This weekend, I came to the realization that I absolutely HATE moving. I think I've always known how miserable it is but for some reason, this move has really topped it off for me. I realized this year that I have lived in 10 different places since graduating from High School. That is a bit ridiculous. While it has been 8 years since graduation but still. Why can't I just be happy in one place for longer than a year?
This move I am going to blame mostly on finding the love of my life Britton. Since he lives in Sioux City, and his family lives in Sioux City, it didn't make much sense to stay in Vermillion. They have become my second family and having to drive 45 minutes to see them seemed silly. I'd much rather commute to work than commute to fun (the fine words of Britton). So I took posession of a new apartment in North Sioux two weeks ago and the move began. It started with a packing party with my friends here in Vermillion. I provided the wine and food and they packed up my entire kitchen, pantry, living room and dining room. I've got to say, it was the most fun I have had packing ever!
I spent all last week moving odds and ends, clothes and small boxes and held on to the big stuff for the weekend where again, I had my friends from Vermillion help me move and Britton's friends and family help me once in my new locale. My dearest hope would be that I could stay in this place for at least 2 years, maybe more but I have a funny feeling it will be another year lease. Britton's goal is to own a house within the next year and that will most likely lead to my move... again. For now I will get comfortable in the new apartment and will continue to wish the moving will end in the next few years.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Ive been MIA for most of the summer mostly because my life has been extremely boring. No one wants to read stories about my vacations and day trips to Omaha. But one thing is for sure about this summers activities. I have been to a lot of weddings. I did blog about my friend Zelie's and that was only the beginning. I have now been to four weddings since the start of May (with more to go) and I will say, it has planted a bug in me that I never expected...
After spending so much time at weddings, with wedding parties and listening to Britton's stories of bachelor parties I have got the itch to plan my own. Yes I do realize how ridiculous that is seeing as I am no closer today than I was last year to actually getting married. However, at these various weddings I have noticed the good, the bad and the ugly.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
the rising water
Today we are experiencing something new at the University of South Dakota and its going to last the whole summer. The rising waters along the Missouri river have left much of South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska under water. Sunday we got an email from the Dean of Students informing us that we would be preparing for anywhere between 300 and 700 reserve and active military personnel as the Governor has declared South Dakota in a state of emergency. According to our news station, Keloland, "record amounts of water are being released from dams along the Missouri River in South Dakota, creating flooding fears in a number of towns." One of these towns being most affected is Dakota Dunes in North Sioux City. This is actually an area that I am looking to move to this summer so lets keep our fingers crossed the apartments aren't greatly affected. Britton's office is located in the dunes along with the families of many of his coworkers. Many of these families began to move out over the weekend in preparation of the rising waters. As of today, they have issued a mandatory evacuation for the Dunes and they are telling people to be prepared to be away from their homes for the entire summer.
Britton and I saw the flood waters yesterday on our way into Omaha from the air and I will tell you, it wasn't pretty. Much of the Missouri river was already overflowing into neighborhoods and farms along its banks. As I drove further up towards South Dakota I could see even more of the rising river and its affects on the local communities. While Nebraska has not yet declared a state of emergency, we are only days away from the water levels causing the rest of the nearby states to need more help than the locals can provide.
Today the President of USD has informed the local community about the opportunities to help. People are being taken to Yankton and the Dunes to sandbag 3 times a day and as a staff are allowed to request to take 4 hours a day to assist with this for the next few days. I spent the morning preparing our residence halls for the military personnel to arrive and spent 4+ hours moving mattresses from one floor to another, cleaning rooms and mopping floors to make sure our military has a comfortable place to stay. I am hoping that I can go out to the local towns later in the week to assist with sand bags as well. Throughout the last few months I have had my heart strings pulled throughout the various natural distastes across the US and now I have my chance to help. For more information check out http://www.keloland.com/news/news/flooding/
Britton and I saw the flood waters yesterday on our way into Omaha from the air and I will tell you, it wasn't pretty. Much of the Missouri river was already overflowing into neighborhoods and farms along its banks. As I drove further up towards South Dakota I could see even more of the rising river and its affects on the local communities. While Nebraska has not yet declared a state of emergency, we are only days away from the water levels causing the rest of the nearby states to need more help than the locals can provide.
Today the President of USD has informed the local community about the opportunities to help. People are being taken to Yankton and the Dunes to sandbag 3 times a day and as a staff are allowed to request to take 4 hours a day to assist with this for the next few days. I spent the morning preparing our residence halls for the military personnel to arrive and spent 4+ hours moving mattresses from one floor to another, cleaning rooms and mopping floors to make sure our military has a comfortable place to stay. I am hoping that I can go out to the local towns later in the week to assist with sand bags as well. Throughout the last few months I have had my heart strings pulled throughout the various natural distastes across the US and now I have my chance to help. For more information check out http://www.keloland.com/news/news/flooding/
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
and they said "i do"
This past weekend I had the pleasure of heading down to Holy Trinity, AL for my big sister's wedding. Her (now) hubby Frank has been in the picture for as long as I've nown Zelie. The two are great compliments of eachother, Frank is tall and goofy and reminds me of a kid (in a good way) and Zelie is teeny tiny and has the biggest heart ever! I was so excited to spend this special day with the two of them!
