On To Week Number 3!

Hey yall,


I had an extremely busy week of work, which is always a great thing. Here are my reasons to be grateful from last week.

• January 23 - I woke up to amazing text telling how amazing, beautiful and loved I am. (I mean I already knew this, but its nice to reconfirm!)

• January 24 - I spent a good hour or so skyping with Alias tonight.

• January 25 - I was craving ice cream and it was rainy day, so why not walk to Graters and get some ice cream in a waffle cone!

• January 26 - I had an extremely busy and successful day meeting with committees and getting them started on all their projects!

• January 27 - I finally got to talk to my daddy today since he left on vacation. He had been under the weather. And I spent the evening talking/skyping with Alias. 

• January 28 - A little small thing in life... I was able to do laundry for the first time in 3 weeks. (Life on the road.) I also got to skype with Alias in the middle of day, which was need after being a little stress about work.

• January 29 - It's the first I've flown in over three weeks. I was able to have me time and people watch, a favor past time in the airport. While at the airport, I saw Bebe! It's always great to run into a friend and spend some time catching up. This is also the first time I've seen sun and have had warm weather in 3 weeks. To end off any amazing day, skyping with Alias.

It looks like Sundays are always seems to be my most grateful days, it is God's day so it makes sense! 

Beyond Blessed

Last week was amazing and I am so blessed for the people that are in my life. It was a great week leading up to my birthday weekend.

Here is goes:

• January 16 - Suzanne and I spent the day hanging out with sisters and getting to know them better.

• January 17 - Today was great. It started off with a great morning phone call from Alias. Then Suzanne and I had a great day of work today. We had lunch with an alumna, from the Zeta Omicron chapter at Muskingum University, who is interested in becoming a potential advisor for the Capital Colony. Later on in the evening, Suzanne and I were craving the famous Graters Ice Cream. So, we walked about a mile to mile and half in the cold to get and walked back a mile and half back in the cold, sleet, freezing rain, snow mixture. True dedication for ice cream. To bring an amazing day to an end, I skyped for an hour with Alias. 

• January 18 - Today was another great day. Once again it started off with a morning phone call from Alias. Suzanne and I prepared for Bid Day by getting bags ready for Friday. We then went to dinner with a some sisters and ended up sitting at the "Capital Football players' table" in the dinning hall. We were having giggle fits due to their conversations, but as Mary would say, "we bumped up the cool at that table." Suzanne and I later finished up day three of recruitment, which was very exciting. And the night finished with Suzanne and I bonding over our collegiate days and missing our chapters. 

Alpha Sigma Alpha - Capital Colony

• January 19 - Suzanne and I walked to Starbucks for some hot chocolate because it was a little cold on Thursday. Suzanne and I just hung out with sister and learned even more about them.

• January 20 - The start to an amazing day! The day started off by acceptation since it was Bid Day! We received 19 new members, so exciting. After receiving those members, I went to the airport to pick up Alias!! Alias and I went to dinner where I received two birthday gifts. A new iPad 2 from him and a Pandora charm from his mom. The day end just right, cuddling up next to the love of my life.

Alpha Sigma Alpha - Capital Colony
52 new members!

• January 21 - Two words explain this great day - RASCAL FLATTS! This one of my other birthday gifts, tickets to see them. Alias and I went to see them, Hunter Hayes and Sara Evans. Rascal Flatts puts on an amazing show. I was memorized by the opening. 

Right before Rascal Flatts came on

• January 22 - Happy 24th Birthday to Meeee! The best birthday gift, birthday kisses from Alias! Then a birthday lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, yummy yummy! Then I had to take Alias to the airport, the worse part of the day. I returned back to Capital, for a birthday dinner by the girls. I spent literally 5 hours with the ladies last night. We had another Phoenix Degree Service for 20 new members. I got a really cute birthday gift from the ladies wrapped in zebra tissue paper. I also got a birthday cake with 24 candles (which I was told how many come in packet, so it looks like someone will be buying me 2 packets of candles next year!) and then they sung Happy Birthday to me! The best birthday ended with goodnight FaceTime with Alias! 

