From Camper to Counselor: Nicki

Name: Nicki
Favorite color: purple
Favorite song: Moves like Jagger by Maroon 5
Hobbies: travel, zumba, dance
West has given me: best friends, confidence

Hi everyone! My name is Nicki, I’m  24 years old and I’m from Boca Raton, Florida, but I have spent the past two years teaching English in Madrid, Spain! I have been at Timber Lake West for 17 years!  Yes – SEVENTEEN YEARS – I can’t believe how fast time flies! I started at camp when I was 8 years old and have never missed a summer since. I´ve been a camper, junior counselor, counselor, group leader, and for the past two summers I have worked on the programming team.

I literally grew up at Timber Lake West.  Once a shy 8 year old, I am now known at camp for my camp spirit and spontaneous dance moves! At Timber Lake West I became outgoing, self confident and independent and also made incredible bonds and friendships. The friends I made at camp when I was 8 and 9 years old to this day are still my best friends! Some of whom even came all the way to Spain to visit!

My experience working in Spain and traveling the world has truly made me reflect back to my once shy personality, and I realize that without West, I would have never have had the confidence or the sense of adventure to work, travel, and live abroad. Because of Timber Lake West, I have met the most incredible people from all over the world! While I’ve fallen in love with Spain, I return to camp each summer because I simply just would’t be “me” without a summer at TLW.

On the last day of camp this past summer, one camper turned to me crying and said “Next year, I´m going to be somebody´s Nicki.”  It was truly one of the most touching moments in my life – I had been her role model and big sister for years and now she wanted to carry that on to someone else. What a testament to how the influence of this magical place is passed on from one camp generation to another!