I arrived in Atlanta on Thursday afternoon and spent 1.5 hrs in the car with Frank as we drove to Columbus where I would later meet Zelie to head into Holy Trinity. Holy Trinity is one of those small towns that you can't find on the GPS, complete with a church and some big farm houses (there might have been more but we didn't stray too far from the house). I instantly fell in love with the "Big House" as they refer to it, where all of the ladies would be staying for the weekend. The Big House was Zelie's grandmas house that the Davis's have spent months updating to prepare for the wedding. In the back yard people were swarming as they prepared for the wedding festivities. There was a HUGE tent with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and flowers and greenery everywhere. Throughout the weekend we spent time hanging globe lights in the trees and preparing the tables in anticipation of the 260+ guests attending the wedding.
Friday we all had a relatively lazy day, spending time with the wedding party at Zelie's parents pool which was just up the road on the same prooperty as the Big House. We all sat around playing with the flower girl Chloe, drinking skinny girl margharitas and cooling off in the pool. Our pool day was an awesome substitute to the bridesmaid luncheon (which we are all glad to have avoided). I never realized I would miss the heat as much as I do, but spending the day in the hot sun was just what I needed.
Friday night after the rehersal we headed into Columbus for dinner at the botanical gardens. One of the groomsmen was all about the "crab pops" that they were serving as appetizers. I think he ran over a small child and a grandmother to be the first to reach the server with the last plate of crab pops! I can't really blame him either, they were delicious! Dinner was also fantastic and I had the pleasure of sitting at a great table with two groomsmen and my grand big Saida and her hubby. We spent the night talking about movies and memories. I don't know when the last time was that I laughed that hard! My abs are STILL sore!
Saturday we woke early to help finish getting the big tent ready for the guests. We put table clothes on, placed chargers at all the seats along with the napkins and flat wear. After hours of prepping the tent it was time for the ladies to get ready so we can have our hair done by the pros. We spent more hours getting ourselves ready and taking photos with the bride to be. It was a glorious day and we had so much fun together. I can't wait to see the professional pics!
I had the great pleasure of being the first to walk down the aisle and i will admit, i was nervous! This is my first experience as a bridesmaid and it was my escorts first one too! But we set the pace and smiled big in anticipation of Zelie's walk down the aisle.
The wedding itself was short and sweet which i surely can not say about the reception. I spent hours drinking and dancing and made it to bed around 5 am. You know its a good night when... :)
The groomsmen and bridesmaids all got along so well that we are already planning our first reunion. Hopefully it will be scheduled for the beginning of October but we shall see! All in all, this was, by far, the best wedding I've been to. Couldn't have had more fun and made some great new friends! While this adventure did not take place in the great midwest, it was an adventure none the less!
I arrived in Atlanta on Thursday afternoon and spent 1.5 hrs in the car with Frank as we drove to Columbus where I would later meet Zelie to head into Holy Trinity. Holy Trinity is one of those small towns that you can't find on the GPS, complete with a church and some big farm houses (there might have been more but we didn't stray too far from the house). I instantly fell in love with the "Big House" as they refer to it, where all of the ladies would be staying for the weekend. The Big House was Zelie's grandmas house that the Davis's have spent months updating to prepare for the wedding. In the back yard people were swarming as they prepared for the wedding festivities. There was a HUGE tent with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and flowers and greenery everywhere. Throughout the weekend we spent time hanging globe lights in the trees and preparing the tables in anticipation of the 260+ guests attending the wedding.
Friday we all had a relatively lazy day, spending time with the wedding party at Zelie's parents pool which was just up the road on the same prooperty as the Big House. We all sat around playing with the flower girl Chloe, drinking skinny girl margharitas and cooling off in the pool. Our pool day was an awesome substitute to the bridesmaid luncheon (which we are all glad to have avoided). I never realized I would miss the heat as much as I do, but spending the day in the hot sun was just what I needed.
Friday night after the rehersal we headed into Columbus for dinner at the botanical gardens. One of the groomsmen was all about the "crab pops" that they were serving as appetizers. I think he ran over a small child and a grandmother to be the first to reach the server with the last plate of crab pops! I can't really blame him either, they were delicious! Dinner was also fantastic and I had the pleasure of sitting at a great table with two groomsmen and my grand big Saida and her hubby. We spent the night talking about movies and memories. I don't know when the last time was that I laughed that hard! My abs are STILL sore!
