Shabooya, sha sha, shabooya ROLE CALL!
Her name is Jack, YEAH…
Meet our newest Camper of the Week, Jack Germain! Jack attended her co-ed, 8-week sleepaway camp in Pennsylvania for 7 years, and loved every minute of it. She grew up in Coral Springs, Florida, but has now made her way up North and resides full time in Brooklyn, New York. She is also the amazingly talented founder and designer of one of our fave accessory and handbag companies, Jack German. Here is her interview with Summer 365, where she talks about everything from her favorite camp memory, how she dealt with being homesick, and even her first camp crush…
True Life, I Went to Sleepaway Camp:
What are your top three essentials that you pack in your trunk?
Bug spray/sunscreen, sweat pants, and a fan
What are three words to describe your camp experience?
Educational, competitive, scandalous
Who was someone at camp that you looked up to?
All of my counselors and a lot of my bunk mates. They had such cool style and it taught me a lot about New York fashion when I had no clue.
Why do you think it is important to go to camp?
It gives you the opportunity to interact with people from all over the world that you would not have met otherwise.
What is your favorite camp memory?
I loved painting the signs for my bunks and for color war. I was always interested in art, but didn’t have a chance to really discover my skills until I went to camp. Some of the first pieces I ever did were our bunk plaques and it’s cool to know that they’ll live on there for forever.
How has camp affected your adult life? Is there something you learned there that you still do today?
I think it definitely taught me how to interact with all different types of people and personalities. Living for eight weeks in a bunk with 10 thirteen year old girls is quite the experience in the greatest way. If you can survive through that, you can literally do anything! Having my own business, it’s given me the skills to understand the perspective of others and to be a more understanding and compassionate person. It teaches you how to work well with others for sure.
Words of wisdom for current and future campers?
Just go into it with an open heart and an open mind. It’s a roller coaster and you will learn so much about yourself in the process. Most importantly though, you will never have this opportunity again to just be a kid and not worry about those big things in life that us adults have to deal with everyday. Have fun, cause a little mischief and try everything! I still regret not learning how to water ski!
Elective Period:
What is your favorite camp tradition?
Color War for sure.
What was your favorite camp food?
I strangely remember the tuna fish to be absolutely amazing.
What is your favorite camp cheer?
There was this one cheer that the girls did in the cafeteria about someone at their table that would completely reveal who that person liked. They would do it loud enough so the boys side would hear it. The best was when the boys did the cheer back. That meant that you had a chance.
What was your favorite summer reading book?
I remember putting off my summer reading.
What do you prefer pool or lake?
Lake. Coming from south Florida, the idea of swimming in a lake was just so cool.
Sports or arts?
Both. I appreciate having played sports because you don’t really get to do that later in life.
Favorite canteen candy?
Charleston Chew
What was your favorite camp activity?
This was an unofficial camp activity, but we used to all paint each others nails on the porch. It always just felt like one big slumber party.
Favorite camp memento?
Every summer I left with a few albums worth of pictures. I flip through them almost every time I visit home.
Did you ever get homesick at camp? How did you deal with that?
I was homesick a lot when I first started camp. I remember I cried the first time I called my parents, but I felt like once I got it out, I was good to go. Talking to my counselors really helped. That’s really what they’re there for.
Who was your first summer love?
I have to give his name?! That’s an easy one – but I’ll give his nickname – Gio. We actually still talk too.
Did anyone ever pull a prank on you?
One memory that cracks me up was when someone pulled a prank on me and hung my favorite stuffed animal from the top of the flag pole. It was the funniest thing to see this oversized troll with hot pink hair swinging from the top of the beam.
Check out Jack Germain at jackgermainhandbags.com
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