girl scouts.

from the beginning of first grade until i graduated from high school, i can proudly say i was a girl scout. for that matter, i will always be a girl scout.

in first grade, my best friend, laura, and i decided we wanted to be in girl scouts. so we sent our moms off to the meeting about forming a troop. and when no one else volunteered, they stepped up and became our leaders. in first grade, we had ten girls in our troop. throughout the years, some new girls joined and some girls dropped, but on graduation day six out of the ten original were still apart of the same troop. we spent twelve years together, wow.

we would meet every other thursday night and do anything from crafts to plan our next camping trip to learn about household responsibilities. and as the middle child, it was time my mom dedicated to just me. well, just me and my friends, i never got any special treatment.

as we grew older, we went on more camping trips, or sleepovers at the mall, trips to sea world, and the science center. we learned about each other, we learned about respect. respecting nature, respecting ourselves, and others.

it's now when i reflect on this time that i am truly grateful for the opportunities. the opportunity to be around other girls, to respect each other, to build leadership skills together. girl scouts has truly helped make me the woman i am today.

and now, when i have no children of my own, no responsibilities, i chose to have my own troop. for about three months, i have been a leader to a group of first graders. my goal is to give them every opportunity i was given. to empower them to grow into strong, beautiful, independent women. because that's what girl scouts is all about. lifting up women/girls, giving them the tools to be successful. i'm excited about this journey in my life.