Saturday we woke early to help finish getting the big tent ready for the guests. We put table clothes on, placed chargers at all the seats along with the napkins and flat wear. After hours of prepping the tent it was time for the ladies to get ready so we can have our hair done by the pros. We spent more hours getting ourselves ready and taking photos with the bride to be. It was a glorious day and we had so much fun together. I can't wait to see the professional pics!
I had the great pleasure of being the first to walk down the aisle and i will admit, i was nervous! This is my first experience as a bridesmaid and it was my escorts first one too! But we set the pace and smiled big in anticipation of Zelie's walk down the aisle.
The wedding itself was short and sweet which i surely can not say about the reception. I spent hours drinking and dancing and made it to bed around 5 am. You know its a good night when... :)
The groomsmen and bridesmaids all got along so well that we are already planning our first reunion. Hopefully it will be scheduled for the beginning of October but we shall see! All in all, this was, by far, the best wedding I've been to. Couldn't have had more fun and made some great new friends! While this adventure did not take place in the great midwest, it was an adventure none the less!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
wedding week
The last few weeks my life has been what I call boring. I have spent some QT with the Wall family but my day to day has been somewhat mundane now that the students have all left campus and Vermillion has lost a significant portion of the population. However, this week I am getting ready for my Big's big day! This is the Zelie Davis-Frank Wooten wedding week!
About a year ago I got my invitation to be a bridesmaid. In true Zelie fashion she sent me a small bouquet of flowers with a little rhyme asking me to stand by her side while she said I do. Throughout college and beyond Zelie and I have kept in touch and I was ecstatic when my invitation to be a bridesmaid came. "Of course I will" I said to Zelie the second I got her on the phone! I couldn't wait to celebrate the big day with her!
The week of the big blizzard I picked up the bridesmaid dress for this late spring wedding. While it was snowing buckets outside I was trying on the lovely bright green sundress. It had me dreaming of warmer weather and fun times with friends. The dress is perfect for a Zelie wedding. The color screams Zelie as her favorite is green and the style of the dress will look great on all of us.
A few months later I received the shoes in the mail. Zelie had bought all of our shoes and sent mine to try on.
I love the simplicity of the entire bridesmaid outfit, fits Zelie's style perfectly. I can't wait to stand up there beside her!
After the wedding this weekend I will surely post some better pics and provide more details regarding the event. I can't wait to leave for Holy Trinity, Alabama 3 days from today! Looking forward to warm weather and some quality time with my Big!
About a year ago I got my invitation to be a bridesmaid. In true Zelie fashion she sent me a small bouquet of flowers with a little rhyme asking me to stand by her side while she said I do. Throughout college and beyond Zelie and I have kept in touch and I was ecstatic when my invitation to be a bridesmaid came. "Of course I will" I said to Zelie the second I got her on the phone! I couldn't wait to celebrate the big day with her!
The week of the big blizzard I picked up the bridesmaid dress for this late spring wedding. While it was snowing buckets outside I was trying on the lovely bright green sundress. It had me dreaming of warmer weather and fun times with friends. The dress is perfect for a Zelie wedding. The color screams Zelie as her favorite is green and the style of the dress will look great on all of us.
I love the simplicity of the entire bridesmaid outfit, fits Zelie's style perfectly. I can't wait to stand up there beside her!
After the wedding this weekend I will surely post some better pics and provide more details regarding the event. I can't wait to leave for Holy Trinity, Alabama 3 days from today! Looking forward to warm weather and some quality time with my Big!
Friday, April 29, 2011
momma's come to town!
Last weekend I had the great pleasure of having my momma in town for the Easter holiday. I started the weekend off right with a trip to Sioux Falls to stop by my favorite cupcakery. I can never leave with just a few so decided on an even dozen to ensure I had tried all the best flavors. You all know how much i LOVE cupcakes :) I've been dieting for a good 5 weeks so cupcakes were a great treat for all of my hard work and dedication!
I picked mom up at the airport on Friday a little after 5 and we were in a movie theater by 6 to see the great and wonderful Reese in Water for Elephants. If you haven't read the book, read it first, it was great! Movie was awesome as well! Its hard for me to go to Sioux Falls without a stop at my favorite target so I kept mom busy once we left the movie as we strolled through target and picked up some Easter goodies. Its nice having mom around to mosey through the isles. Its just not the same with Britton (no offense) but I prefer to take my time, walk down every isle and mom shares the sentiment.
Saturday morning was a little more stressful for mom as she was meeting the Walls for the first time! I think she spent 2 hours getting ready to ensure that she was at her best! So cute!! Lunch with the Walls was a huge success and both families enjoyed each other. My hope is that the Walls will be the winning in-laws when that day comes ;) Saturday was filled with excitement as we hopped into Britton's car and headed to Omaha for some shopping and fun. I think Britton had seriously underestimated my mother and I's ability to shop till we drop and he spent most of his time on his phone while we tried on loads of clothes! Nothing better than a day at the mall with my momma!