Birthday gift from the ladies at Capital

Birthday cake with all 24 candles

It was an amazing week and I am so blessed to have the people who are in my life and even more blessed to have Alias and meeting Suzanne and the ladies of Capital. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have had such an amazing day. I have to say I'm a lucky girl. 

Week Two of Gratefulness

Hey y'all,

I've been following through on my News Year resolution! I have to say, this is the best resolution known to man kind. It's rewarding at the end of the day to find more than million things as to why you are grateful. Its beyond rewarding to find things you were grateful for when you were having a bad day. 

Week two of gratefulness:

• January 9 - Today was an exciting day. I started the day off with a heart shaped bagel from Panera. 

Also, I received a phone call from my love to check my email. We are house hunting and thought he found another house to look at, but I was sadly mistaken. I had received an email telling me I had 2 tickets to go see Rascal Flatts on my birthday weekend! 

• January 10 - I finally saw the movie News Year Eve. What a great a movie and of course I cried!  I talked to my love's mom for a good awhile and she made me miss spending time with them. While I eating lunch, a lady interrupted me to tell me that my scarf was beautiful! 

• January 11 - I went and saw another movie - We Bought a Zoo. I balled at the end of the movie because it made me miss Alias. After watching the movie, I ahead out to downtown Columbus and met a few members of the Central Ohio Alumnae chapter. They are so eager to met the women of Capital Colony and become advisors.

• January 12 - I experience my first snow fall in Columbus while enjoying Starbucks with two colony members. Later on that evening, I spent the night hanging out with colony members and hearing stories about their local sorority. To top of a great day, I got a good night, I miss you and love you phone call. 

• January 13 - The first day of recruitment with ladies at Capital and a four Central Ohio Alumnae attend. They (members and alumnae) were so excited to be there and meet. (A picture is to come) I also got to skype with Alias; I love skyping with him. 

• January 14 - I started the day off with a morning phone call and FaceTime from Alias. And ended the day with second round of recruitment with the ladies at Capital and it was a success. I went and saw my third movie this week - War Horse. A colony member and I had a great conversation for two hours about the future of chapter and recruitment. It was awesome to see her understanding of how things work for a national sorority and eager for changes.

• January 15 - Well, I started out the day by doing a little shopping and bought a pair of boots - snow/rain boots. They are cute for being snow/rain boots and oh so comfy. And the Ravens won! It was weird not watching the game with the Jenkins. Later on, I got to see two of my co-workers and have dinner with them and an alumna. The day end with another skype date with Alias!

It was another great week. I can't wait to see what next week has in store. 

New Years Resolution

It's suspended there to remind us before we pop the champagne and celebrate the New Year, to stop and reflect on the year that has gone by. To remember both our triumphs and our missteps - our promises made, and broken. The times we opened ourselves up to great adventures - or closed ourselves down, for fear of getting hurt. Because that's what New Year's is all about: getting another chance. A chance to forgive, to do better, to do more, to give more, to love more. And stop worrying about 'what if' and start embracing what would be. So when that ball drops at midnight - and it will drop - let's remember to be nice to each other, kind to each other. And not just tonight but all year long.

Well, its that time of year again when people create New Years Resolutions that only last about a month or so. This year, I decided I'm not going to create a resolution based off of losing weight, changing eating habits or any of those typical resolutions. I wanted to pick one resolution that I could look back on Dec. 31, 2012 and be beyond grateful and appreciative of what 2012 brought to me. 

So... my New Years Resolution - To have 366 days/reasons as to why I was grateful in 2012. 

At the end of each day, I reflected back on the day and write down in my calendar what I was grateful for that day. Even if it's a bad day, there was something small that happened or something someone said that I was grateful for or appreciated. 

Each week I am going to post what they were. 

Week One:

January 1 - Shared an amazing New Years Eve kiss with an amazing man. I got to meet more of the Jenkins clang. 

It's a little blurry, but it will do. 

 January 2 - While boarding the plane to Indianapolis, a father started talking to me and shared with me his daughter's experience as an Alpha Sigma Alpha and how proud he was of her and what the organization has done for her! 

