Hand in Hand in HOTlanta!

It's amazing what a little bit of testosterone can do for a lady...being cooped up in the training room (a.k.a. the "dungeon") all day warrants some crazy feelings to arise in seven sorority sisters.


10 PM, saturday night, stircrazy...we headed out to find some fun. All seven of us crammed into the "fun car". A block away from the party, Jodi forgot her ID - oops. Head back home. Callison poses for Vogue while we wait for Kim and Jodi to come back down. Soon find out the ID was in her make up bag, in the car, the whole time. Seatbelts buckled, double check everyone has everything, head back out.

Hand in Hand was the venue, find out Hotlanta has a HOT male population - we brought the party. It was much needed, much fun, and a night we'll never forget.....Eugenia delivered at the "frat house look-a-like" a block from the parking lot.

Exhausted, with heavy heads the next morning - but much revitalized after being "set free" for one night.

Let the training begin...

Location: Memorial Headquarters, Atlanta, GA - the BUNK ROOM.

So, we have almost three weeks of consultant training here at Executive Office and today is the end of day 2. Thus far, it's amazing. Exhausting, but so amazing and I can't believe we're really here and this is actually happening.

We live in the Bunk room. There are 4 sets of bunk beds, and one long closet built into one wall, with multiple doors. We share a bathroom, all seven of us - and so far it's worked just fine. We have a half kitchen stocked full of food, and a den room with a TV and DVD player.

The house is beautiful and I'm afraid to touch anything. By the end of next week, all the guest rooms and pull out couches will be filled with Grand Council members and District Team Directors. Wow...it's just a lot to take in.

Tonight looks like it's going to be a late night because we went to dinner at the Treehouse - delicious, and then spent a few hours in the two-story Target. It even has an escalator that you hook your shopping cart into! Around midnight we're supposed to have an International Officer coming in after her flight was delayed, and we have to let her in. Every morning starts at 9AM.

I've been able to keep in touch with people pretty well so far, and it sure does help to have such amazing friends - it makes the day not seem so long and I know it will help when we finally get on the road. There are times of the day where I will find myself coming down from a high, after someone mentions a certain topic I'm still a little sensitive about...but other than that and a small head cold, I've been in great spirits and we're all have a blast getting to know each other. Our true personalities are starting to come out and it's great.

Tomorrow starts recruitment training, and it goes on ALL WEEKEND LONG. Whoo! Get excited...better get some rest.

Grand Convention

Wow...it's been over a week since I got back from Danvers, just outside Boston, where our bi-annual Grand Convention was held and I'm still on a high from it.

I finally got to meet my fellow Leadership Consultants and they are AMAZING, wonderful, beautiful women. I could not be more comfortable with them, or more excited about traveling this year knowing that we're in this together. Lindsay was my room mate at Convention and I can't imagine getting through recent events without her guidance and encouragement - these women are amazing.

Nothing opens your eyes to the "big picture" more than 300+ women, all members of A Dee Pi, ages 18-93, in one room, at one time. Meeting Grand Council, being there for the election of our new International Grand President...talking to past travelers and hearing of all the amazing things that could happen for us this year....It's all so fantastic!

I found out I'll travel District 3 - so basically Virginia and up the East Coast. I don't think I could be more excited. The cold weather will take some getting used to - if that's possible in a few month's time - but it's thinking about the experiences with the different chapter's I'll visit that keeps me floating on could 9.

There was not a presentation or a dinner that went by all week where I didn't tear up - it was amazing to see what amazing things my sisters and Alpha Delta Pi do for each other and our communities...I am priviledged to be a part of this sorority and I can't wait to give back in any and every way I can during my year of traveling.

before it all began...

I don't know if I'm more nervous or more excited. Of course when people ask me, I tell them I'm more excited than nervous, because that's what I'm supposed to be, right? I took a test today that asked me all sorts of fun questions - some I had to think about. My favorite was, "Do you become involved when watching TV soaps..."? I clicked YES but wasn't quite sure until Gloria and I stumbled across a new reality show called _Age of Love_ or something like that. Where 40 year old women and 20 year old women compete for an Australian Pro-Tennis player's heart. Within the first five minutes I was hooked. Gloria told me she thought I clicked the right answer.

It turns out I'm a ENFJ. Extraverted - 33%, Intuitive - 62%, Feeling - 38%, Judging - 22%. I'll find out more about what all this means at Grand Convention in a week. I'm SUPER excited about that - and I think my nerves will settle a bit after I finally meet who I'll be working with. I hope the other consultants are having similar feelings about all this - it's a little overwhelming to think about.

Not that I'm a stranger to travel...it's just different. I'll be at a different place practically every week. Meeting new people every day. That's my job...incredible.

I feel such gratitude towards my family and friends who have continuously (continually?) supported me up to this point, and I know the support won't stop here. I just need them to know how much it helps me feel confident in my capabilities to see them so excited for me.

I have so much to read in preparation for training. As far as preparing to go on the road, well, from what I can tell you can never be fully prepared - a lot of it is improvisation, which to this point I've been pretty good at, let's just hope I get even better at it along the way...

I do worry about my relationship. But I am trying to come to terms with not being able to control what "might" happen. So far this summer, even after being apart for 4 months while I was in France, life has been good. Minus a slight rift in the very beginning that we're trying hard to forget completely...Derek does a great job calling as often as he can, I believe he does - and I do a great job not worrying every minute he's not on the other end of the line. We'll see each other (with both of our families and then some) July 14 in Atlanta, just 3 days before I have to fly back to Atlanta for 3 weeks of training. I just hope that he can begin to understand my job and why I do it as much as I have come to understand what drumcorps means to him. I know I'm coming home October 13 for Homecoming, and I hope that he'll be able to fly out to see me during some of my other weekends off.

We made a promise to each other to never let the other stand in the way of what we individually want to do - it was actually his idea - and a great one. Difficult at times, but very mature and we try to hold each other accountable to it. I'm excited to see where this next year will take us, we've already been through so much together...

The countdown to Convention is one week tomorrow. There is still so much to do. I am excited AND nervous, but right now the need for sleep is over powering both emotions.