The second stop was to the Whole Foods to find some goodies for our Easter dinner. We didn't really plan ahead so we spent the better half of an hour roaming back and forth among the isles trying to pick some sides to go along with our predetermined dessert and main course. I think Britton thought we had lost our minds as we walked around aimlessly and ended up with only one grocery bag of food. We ended the night with some cheesecake factory as I was craving something familiar.
Sunday we spent the day being more or less... lazy. Doing our cooking and watching movies and tv. After dinner we literally spent 5 hours on the couch. We had become one with my couch for sure. Although throughout our hours of television mom and i continued to play each other in words with friends. Can't stop that even if we are face to face. Mom and Britton were impressed with my Easter basket making abilities and i made sure we had all of our favorites.... starburst jelly beans, peeps, reeses peanut butter eggs (the best) and some chocolate bunnies (dark and milk).
I was so lucky to have mom around through Monday and we spent some time apartment hunting. We decided it made the most sense to move me closer to the Walls so I could get out of Verm and we found some great places! I can't wait to see what will actually be available when I get to move July 31st! Always exciting!
I am so glad I was able to spend the holiday with my mom. It was great to have her around! Feels more like home... Love you momma!
I picked mom up at the airport on Friday a little after 5 and we were in a movie theater by 6 to see the great and wonderful Reese in Water for Elephants. If you haven't read the book, read it first, it was great! Movie was awesome as well! Its hard for me to go to Sioux Falls without a stop at my favorite target so I kept mom busy once we left the movie as we strolled through target and picked up some Easter goodies. Its nice having mom around to mosey through the isles. Its just not the same with Britton (no offense) but I prefer to take my time, walk down every isle and mom shares the sentiment.
Saturday morning was a little more stressful for mom as she was meeting the Walls for the first time! I think she spent 2 hours getting ready to ensure that she was at her best! So cute!! Lunch with the Walls was a huge success and both families enjoyed each other. My hope is that the Walls will be the winning in-laws when that day comes ;) Saturday was filled with excitement as we hopped into Britton's car and headed to Omaha for some shopping and fun. I think Britton had seriously underestimated my mother and I's ability to shop till we drop and he spent most of his time on his phone while we tried on loads of clothes! Nothing better than a day at the mall with my momma!
The second stop was to the Whole Foods to find some goodies for our Easter dinner. We didn't really plan ahead so we spent the better half of an hour roaming back and forth among the isles trying to pick some sides to go along with our predetermined dessert and main course. I think Britton thought we had lost our minds as we walked around aimlessly and ended up with only one grocery bag of food. We ended the night with some cheesecake factory as I was craving something familiar.
Sunday we spent the day being more or less... lazy. Doing our cooking and watching movies and tv. After dinner we literally spent 5 hours on the couch. We had become one with my couch for sure. Although throughout our hours of television mom and i continued to play each other in words with friends. Can't stop that even if we are face to face. Mom and Britton were impressed with my Easter basket making abilities and i made sure we had all of our favorites.... starburst jelly beans, peeps, reeses peanut butter eggs (the best) and some chocolate bunnies (dark and milk).
I was so lucky to have mom around through Monday and we spent some time apartment hunting. We decided it made the most sense to move me closer to the Walls so I could get out of Verm and we found some great places! I can't wait to see what will actually be available when I get to move July 31st! Always exciting!
I am so glad I was able to spend the holiday with my mom. It was great to have her around! Feels more like home... Love you momma!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
the....weather
I think I have been a good sport about all this cold weather out here. I have rarely complained and in fact, was quite fascinated with the snow... until now. Earlier this week and last we were still experiencing snow storms. Last Friday people were even calling it a blizzard. Wet, heavy snow that mostly melts when it hits the ground but clogs the streets with slush and covers the cars in white shit. Please excuse the fowl language but I have reached my wits end with this crappy weather! It is APRIL for goodness sakes and we're still experiencing temperatures in the 40's! Yes, that's right, today it hasn't gotten about 45 degrees. And its raining. At least it isn't snowing though, right?! Pray for my sanity because i don't know how much longer it will last. The wind, snow, rain and temperatures of South Dakota have me seriously wiggin out ;)
Monday, April 18, 2011
some real adventures
So it's been a while and i apologize. To start, let me tell you about some of my ACTUAL adventures. In the past month I have had many fun moments, some in the Midwest and some in the west. But the most interesting adventure was at the Sioux City ice skating center for a curling tournament.