January 3 - After waiting nearly 6 months to see one of my favorite people in the whole entire world, I was able to see my partner in crime - Megan. I haven't see her since facilitating a leadership conference in July. I also was able to talk for 2 hours on the phone with the love my life. 

January 4 - There is nothing better in the world than waking up to a good morning call from the love of your life. A great way to start off the day and put you in a good mood. 

January 5 - Had a sleepover with Megan. We caught up on our lives and remembered all of the crazy stuff that happened to us when we first moved to Indianapolis and traveling for a year. It's nice to have a friend in the town you work out of. 

January 6 - Went out to Broad Ripple with a bunch of my co - workers to see Sixteen Candles. We welcomed the new leadership consultants to Indianapolis as we celebrated our last semester on the road. Also, today marked the day that I went from triple digits to double digits in my countdown to returning home! Exciting. 

January 7 - I finally got to talk to my Momma and Daddy. While talking to them, it made me realize once again how much I'm missing home, but how thankful I am to have this job where I can travel around the country and help collegian women realize their potential. 

January 8 - This was an exciting day. I was able to experience what it feels like to be a fraternity consultant for the day. I drove from Indianapolis, Indiana to Columbus, Ohio. While driving, I spotted a "KI" sticker! I'm hoping, thinking and going with it was a Kent Island sticker, which means this is the second sticker I've seen from home! Once, I arrived at Capital University, (in Columbus, OH) I was greeted by 32 eager women to become Alpha Sigma Alpha members! I held our Phoenix Degree Service to officially make them new members. I'm so excited to see what the next 3 months has in store with them and I. And to top off this exciting day, I got to finally Skype with my love for over 2 hours! A great way to end the day.  

Welcome to Ohio!

Columbus, Ohio

So far it, looks like 2012 is off to a great start, even though I've been homesick like no other, I still find the positives in each day! 

Find The Beat Again to the Incredible Machine - Sugarland Rigging Collapse

"When the skies up above you fill, with grey and stormy clouds.

And there's not a single face you know, in the maddening crowd.

When you know that you don't make your way but you just can't see how.

When your worries, they won't let you sleep, and rob you of your days...

And you've looked in all directions but you still can't find your way.

When you just need someone to remind you that it's all gonna be ok. 

I will shine the light." 

-Sugarland's "Shine The Light"

Right before the roof ripped off.

I was at the Sugarland Concert Saturday night when the rigging collapsed! I am safe and the people I was with are too. We were and are still a little shaken up about it. This how I remember that concert...

I was sitting with Alias in row 32 in seats 1 and 2. 3 of my co workers were in row 30 in seats 15 - 17.

While the opening act was on, behind the stage you could see a storm coming with some lighting. But it was no where near us. Having a smart iPhone, I pulled up my weather radar to see how far off the storm was. When I pulled it up the whole entire north and west side of the state of Indiana was in green and there were heavy bands of red and orange. Alias made the comment "good thing we are undercover if it rains."

While we were waiting for the stage crew to reset the stage for Sugarland you could see the storm coming. The stage crew had finished setting up when an official for the state fair came on to the stage to tell us there was a storm coming. They were going to proceed on with the show but if it got worse they would stop the show and evacuate us to three different locations. (Sign # 1 this was going to be bad)

Right after that was said, Alias turned to me and said he should video tape the storm coming in cause from the west it was getting dark as in pitch black. The temperature drop significantly and it got a little breezy. (Sign #2) So, I decided to pull up the radar again but my service was extremely slow. (Sign #3)  But I was too busy putting our cameras and stuff in my purse preparing for the rain. As soon as I zipped up my purse and looked up you could see the dust from the gravel parking lot in the infield picking up. I turned to Alias and said, "It would suck sitting down there on the track right now with the wind picking up and blowing all the dust and dirt around."

