I'VE BEEN PLACED!!

On Friday the 23rd, I travelled up to London with another one of the IYLA girls who happened to live about 20 minutes from me! We got to London and had booked a room at a travel lodge with another one of the girls and about 12 other girls were booked into the hotel too but in different rooms. We all went and had a lovely meal at Zizzi's and then went back to the hotel and talked for ages before going to sleep.

When I woke up, I felt sick to my stomach because it was the day of the IYLA Recruitment Fair. After getting ready and having some breakfast, we headed to the tube station to get to the fair. We had to wait in line for a bit but then all of our group got let in and we were taken into a room for briefing by our leaders, Madison and Steve, who are incredible at what they do! They were really postive, enthusiastic, encouraging and motivating.

When they finished their talk, we all left the room and headed to the camps we wanted to talk to and try to get hired at. Before the fair, we had already received a list of the camps and so could choose our favourite camps beforehand.

My favourite was Camp Seven Hills, so as soon as we got let into the fair, I looked around all of the names of the camps and found Seven Hills right at the end, already with a queue of people! I went and joined the queue and watched 4 other IYLA girls get placed here before I sat down.

The interview itself went really well, I got asked about my hobbies, family, childcare experience, how I've overcome conflicts, what role I wanted to be, any qualifications I have and why I want to come to camp and what I think I will gain from it. The interviewer also went through regulations of camp and after talking for a while, looking at pictures of camp and answering any questions I had, she offered me a place!

I am a Junior and unit counsellor at Camp Seven Hills, in New York!! 

The camp provided me with a booklet which has all the information about camp in it, what to pack, what camp is like, what I should be aware of and I was given information about how to get there.

After filling out the processing form, I called my parents to let them know and then went down to processing where camp america checked over my processing form and gave me a sheet on what happens next, this includes completing the next payment and sorting out my VISA.

I'm so incredibly excited to go to camp, I have 149 days left and I'm so happy because I'm going to the same camp as quite a few of the other IYLA girls so we'll most likely travel there together which will be so amazing!

Good luck to anyone else hoping to go to camp, there's still 4 months left so don't loose hope! :) I hope you're all well lovelies, talk soon xox

READY TO PLACE!

As some of you know, I have been wanted to apply for camp america for around 2 years now. When applications opened on September 1st, I was bursting with excitement and I logged onto the camp america site to see if I could apply early and it had opened on August 31st so I got to start my application even early!

I spent the next few hours going through the application, filling out all of the various forms and information and spent a lot of time gettind excited.Once I had filled out enough information, I had to pick my interviewer, the closest person to me was a lady about 1 hour and a half from my house ( as I live in quite a rural area) and she seemed lovely so I picked her. I contacted her and requested her for my interview, she replied and gave me lots of things to improve on my application and we also sorted an interview date, I was so excited, EEK!

My interview date was going to be the 5th of October 2014.

Before my interview, there were a few things I had to get done. I had to complete my DBS form, ready to then get verified with all of my identity information at my interview. I also needed to upload 2 activity photos and my references. I looked through my application and edited it to make it the best it could be and I spent a lot of time researching camps and getting myself super excited.

A few days before my interview, I created a folder with all of my documents in it. I had to make sure I took proof of my identity in order for my interview to start and also had to print out my application and get all of the relevant documents and references needed.

Then, it became the day of the interview, I got up early and drove up with my mum, it was great fun and I was slightly nervous, but I'd read so many reviews telling me how relaxed the whole interview process was so that it made me feel a lot calmer.

My interview went extremely well and we went through my whole application and what I could improve to make it look the best for when camp director's view my application. My interviewer also suggested that I should apply for the IYLA Scheme  ( I will do another post all about this) and said my skills would be great for this, we discussed what it involved and I agreed that it looked perfect for me and my skills!

The next day, I went onto my camp america and I got an email saying "Congratulation's, you have passed your interview!" I was over the moon and burst with energy from this. I then continued to go through all of the suggestions on my application and added all of the extra bit's. I had to get all of my amendments done by the 14th of October. Also, I contacted the IYLA Scheme and found out more information and decided it was definitely for me, I then had to wait to get registered for my place.

On the 14th October 2014,  also got conformation that I was registered for the IYLA Scheme and I had got a place!

Once I had got all of my application completed, I then had to pay the next assessment fee and wait. I continually checked my email over the next couple of days as I had to do a few things for the application and then on the 17th October 2014, my application was processing!!!

Over the next few days, I had to do things that were getting emailed to me in order to process my application and I was just getting so excited to see what was going to happen next and would check my camp america application every day for updates. I was also added to the IYLA facebook group to get all of the girls chatting, I was the first member to be added and every day since, more people are being added, more girls are joining and there is now currently 9 of us and eventually there will be 75!

On the 22nd October 2014, I logged onto my camp america application and found I was READY TO PLACE! I had been imagining this for 2 years and I literally jumped right up and ran downstairs to tell my mum, (who had already guessed it was something to do with camp america.) I then watched all of the videos about being RTP and realised, I could now access the participants zone, again, somewhere I had wanted access to for a long time. I was so excited by how much information there was and how real this was all coming and how close my dream could be. I could now create my own blog, access the forum's, the information, find out what will happen next and find out all kinds of information, such as the different camp songs!