Now, you all remember the curling teams in the last winter Olympics? Personally, I was a big fan of the Norwegian Olympic curling team and was absolutely in love with their attire (https://www.facebook.com/NOCTP). They even started a facebook group (as seen at left) and i am a follower! Now the sport itself is quite bizarre and reminds me of shuffle board on ice (and crack). You have to try and get a "stone" in the middle of the circle across the ice and there are sweepers that heat up the ice to make it go faster or change directions. I realize, my description of this event is really not going to help you get the picture but I am attempting!
Lucky for me, i was too busy to be a player but instead got to stand on the ice and cheer on the team for their last game. Britton's family were the key players while Janet (his mom) and I took pics and slid around on the ice. The best part of the whole event was definitely the the team uniforms. The competition seemed to have a "through the decades" theme so there were groups in mullet wigs, our team had on some stellar 80's styles and one whole team dressed up as the opposite sex! All in all it was a fun time and after watching this year, i hope to be more involved next year, maybe as a sweeper?
The same weekend was also Dance Marathon at USD. For those of you that read this and don't know about DM, its a 24 hour fundraiser for Children's Miracle Network. This year USD broke records and raised over $50,000 and brought over 200 students to the marathon. As a coadvisor of the group we were all proud to see what the students accomplished and none of us can wait to see what they do next year!
The following weekend I had the great pleasure to join my big sister from Delta Zeta in Vegas for some bachelorette party action! We spent 3 nights in the Venetian, gambling, eating good food and being lazy at the pool! Being the planner that I am (NOT!) I forgot to charge my camera before leaving so it was dead before I event left Omaha. I h ope to make up for that at the wedding next month in good 'ole Alabama!
And this past weekend I had the privilege to start the weekend off with my first ever experience of USD's Stroller's event. The event is a variety show where 5 teams compete. 4 teams consist of fraternity/sorority pairings and the last team is called the GDI's (gosh darn independents). In between the teams musical dance skits a group called the Strollers perform jokes and skits. I have heard of the obscene jokes this group has done in the past but 2011 Strollers seemed pretty tame to me. only a few jokes had me questioning their sanity. The performances were also quite entertaining, including made up lyrics to shows and interesting plot lines. I was glad to have the chance to watch the show and engage in some USD history. The strollers show started in 1923 and this year marked the 88th show.
This Friday I am lucky to have my momma coming to visit! I can't wait for her to get here to spend the Easter holiday in Vermtown. Hopefully we will have some adventures of our own that will be blog worthy!
Now, you all remember the curling teams in the last winter Olympics? Personally, I was a big fan of the Norwegian Olympic curling team and was absolutely in love with their attire (https://www.facebook.com/NOCTP). They even started a facebook group (as seen at left) and i am a follower! Now the sport itself is quite bizarre and reminds me of shuffle board on ice (and crack). You have to try and get a "stone" in the middle of the circle across the ice and there are sweepers that heat up the ice to make it go faster or change directions. I realize, my description of this event is really not going to help you get the picture but I am attempting!
Lucky for me, i was too busy to be a player but instead got to stand on the ice and cheer on the team for their last game. Britton's family were the key players while Janet (his mom) and I took pics and slid around on the ice. The best part of the whole event was definitely the the team uniforms. The competition seemed to have a "through the decades" theme so there were groups in mullet wigs, our team had on some stellar 80's styles and one whole team dressed up as the opposite sex! All in all it was a fun time and after watching this year, i hope to be more involved next year, maybe as a sweeper?
The same weekend was also Dance Marathon at USD. For those of you that read this and don't know about DM, its a 24 hour fundraiser for Children's Miracle Network. This year USD broke records and raised over $50,000 and brought over 200 students to the marathon. As a coadvisor of the group we were all proud to see what the students accomplished and none of us can wait to see what they do next year!
The following weekend I had the great pleasure to join my big sister from Delta Zeta in Vegas for some bachelorette party action! We spent 3 nights in the Venetian, gambling, eating good food and being lazy at the pool! Being the planner that I am (NOT!) I forgot to charge my camera before leaving so it was dead before I event left Omaha. I h ope to make up for that at the wedding next month in good 'ole Alabama!
And this past weekend I had the privilege to start the weekend off with my first ever experience of USD's Stroller's event. The event is a variety show where 5 teams compete. 4 teams consist of fraternity/sorority pairings and the last team is called the GDI's (gosh darn independents). In between the teams musical dance skits a group called the Strollers perform jokes and skits. I have heard of the obscene jokes this group has done in the past but 2011 Strollers seemed pretty tame to me. only a few jokes had me questioning their sanity. The performances were also quite entertaining, including made up lyrics to shows and interesting plot lines. I was glad to have the chance to watch the show and engage in some USD history. The strollers show started in 1923 and this year marked the 88th show.
