The “Dark Side” of Work Camping
She gave me the cold shoulder, and I in turn did the same thing. This is what us females are great at, are we not? It hurt me to do this, but she was not kind to me since we started a work camping gig. She questioned me, the same questions, several times, without missing a beat. My answers were always the same, but not satisfying for her palate. I felt like it was my fault that she was not happy, but in reality, it was all her.
Welcome to work camping! Yes, there are a lot of positives about work camping, like seeing amazing destinations, meeting new friends, and putting a sticker on your U.S. map of another state you spent time in. But there is a dark side, something that I did not expect and kind of put a damper on the work camping experience.
Honestly, I thought when you travel, get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and into something peaceful, tranquil and relaxing that people would be happy. I mean, who would not want to get away from the busyness of life and take a vacation to a new place? And a place you have never been to before and excited to visit the many tourist attractions?
So what to do?
You could either endure it or leave. That is the beauty of work camping. Just take your home with you and go somewhere else to work camp. You might encounter something similar and you may not.
But for me, I endured. I tried to be this co-worker’s friend, to make pleasant talk and even put up with her same questions almost daily with the same answers. But it was not enough. I have endured people’s problems with a shake of the head or heeding advice from management.
Here are some tips to help you if you decide to endure the whole season:
Realize it is not you. This can be the hard part. We meet people from all walks of life and they may have personalities that do not align with ours, meaning we do not get along with one another. There is no common ground.
Teamwork. Work camping means team work, but you do not feel a part of the team. I know how that feels! Especially when you go to a new campground and realize others have been there before and do not let you feel welcome. Just do your best to get along and help the guests feel welcomed or do an extra good job of cleaning. You can go to a new campground the following year. There are plenty!
Destination. Just think of all the fabulous places to visit while you are work camping! That is why you picked that campground is it not? This cheers me up while I endure. I love visiting new places and feel so fortunate to be able to.
Guests. There will always be a guest or guests that rub you the wrong way. They want to do things their own way (like leaving garbage at their site) and feel like you need to cater to them. Just do what is right.
People pleasing. You will not satisfy everyone. I do struggle with people pleasing, but sometimes you just cannot. And it is okay.
It is boring, sometimes. Yep, believe or not, work camping can be boring, especially if the season is slow or the season is coming to an end. Some places could be busy all the time and you will expect to be on your toes, but some places are slow and you have a lot of time on your hands.
Salary. The management promised a certain hourly rate, a free site and by the looks of the campground on the internet, it looked like a promising place to be. But disappointment settles in when you see how “rough” the campground is or the pay is not what is promised. This is a choice of whether you want to stay or go.
We chose to finish out the season instead of leaving, which was a thought. Luckily, we worked different shifts for a time and that seemed to help. Honestly, though, I would rather get along with my fellow work campers than not. It was difficult and we did finish the season well.
There is always a “dark side” to any job, including when you are at an amazing destination and even a great campground. People bring their problems and personalities with them. Management is not what you thought it would be like. You can leave the campground and find another job suitable for your talent and need. There are plenty out there! That is the beauty of living in a RV: take your home on wheels and find a place to land where your gifts and talents can be utilized. Or, you can do what we did and endure. We felt like we committed to the job and we wanted to fulfill the job. If it was a really bad situation or a family emergency came up, then we would leave and let management know beforehand. Lets be mature about it!
What about you? What have your work camping experiences been like?