My roller coaster year

When I discovered I would be working at an amusement park in L.A. during my gap year, I was extremely excited. I thought working there would feel like one long vacation. Boy, was I mistaken!

Not only do employees in amusement parks work incredibly hard - their days start early too! I had to wake up at 6 a.m. every morning and put on my costume (that's what we called our uniform) so I could be at work by half past six. The first customers arrived an hour later, so we had to ensure everything was ready on time.

I learned a lot about dealing with customers as well. Most people were nice. However, you need to keep one important thing in mind: Everybody is on holiday and they've paid a lot of money to be here. So they expect everything to be perfect - all the time! That can be challenging. Additionally, some people got frustrated when the rides were busy, and they had to wait in line. And trust me - you do not want to be surrounded by a group of children when the ice cream machine stops working!

One of the things I loved about working there was that I had the chance to do various jobs. Every day was different, and I really enjoyed that. Some days I worked in the restaurant or the gift shop, while on others I helped people get on and off the rides.

I'm good at talking to people, so I was often asked to dress as one of the park's characters and greet guests as they arrived. Nobody tells you before you start how heavy those costumes are or how hot it gets inside them. You also have to be able to think on your feet. I was dressed as a bat once, and this kid said to me, 'But bats only come out at night.'

My favorite job was working on the ghost train. I was allowed to scare people, and I got paid for it. That was fantastic! I remember telling one man that I was the ghost of a German man who had immigrated to America in the 1800s. He didn’t believe me. Then I started speaking to him in German, and he almost jumped out of his skin! He couldn’t wait to get off that train.

When I think back on my time working there, I don’t really remember the long hours or the rude customers. What I remember now is making children smile and giving them happy memories of their holidays. That's something that will stay with me forever.