This Friday I am lucky to have my momma coming to visit! I can't wait for her to get here to spend the Easter holiday in Vermtown. Hopefully we will have some adventures of our own that will be blog worthy!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
this is why i do what i do
Over the past few years I have built many relationships with students, faculty and staff alike on this adventure we call higher education. One memory stands out for me in my first year working at Rollins as a GA in Fraternity and Sorority Life. If you know anything about recruitment you know that it can be the most stressful and rewarding time of year for an advisor. My first recruitment I was asked to walk a student back to her dorm that was having a hard time with the bid she received as she knew it was not the place that she would call home for the next four years. Olivia declined her bid knowing she would not be able to go through recruitment again for a full calendar year. My supervisor asked me to walk her back and calm her nerves as she was visibly upset. I was worried about Olivia because recruitment is one of the most stressful times for a potential new member. I kept an eye on her and gave her my number so she could reach me at any time over the weekend if she was feeling too upset about her decision and the outcome of recruitment.
Over the next year I saw Olivia around campus engaging in various activities and getting involved in other student organizations. The next spring when she was eligible to go through recruitment she did and she joined our local sorority NCM. This time she had found her home and began going through the education process and getting involved in all that NCM had to offer. Towards the end of my second year as a GA the NCM chapter decided it was time to go national and merge with a national organization to gain the countless benefits that these organizations can provide to collegiate and alumni women. As their search for a national organization began Olivia was at the forefront of turning NCM into the best organization they could be.
My first year out of graduate school NCM began bringing national organizations on campus to present to Panhellenic and decide what would be the best fit for the campus. Lucky for me Delta Zeta was in the top three and they blew our women away in their excellent presentation with their attention to details and how they could fit the NCM values in with our own. Olivia had been pushing for DZ since they came on the table as an option and I worked with her to share my knowledge of the organization as I am also a member. I watched as Olivia took the lead and ultimately became the president of the new Delta Zeta chapter.
Over those four years I watched Olivia grow into an amazing and strong young woman and I am proud of who she has become. Just yesterday I was talking to Olivia about graduate school. She wants to go into higher ed and become a fraternity and sorority advisor just like I had 4 years ago. She has already been accepted at USC and is waiting to hear back from a few other schools. I had the pleasure today to send a few referrals out on Olivia's behalf in search of an assistantship for her. I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to reach out to my colleagues to help her and I can't wait to see where she goes next.
I might not always love my day-to-day activities up here in good 'ole South Dakota but THIS is why I do it. I joined this professional to make a difference in the lives of college students. While I can't take all the credit on who Olivia has become, I can sleep at night knowing I helped her along this path.
Over the next year I saw Olivia around campus engaging in various activities and getting involved in other student organizations. The next spring when she was eligible to go through recruitment she did and she joined our local sorority NCM. This time she had found her home and began going through the education process and getting involved in all that NCM had to offer. Towards the end of my second year as a GA the NCM chapter decided it was time to go national and merge with a national organization to gain the countless benefits that these organizations can provide to collegiate and alumni women. As their search for a national organization began Olivia was at the forefront of turning NCM into the best organization they could be.
My first year out of graduate school NCM began bringing national organizations on campus to present to Panhellenic and decide what would be the best fit for the campus. Lucky for me Delta Zeta was in the top three and they blew our women away in their excellent presentation with their attention to details and how they could fit the NCM values in with our own. Olivia had been pushing for DZ since they came on the table as an option and I worked with her to share my knowledge of the organization as I am also a member. I watched as Olivia took the lead and ultimately became the president of the new Delta Zeta chapter.
Over those four years I watched Olivia grow into an amazing and strong young woman and I am proud of who she has become. Just yesterday I was talking to Olivia about graduate school. She wants to go into higher ed and become a fraternity and sorority advisor just like I had 4 years ago. She has already been accepted at USC and is waiting to hear back from a few other schools. I had the pleasure today to send a few referrals out on Olivia's behalf in search of an assistantship for her. I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to reach out to my colleagues to help her and I can't wait to see where she goes next.
I might not always love my day-to-day activities up here in good 'ole South Dakota but THIS is why I do it. I joined this professional to make a difference in the lives of college students. While I can't take all the credit on who Olivia has become, I can sleep at night knowing I helped her along this path.
Friday, March 11, 2011
The Vacation
So let me start by apologizing for my long absence. I have not gotten used to this whole blogging thing...
Last Friday I had the wonderful pleasure of returning home for a mini vacation with my parents and new beau, Britton. It was his first time meeting my family and we got to do that in style with a trip to Key West. We arrived into MCO late that night and were early to bed to prepare for our weekend of "drunken debauchery" starting the next day. As a side note, mom has been calling it a weekend of drunken debauchery since the idea first came about in December over the holidays. I will admit as Britton has to my friends, i think i only finished 4 drinks the whole weekend...
