With summer in full swing, I started to reflect on the various ways I spent my summer break over the years. From pool parties with friends to family vacations and sports tournaments, I look back fondly on the summers I’ve enjoyed so far. 

But it wasn’t all fun and games. Once I was old enough to start working, I was eager to make some money during my time off from school. One of my first jobs was as an instructor at a tennis camp in my hometown. I’d actually been a camper at the same camp when I was younger, so it was a fun, full-circle moment to return as a teacher. 

The camp lasted for three weeks, and although it was work, it was also a lot of fun. Many of my friends who also played tennis worked at the camp as well, and it was fun playing games with the kids and seeing them gain confidence in their skills. I worked at 1st Serve Tennis Camp for five summers. 

After that, I spent a summer working at Spartan Adventure Park, a trampoline park where I worked primarily at the front desk. This job had its perks too, when it wasn’t busy, I was allowed to jump on the trampolines, ride the zipline and even play the virtual reality games for free. It could get hectic when we had multiple birthday parties happening at once and big crowds, and I often heard complaints from customers about the price for the special socks the kids were required to wear, but I got along well with my coworkers and got free pizza from the concession area on my break, so honestly, it was a pretty good gig. 

My final job before I became a salaried employee was as a hostess at TGI Friday’s. This was the least favorite of my temporary jobs, but it definitely taught me a newfound respect for service workers. I typically worked the opening shift on weekdays, so it wasn’t too busy, but during a rush, it was always a struggle to avoid overwhelming a server with too many tables or upsetting customers by making them wait. I’m grateful for what I learned while in the role, but I do not miss it. 

So while my summer jobs weren’t all fun and games, I guess I got lucky in that much of my summer work was in the business of fun and games.