There's No Place Like Summer Camp: Stories, Tips, and Laughs from Camp America, Camp Counsellors and Beyond There's No Place Like Summer Camp: Stories, Tips, and Laughs from Camp America, Camp Counsellors and Beyond

Transcript from the podcast episode

Surprise surprise! Hi everyone! And surprise!

Obviously you can tell from the audio recording but not in the office today doing the usual podcast location but surprise I’m here! You can hear the anxiety pulsing through my veins as I’m recording outside in the general public where anyone can hear me. But I’ve come out of the crack of dawn at 8:45 but surprise it’s another episode of There’s No Place Like Summer Camp. It’s good to be back, man.

The whole situation with the podcast is basically, what we’re going to be doing is having special episodes from here on out really. It’s gone from being the weekly or bi-weekly shows where we are now with episodes that are on a special occasion.

So why am I here today?

I thought you know what, it’s been a while since I last did a recording. The last episode was with Maisie Craddock, the YouTuber, where we did that interview, and it was really cool to be featured on her channel. So I hope you enjoyed that episode. But I’m here today with something a little different. It’s not so much of an interview. This is just more of a sort of a life update. Check-in with you guys, to surprise you this Monday, with a podcast episode while you’re doing whatever you’re doing.

So yeah, we’re here with a special episode. Sort of like a touch-base episode, shall I say? We’re just gonna be like talking about what’s been going on talking about what’s been going on both in my life and what’s going on with the podcast and the book. And I’ve got some cool updates to come.

So what’s been going on with me? Well, I’ve become a dad!

It’s been a mental few months. While all this quietness is happening on the podcast front. We’ve got a new child in the mix, say. So I’ve become a dad since the last podcast and it’s it’s a big change in your life, man. It’s big. It’s a hefty change. Becoming a dad is mental. You know that there. There are videos out there. If you go to Andrewwaterhouse.com You can go to my blog, you’ll be able to see my reaction to being told that I was going to be a dad and the surprise on my face was like, wait, what?!

But yeah, she’s here now Rosie is here. And it’s been she’s coming up to six months old now which is mental. I don’t know when that will last podcast I recorded was but it was definitely before she was born. So yeah, it’s a big uphill learning curve. The first couple of months are brutal on the on both of us really. It’s a lot of learning a lot of responsibility, a lot of buying things. But to be honest, over the course of the six months, Rosie has been absolutely fantastic baby to have. She’s really brought the families together both sides. Being the first grandchild on both sides, so she gets absolutely spoiled with kisses and hugs and gifts and you name it, but she’s been around Angel.

So, yeah, basically that’s been a massive change sneakily six months old now. And we’re getting into that with sort of routine. And we have been for a short while to be honest, where I’m more settled in my job. And I’ve got more of the routine sort of hunkered down with who does what chores and who’s the best at putting her to sleep and sort of exchanging that information as well. So we can both be really good at all things. And it’s been quite cool, to be honest, being a parent, because it’s the small things where you’re like,

We return for a special episode! Going forward it’s special one-off episodes and we’re starting with Maisie Craddock. She’s got a fantastic YouTube channel full of Camp America and summer camp content. In this podcast episode, we talk all things summer camp, what it meant to her and the tips she took away from her experience. If you want to see when she interviewed me, go on to YouTube and search for Maisie Craddock. I hope you enjoy this episode and I’ll see you occasionally for more special one-off episodes in the future. If you want to be on the podcast, get in touch! I’m on Twitter androow09 or you can reach me by going to theresnoplacelikesummercamp.com/contact.

Her channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/MaisieCraddock/videos

Maisie Interviews Me – EXTRA video Recorded For her channel:

Transcript from this podcast:

Andrew Waterhouse

Hello everyone and welcome to There’s No Place Like Summer Camp. I’m Andrew Waterhouse, and in today’s episode, we’ve got a special interview lined up for you today. This is Maisie Craddock from YouTube. Nice to have you on. Come on into our tent, and I’ll spill the beans

Maisie Craddock

Hello, everyone.