Now, it is a waiting game, I just have to wait until I get placed. Camp director's can now look at my application online and camp america try to get me placed. If I'm feeling this excited already, even at the prospect of going to america for summer 2015 to work with children, I can't even begin to imagine how amazing It will feel if/when I get placed.

I still have to make my application video and am planning on doing this over this half term and the IYLA scheme starts at the beginning of November, so that will keep me busy and prepare me for my place at camp, if I get it.

I'm sorry this had been such a long post, but this is what I have been up to lately, I am hoping to get back into this blogging again now and will continue to post my camp america and IYLA journey and will let you know all about it, I hope you are all well.

Keep smiling, see you soon lovelies 

x x x 

SUMMER!

It is now the summer holidays! *high fives*
I have finished my first year of college, it was hard but I am so pleased I worked through it and managed to get the grades needed to get into my second year of college! Now it's summer, I have been working a lot more as I need to save up as much £££ as possible because I am hoping that this time next summer, I will in working on a summer camp in America as part of the Camp America Program! Applications open in 4 days and I am beyond excited, I have registered and I'm just sitting tight waiting for that email to say that applications are open! Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to work with children and now I'm getting to follow that dream in a lot of aspects in my life and the chance to go and work in America (something I've also always wanted to do) with children just sounds like the perfect opportunity for me! I am hoping to become a general counsellor and work with a specific group of children and help them when moving to different activities, joining in with the activities and encouraging them and also living with them.
This summer I am spending a lot of my time working in order to earn money so that next summer, I can fulfill this dream of mine as well as then spending some time traveling around the US of A! Generally during this summer, I've also been spending a lot of time with my friends and family, catching up with some old friends and doing simple things that I enjoy that I haven't had as much time to do when I've been studying. I'm also going to the gym a lot more and spending more time enjoying the simple things.
Today I went into town to go to the bank for my mum and do some odd jobs, I had put 2 hours on my parking ticket but did not need it all so when I was leaving the car park, I lent my ticket to someone who was about to buy one, which made me feel really pleased that I had done something kind and helpful to someone else. So today I challenge you, to do something kind for someone, whether it's making a cup of tea or sending a nice message or telling someone they look good today, do something that may make a person smile or make their day better.

I hope you're all having a wonderful summer and enjoying the beautiful weather! Let me know what acts of kindness you do to brighten someone's day in the comments below, I would love to hear about it!

Keep smiling! xoxo

Bloglovin

Follow me on bloglovin!
<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12622319/?claim=cc8j5kdn4vj">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

BUCKET LIST!

I have recently found this blog, and I have fell in love with it: http://thelittlebackpacker.com/

I have decided I am going to make a bucket list, with all the things such as camp america that I wish to do, I thought about it and decided I should put it all onto one place and why not share it with you guys. I am in the middle of a really busy period with coursework but will be finished in the next few weeks so look out for my bucket list coming soon, I will make it as a page on here but will most likely write a blog post to let you all know about it! 

Hope you're all okay, see you soon! 

xoxo

I went to the beach!

Hello my lovelies!

Sorry I have been so distant for the past month, I have a lot going on with coursework and exams and work as I'm sure a lot of you do too. I finish my first year of college in a few weeks so should definitely be back a lot more regularly then. Good luck to all of you who are currently doing exams, studying or doing coursework or whatever it is that you are doing at the moment! I hope you are all well :)

I went to the beach with my boyfriend a few weeks ago and I thought I would share some of the pictures with you guys, It was a beautiful day, I am very privileged and lucky as I live near the coast and the area I live in is surrounded by stunning views. 

 This was a little river type thing on the walk back to the car.

I aim to be back and posting lots more blogs and youtube videos over the next few weeks, if you haven't already, feel free to check out my youtube channel which is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK5zbrAS8yH8GmOHlHtIDkg

See you soon! 

x x x 

WAITING TO APPLY

Hello my lovelies,
I'm sorry that I haven't been able to post in a while, but I am back. Today I am filming a new YouTube video, which is all about camp america! While making these, I have been looking at the website for different bits of information and came across a new page: Register for Summer 2015! I literally burst with excited and immediately looked at it and searched throughout the page and straight away, I went to apply because I'd rather start my application early because I am beyond excited at the idea of being part of camp America next summer! So I started to register and then it came up with an alert telling me that I couldn't start my application until I'm 18, which means I have to wait another few months before I can apply! I'm just so excited to get started with it, eek! I guess it will be worth it once I finally do and then hopefully I will get placed!
I have also filmed a YouTube video about what camp america is, what roles you can be, what you pay, what you get, etc and that should be posted in the next few days, I will post a link once it is online!

 I have the day off of work today and so I have been chilling, listening to music, I am particular fond of John Legend- All of me, Clean Bandit- Rather be and Bastille- Pompeii lately so go check them out if you want. I have also managed to film, blog and sort a few bits out. I saw a video this week which was posted on facebook and It gave me a lot of inspiration, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=657441370970903 I highly recommend watching it, it is so motivational and inspirational.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

" A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step- confucious"

Just take that step or take that risk or do small things to get you through that day or to get to where you want to or to make yourself happy. You can reach your dreams, just keep trying.

Keep smiling lovelies, see you soon xoxo