3 days 3 years ago changed my life

NSLP 2015 showed me how 3 days, 3 years ago somehow managed to change my life. I learned today that it was okay to cry in the woods early Sunday morning. Because today I realized why I was truly crying, I realized I'm happy I walked into the woods where I probably wasn't supposed to be and just let go. For a total of approximately 12 days out of my life I was at NSLP. This was a series of four different trips to Triple C Camp in Charlottesville, Virginia that managed to change me for the better. I thought that when I was in the woods I was crying about that fact that I would never again step foot at NSLP, but that's not the case. NSLP taught me to be a leader. NSLP gave me my best friend, and indirectly gave me my favorite little blonde freshman. NSLP helped me find myself, find my passion, and more importantly allowed me to help others find themselves as well. NSLP 2015 reminded me to always have a heart and reminded me that even if you're in a 'competition' to cheer on your competitors because you really are proud of them too. As I stood in the woods wiping my tears away I thought I was wiping away tears of sadness. Tears that represented my weakness and inability to move on, but I wasn't. I was wiping away tears of joy, tears of confidence and most importantly tears of success. How I thought this crying was a bad thing I will never understand. NSLP holds one of the most special places in my heart. I am a better person because of NSLP. I strive because of NSLP. I am a success because of NSLP. Now one day out of NSLP 2015 I have realized that those tears are a representation of the power, laughter, success, joy, adventure, passion, happiness and pure love that is NSLP. Those tears prove that NSLP 2012 did it's job. That 3 years later I'm a better person with better people in my life because of it. I thank you NSLP, you have changed my life in so many ways. So if you my reader needs to, go cry, go to wherever your "woods" may be and cry, because it's so heartwarming to come to realize what something or someone truly means to you.

"Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you, I have been changed for good."

"A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will."

Change is inevitable. I have already faced gross amounts of change since being at school. Change can either make or break you. Often times we let change grab a hold of us and we let it take over our lives. Most people I know see change as a bad thing, we are comfortable in our ways so why change what's already working perfectly? Recently, I've realized that change can be good. If we embrace change with open arms we will not only adapt to this change easier, we will also learn and grow from this. This whole "last year, best year" thing is really making me learn to deal with this concept of confronting change with open arms. Every day I walk around campus, sit in class, talk to friends, go to meetings, and I find something in my daily motions that has changed. Last Tuesday, I experienced an abundance of change during my first SEAL meeting of the semester, and every last second of that change terrified me. I was terrified but I was ready because while it meant the beginning of my end in SEAL, it also meant I'm soon moving on to bigger things in life. Everyday I realize how my physical proximity to my friends has changed as I moved into off campus housing. Around campus the senior class is now experiencing this weird thing where we are the oldest class on campus now.  I have faced changes in both my class load and work load this year. It also feels as if I have faced some sort of change in just about all aspects of my life these past two weeks. This weekend was a huge change for me as I stayed in Farmville as opposed to driving to Richmond like I did every weekend last year, and this was the hardest change I have faced yet. Life is changing all around me, and only I can keep it from bringing me down.
Senior year is a transition. It is when we begin to prepare ourselves for our lives after college. We are no longer the freshman trying to decide our major, we are the seniors trying to determine our life. (Which is rather terrifying for someone who has no clue where they are going.) We are no longer the ones getting lost on campus, we are the individuals preparing for something far bigger than Longwood's campus. So as I go into this year with an open heart and an open mind to all things coming my way, I too open my heart, arms, and mind to the change that is coming. While it may be terrifying, and in some cases heart breaking change, in the end it will be for the better. Ya know, I really am going to make this the best year I can because why not go out with a bang?