Andrew Waterhouse

All right. Welcome back, everyone. It’s good to have you here. I’ve got a special episode for you today with Maisie Craddock. Maisie is someone that I found on YouTube while doing some research on summer camp YouTubers, she’s got a fantastic channel, and I would highly recommend watching her videos all about the tips and tricks and things that she’s learned the travels as well as what she’s gone through being at Camp America. So welcome, Maisie. Thanks for being our special guest on today’s podcast.

Maisie Craddock

Hello. I mean, thank you so much for having me. I’m really glad that we’ve been able to sort of collaborate because I feel like we’re on very similar pages about advising people about summer camps. So I’m very happy to be on and talking to you.

Andrew Waterhouse

It’s a very special privilege. I’ve gone months without doing a podcast episode. But I think from here on out, special interviews, such as this one, are going to make up the majority of the content. Very excited to have you here today. So I was just going to start the ball rolling with some questions just about yourself. So do you want to tell us about yourself? Where were you from? How old are you? Why should you do camp? How many years?

Maisie Craddock

Yeah, and so I’m Maisie and I live in the northwest of the UK. I’m 24 years old. But I went to camp when I was 19. So that was in 2018. And I went to a camp in Pennsylvania and a camp called Chestnut Lake Camp. And I don’t know what else about me. I currently work now in TV. And I obviously have my YouTube channel. So that’s all sort of my interests. And also at camp. My role was sort of related to that, which I’m sure we’ll get into as we go along.

Andrew Waterhouse

So you went to camp at 19? That’s a relatively young age to do camp, I think, yeah, how come you did it at that age?.

Maisie Craddock

I finished at college. And I just wasn’t ready to go to uni or anything. So I took a gap year. And I’ve always ever since I’ve been young just been obsessed with America, I think it was just growing up watching Disney Channel and Nickelodeon and all that. And I just have this American dream in my head. So as soon as sort of, I was old enough to do it, because you can be 18 and older. And I was just that I want to go and do it. And doing it in my gap here was sort of a perfect time to do it.

This episode we say goodbye to the podcast. It’s been great guys, but I really have to focus on getting the best out of my time. Expect to see me promoting There’s No Place Like Summer Camp on TikTok and other platforms to help spread the word on how good summer camp truly is. It’s not goodbye – I’ll come and go but for now its an adios to the podcast and on to other projects. Thanks for your support, kind words etc. I’ll be back, just don’t know when. Stay up to date on my whereabouts by following me on Twitter, @androow09.

A Transcription from the Podcast…

Hello, guys, and welcome to another episode of There’s No Place Like Summer Camp. I’m outdoors today, and it’s a nice day in the middle of May. However, there’s a slight difference in the audio quality and background sounds because I’m on the road and feeling a bit out of breath. Today’s episode is a little different as I want to talk about the changes in my life that have impacted the podcast and where we go from here.

Current Challenges and Confusion

In the previous episode, I shared with you all about my house move and some changes in my life. However, my current living situation doesn’t allow me to continue with the weekly podcast episodes. I’m feeling a bit confused about where to take the podcast from here due to my living arrangements and work schedules. The podcast has always been a place to promote my book and build a community around summer camp, as well as answering questions and providing entertainment. It has been an enjoyable project for me, but with the recent changes, I need to reconsider the format.

Reflecting on the Original Goals

The goal of the podcast has always been to promote my book and encourage people to volunteer at camp America during the prime time for summer camps. However, with the current challenges, I feel the need for a change in approach to get the best out of myself and promote the book effectively. My living situation has made it difficult to record podcasts every week and come up with new ideas, so I need to find a solution.

Considering the Way Forward

As we are currently on Episode 84 or 85 of long-form discussions about summer camp and all the tips and advice I could think of, I realize that the podcast episodes will always be available for new and old listeners to revisit. The interviews and discussions about summer camp will continue to be there for everyone to listen to. However, I need to make some changes to keep the podcast alive and thriving.

Finding a Solution

Going forward, I have a vague solution in mind. I want to keep the podcast alive but adapt to my current living situation. I will continue to share my deep passion for summer camp and how it has changed me and others. But I might need to change the format and frequency of the episodes to accommodate my current challenges. This is a passion project, to provide valuable content and engage with my audience, but I also need to find a balance that works for me.

