina telling us about the rockpooling she does with her family at night and we were really interested in it and a spontaneous trip that night was suggested. We waited until the guys returned and then two of them and a few of us girls got in Evelinas car and drove to her house.

Evelina lived in a really posh area of Dorset and where she lived was right next to a beautiful beach with lots of rock pools. We went into her family house and got together bands with lights on that we would put on our head, old raw bacon, fishing nets and buckets and then we headed for the beach.

By the time we got to the beach it was about midnight or just after and our journey began. We walked to the end of the pier made of rocks and then climbed on the rocks. With it being summe it meant that it was very dry and no high tide which meant with sturdy shows and being with someone who knew what they were doing we were in safe hands.

What you did was find a rock where there was a gap and entrance to the sea and then put the old raw bacon in the net and wait. You faced your head down so that it lit the sea and then you will see what the ocean has in store. It was amazing – i had never seen prawns / shrimp in the wild before and here they were! I also didn’t know until right that second that Prawns in their see through state glow in the dark! It was fascinating!

Anything we caught that night we put back, it was only the experience really of actually seeing the animals in the wild. We did catch a couple of crabs and on the return to the beach we did race them to see which one would win.

The most amazing experience was that night we all sat on the rocks and for 5 mins we all turned our lights off. The view was one of the most beautiful things i have ever seen, the sea lapping on the shores calmly, the full moon shining brightly and I remember thinking to myself – wow i am really happy right this moment and remember similng to myself.

That first time we went to the rock pools I was in my Pjamas the whole time! I got so excited about doing it that i actually forgot to change – I obvioualy had a hoody and a warm coat on but my very bright PJ bottoms were on display!

Over the rest of the summer we went a few more times and I made sure I was much better dressed then PJs. Eveytime we went we saw something different. One night we saw one of the biggest lobsters I had ever seen and was so shocked to see it was bright blue! Another timne we went we caught a little fish and gave it to Evelinas cat as a treat.

I have so many fun memories from the summer of 2011 and ironically thinking about it, a lot of them happened at the beach. Each and every memory I made that summer will always stick with me and makes me the person i am today.