We both looked further to the west of the fair where all rides were and they started to disappeared into the dust and dirt. You started to see people run from the track cause of the dirt. Alias and I just sat there taking in the storm. We started watching the stage and watching the wind picked up. All of sudden you heard people sitting on the west side of the stands scream; it looked and felt as if a tornado had touch down - the dirt and dust swirling around. The back drops on the stage started flapping in the wind and the trap on the roof ripped in half and started blowing all over the place. Next thing I saw was the stage shift to the right and then forward. I wasn't sure if it was the rigging that was moving or the grand stands. 

After it collapsed.

I remember seeing a man or a woman in a white shirt and jeans on the track watching the rigging shift right and then forward. As it fell forward, they turned and started running towards the grand stand but didn't make it fast enough. I watched the rigging fall and fall right on top of them. That person in a white shirt and jeans on the track was gone and underneath the rigging. I just sat there in shock and awe. Alias grabbed me and told me to get up and move over to the section next to us cause no one was sitting in those seats. The people next to us where pushing and shoving trying to fly down the stairs. 

When I realized what I had just witnessed my body went into shock and I was shaking so bad. While I was in shock and watching everyone was running out of the grand stands or towards the stage, I need to find my co workers. I spotted them and they came and sat with us. We sat there and waited out the wind storm. While we were sitting there you could hear the wind trying to rip off the roofing which made my nerves even worse.

After the rigging collapsed.

 Once everyone had cleared the stands we decide to walk out and walk over to the Swine Barn which right across the stands. It was a brick building and I felt ten times safer in there. Plus there were pigs and piglets that were not even 20 days old and I could play/pet them and get my mind off of what I just witnessed. 

When we walked out the grand stands there was paper everywhere and tents from the vendors picked up and just dropped any and everywhere. We made it to the barn just in time. The skies opened up and you couldn't see 25 yards in front of you cause of the rain.

We tried calling but all the phone lines were jammed. I couldn't get a call out until 10 pm.  We didn't leave the fair until 11pm cause of where we were parked was off the main road they were bring in equipment and rescue. Walking out was the eeriest thing. It looked like the world had just ended and we were the only survivors. The trolley tractors where just parked in the middle of the road and abandon. Paper and litter everywhere. Tents on their sides. No one was talking to the person they were with. Flashing lights every where.

I had a hard time sleeping on Saturday night. I can't listen to a Sugarland song without watching the vivid image replay in my head.

You should watch this video.
http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/marion_county/expert-explains-how-collapse-happened

http://www.cnn.com/video/ (Watch the video on the stage collapsing. This is where I was sitting watching it.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyDtQm0RWfY&feature=related   (The first half of the video is generally where I was sitting.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMpnP4Ba6K8&feature=related

"There's a comfort. There's healing high above the pain and sorrow...When the walls fall all around you. When your hope has turned to dust, let the sound of love surround you. Beat like a heart in each of us."

-Sugarland's "Stand Up"

King Of The Road, Again!

Open suitcase, clothes scattered on the floor. I don't take the time to unpack anymore. I'm making sure that I take this all in; before you know it I'll be off again.

Well, once again that time of year has arrived, where I become the King of the Road again! The next four months is full of traveling to one place to another every week. I will be traveling to Minnesota, West Virginia, Tennessee, Virginia and Pennsylvania. I have three recruitment visits - helping the chapter improve on their formal recruitment strength. I have eight visits that are repeat visits for the semester. I will be at two different universities for three weeks and another university for two weeks. I will be focusing on "restructuring" those chapters to become four star and crown of excellence chapters.

From last year's travel, I have two universities that are repeat visits. I'm excited to go back to them and see how much they have implement and see the progress that have made since the last time I was there.

The Countdown Begins

Ah, its that time again to start the countdown. We are down to less than a month until I move back to Indianapolis. I cannot wait to get back there. I cannot wait to be back with an amazing staff that is so dedicated to our mission, to be with my counterparts in our industry cause they live our big picture and I'm ready to make new memories with new people and I'm ready for another new adventure out on the road.

Since, I only have less than a month back home. Its time to soak everything in this summer cause who knows, this could be my last one at home. With that said, I'm going to go enjoy the Salt Life before I'm Indiana and there is no Salt Life!