Some Thoughts

I want to thank all of you for your continued support of There’s No Place Like Summer Camp. The podcast is not going anywhere, but there will be some changes in the format and frequency of episodes due to my current living situation. I will continue to share my love for summer camp and provide valuable content to my audience. I appreciate your understanding and look forward to the next chapter of the podcast.

Introduction to Why I Wrote the Book:

Have you ever had an experience that changed your life? For me, it was going to summer camp. It took me from someone who was sheltered and introverted to someone with a world of experiences and friends. That’s why I decided to create a podcast called “There’s No Place Like Summer Camp.” But now,

This episode, I respond to my 2017 five year goals and outline the goals I have for 2034. It’s a different kind of episode, but you get to hear my way of thinking and get a bit more about the author of There’s No Place Like Summer Camp.

In this episode, we listen to the CEO of American Camp Association, Tom Rosenberg to hear how inflation is driving up the cost of summer camps. It’s an interesting listen as he is interviewed by Yahoo Finance and I give you my personal reaction too.

Podcast episode transcript:

Hello and welcome to There’s No Place Like Summer Camp. I’m your host, Andrew Waterhouse. And in today’s episode, I’m taking a look at how inflation is driving up the cost of summer camps. So coming into our tent, and I’ll spill the beans

I believe this is episode 84. As we are quickly honing in on that magic 100th episode, in this episode is something a little bit different again.

So…a bit about me is in 2020 onwards, I’ve been very interested in getting into the financial system, investing, crypto, short squeezes, and loads of different things.

And it was one of those hobbies that I really picked up during the pandemic. Because I was sat at home, I’d always wanted to get myself involved in economics and make myself financially independent and learn the intricacies of stock markets and shares and growth and that sort of thing.

Now, I shortly recently just say, I recently saw an article come up on YouTube from Yahoo Finance. And the title was how inflation is driving up the cost of summer camps. So in this episode, we’re going to be watching this interview on Yahoo Finance, and doing some commentary over the top. So let’s give it a watch. Now, before I start this, I know that your audio isn’t going to be the greatest I’ve done.

Like everything I possibly can to try and catch the audio of this. Of course, if you want to go and check it out, you can go on to Yahoo Finance and search for how inflation is driving up the cost of some accounts, you can watch it yourself, otherwise, you’re going to be listening along with me. And I’m just going to be doing my commentary over the top. Okay, let’s see how this goes. This is Yahoo Finance and how inflation is driving up the cost of summer camp.

Here’s the Yahoo Finance video:



Speaking of COVID, we know they did affect a lot of summer camps over the past few years. In fact, according to the ACA, the average cost of Bandcamp now has more than doubled to $178 a day compared to about $76 last year. Now that’s a ridiculous stat from 2021 average cost of a day camp was $76. Fast forward to 2022, just one year later, that’s $178 a day. That’s mental. And that’s a day camp. That’s not someone like staying for days upon days upon days, that’s just like going to camp for the day. It’s like that’s ridiculous numbers I’m seeing across the board. Prices are going through the roof.

I’m trying to get a house at the minute at the time of recording this, I’m trying to get a house. And we offered 10,000 pounds over the asking price and we still didn’t get it we got outbid by someone else. It just goes to show that at the minute, I think prices are very susceptible to a complete and catastrophic crash. Because it’s not sustainable to have prices more than double in a year. And the inflation rates at the minute are like mirroring double digits. wages aren’t keeping up, everyone’s going to have to like cut back on their non-essential spending, which is why you’re seeing things like Netflix’s share price, absolutely crater over one day, they lost about 40% over one day just because their metrics weren’t a lining up. So from $76 in 2021, for an average cost at a day camp to 178 in 2022. So let’s carry on with their interview and see where this goes. Let’s let’s bring in our guest Tom Rosenberg, the American Camp Association, President and CEO, thank you for joining us. So first of all the top expenses that are now driving some of these prices u...

This episode you get to know more about me, Andrew Waterhouse, the author of There’s No Place Like Summer Camp. In 2017 I wrote a blog post about where I see myself in five years. And its been five years since. So have I achieved my goals? Listen to the pod and find out…