Back to the trip, early Saturday morning Britton and I had plans to meet up with my bestie Amit and his gf at my fav Jewish deli, Bagel King. Now, bagels are something I have really grown to miss as Vermillion's only selection consists of those crap bagels in the bread aisle of Wal-Mart... So needless to say, I was pumped about some real bagels and cream cheese! I made sure to pack in the activities to ensure that Britt got to meet all of my closest buds while he was around so breakfast was planned for 7:30 am that morning.
After breakfast another bestie, Juli stopped by to say hi and then we were off to the airport again to catch that plane to the beautiful island of Key West.Our arrival in Key West was definitely an adventure, taking a van to the car rental place where we began our vacation waiting in the hot sun for an hour for a car. Apparently the place was not prepared for the customers that were arriving on the 12:30 flight from Orlando.
Once we were in our rental we headed straight for Publix to grab some provisions including my favorite lunch treat, a publix sub! With vanilla ice cream and pina colada mix we headed to the hotel only to find that our room was not ready. It was 2 pm by now and check in was 3 so we decided to wait by the pool for what felt like FOREVER! Dad checked in numerous times for a status update but we were stuck with the stray cats and spring breakers for another hour.
Once the room was finally ready we began the island vacation we had been hoping for set with beautiful sunsets, delicious meals and fun in the sun. Highlights include:
A sunset cruise on the catamaran with the Fury, tour inclucded free booze and gorgeous views!
A glorious meal on the secluded Little Palm Island, inhabitants on the island included little key deer!
The Hemingway house where we found some of the famous 6 toed cats!
A beautiful tour around the island, complete with stops at the Southernmost point, Submarine hiding spot during WW2, a dolphin playground and lots of time playing around in the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean!
And we can never forget about the reason we were there, the "drunken debauchery!" We had to hit up the local hot spots such as Hogs Breath Saloon and Sloppy Joe's (although we did avoid Fat Tuesday's since it was actually Fat Tuesday when we went out drinkin')!
There were, of course, many, many more sites we saw and restaurants we went to but if I were to show pics of all of it you'd be reading for days.
All in all, we had a wonderful time, and (thankfully) Britton impressed the parents. We've been invited back down in July for a fourth of July vacation in Anna Maria Island. I am already counting the days!
Last Friday I had the wonderful pleasure of returning home for a mini vacation with my parents and new beau, Britton. It was his first time meeting my family and we got to do that in style with a trip to Key West. We arrived into MCO late that night and were early to bed to prepare for our weekend of "drunken debauchery" starting the next day. As a side note, mom has been calling it a weekend of drunken debauchery since the idea first came about in December over the holidays. I will admit as Britton has to my friends, i think i only finished 4 drinks the whole weekend...
Back to the trip, early Saturday morning Britton and I had plans to meet up with my bestie Amit and his gf at my fav Jewish deli, Bagel King. Now, bagels are something I have really grown to miss as Vermillion's only selection consists of those crap bagels in the bread aisle of Wal-Mart... So needless to say, I was pumped about some real bagels and cream cheese! I made sure to pack in the activities to ensure that Britt got to meet all of my closest buds while he was around so breakfast was planned for 7:30 am that morning.
After breakfast another bestie, Juli stopped by to say hi and then we were off to the airport again to catch that plane to the beautiful island of Key West.Our arrival in Key West was definitely an adventure, taking a van to the car rental place where we began our vacation waiting in the hot sun for an hour for a car. Apparently the place was not prepared for the customers that were arriving on the 12:30 flight from Orlando.
Once we were in our rental we headed straight for Publix to grab some provisions including my favorite lunch treat, a publix sub! With vanilla ice cream and pina colada mix we headed to the hotel only to find that our room was not ready. It was 2 pm by now and check in was 3 so we decided to wait by the pool for what felt like FOREVER! Dad checked in numerous times for a status update but we were stuck with the stray cats and spring breakers for another hour.
Once the room was finally ready we began the island vacation we had been hoping for set with beautiful sunsets, delicious meals and fun in the sun. Highlights include:
A sunset cruise on the catamaran with the Fury, tour inclucded free booze and gorgeous views!
A glorious meal on the secluded Little Palm Island, inhabitants on the island included little key deer!
The Hemingway house where we found some of the famous 6 toed cats!
A beautiful tour around the island, complete with stops at the Southernmost point, Submarine hiding spot during WW2, a dolphin playground and lots of time playing around in the Gulf and Atlantic Ocean!
And we can never forget about the reason we were there, the "drunken debauchery!" We had to hit up the local hot spots such as Hogs Breath Saloon and Sloppy Joe's (although we did avoid Fat Tuesday's since it was actually Fat Tuesday when we went out drinkin')!
There were, of course, many, many more sites we saw and restaurants we went to but if I were to show pics of all of it you'd be reading for days.
All in all, we had a wonderful time, and (thankfully) Britton impressed the parents. We've been invited back down in July for a fourth of July vacation in Anna Maria Island. I am already counting the days!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Values and Leadership
This semester I have started a new program at USD titled Leadership U and we have had anywhere from 30-50 students show up to the workshops in the last two weeks (making this new program a HUGE success). This week we talked specifically about personal values and how they relate to leadership. It got me thinking about what I value most in life. I have done a values evaluation before and for the most part I can always remember my top 3 but the others on my list change based on life's changes. In the worksheet there are a list of 45 values and you are asked to put them into one of 5 categories, always value, often value, sometimes value, seldom value and never value. I found 6 values that have the most meaning in my life and they are:
I hope that by making this change in my life I can begin to find some peace in this move that has been a constant struggle for me. By focusing every day on a core value I hope that I will be able to live each day to the fullest and find the joy in all that I do!
If anyone would like a copy of the article on personal values please let me know and I will send it to you in an email!
Hope you have a great day! Ciao!
- Family
- Love
- Friendship
- Inner Harmony
- Helping Others
- Balance
I hope that by making this change in my life I can begin to find some peace in this move that has been a constant struggle for me. By focusing every day on a core value I hope that I will be able to live each day to the fullest and find the joy in all that I do!
If anyone would like a copy of the article on personal values please let me know and I will send it to you in an email!
Hope you have a great day! Ciao!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Heat WAVE!
Since I have been doing this whole blog thing the temperatures here in Verm have been plummeting. In fact, just last week we were experiencing wind chill in the -20 to -30 range! Completely unbearable, to say the least. The roads have been covered in ice and the snow is piled high in the parking lots all over town. However, late last week, a heat wave rolled in. As soon as it happened students all over campus were whipping out their shorts and t-shirts and yesterday I even saw a few pairs of open toe footwear! Now I realize, even I have felt warm in this beautiful weather, but still not warm enough for my favorite pair of rainbows. I called my mom last Friday and said "you know I've been in the north too long when I say 30 degree temperatures is warm!" And the amazing thing is, the temps didn't stop rising today's high is 47 and tomorrow's is 55!
With the sun beaming down on this small town the ice is melting and the snow is disappearing at a rapid pace. Where the roads have been lined for weeks with piles of snow, now all you see is dead grass and puddles. Yesterday I was even brave enough to go without a coat after lunch to bask in the glorious warmth! I never thought this Florida girl would be so excited to see temperatures in the 40s. Just last year I had to pull out my winter coat when the temperatures got that LOW!
I wish I could say that these warm temperatures would last forever but, sadly, by this weekend we should be getting more snow and cool temperatures once again. This spring time tease can't last forever so I suppose I will keep my winter wear handy. This weekend I will have the pleasure of heading up to the Twin Cities with the beau's family and I am sure the winter coat will be a must pack item. I will spend the next few says enjoying the beauty as I knew it couldn't last forever.
ta ta for now!
With the sun beaming down on this small town the ice is melting and the snow is disappearing at a rapid pace. Where the roads have been lined for weeks with piles of snow, now all you see is dead grass and puddles. Yesterday I was even brave enough to go without a coat after lunch to bask in the glorious warmth! I never thought this Florida girl would be so excited to see temperatures in the 40s. Just last year I had to pull out my winter coat when the temperatures got that LOW!
I wish I could say that these warm temperatures would last forever but, sadly, by this weekend we should be getting more snow and cool temperatures once again. This spring time tease can't last forever so I suppose I will keep my winter wear handy. This weekend I will have the pleasure of heading up to the Twin Cities with the beau's family and I am sure the winter coat will be a must pack item. I will spend the next few says enjoying the beauty as I knew it couldn't last forever.
ta ta for now!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Our Trip to Lincoln
This weekend I had the pleasure to see more sites in the Midwest. Britton and I headed South to Lincoln, NE to spend some time with his sister and brother in law. On our drive down we went to my favorite sushi place in Omaha and stuffed our faced before the final leg of the trip. Sushi was good and I was happy!
As we drove into Lincoln I expected it to be a boring college town with little activity and only college things to do. Boy was I surprised! Lincoln was a pretty thriving metropolis with a nice downtown and great surrounding neighborhoods. It was much larger than I expected and had a thriving young population of 20 somethings. Britton's sister Ciana lives in an adorable neighborhood with some great surrounding restaurants and shops.
Saturday night we headed into downtown for a bite to eat at a local pizza joint. The place felt like that awesome neighborhood bar with graffiti art covering the walls and a great selection of import beer. The food was delicious and the company was rockin! We headed front he bar to a quaint bar located at the back of an old theater. The specialty menu included creative martinis and mixed drinks. Being located at the back of an old theater you could see the underbelly of the structure of the theater. It had a great atmosphere and classy clientele.
The four of us spent Saturday eating great food and playing their new Kinect. It was a wonderful and relaxing weekend and we can't wait for Ciana and Jeff to come and visit us next!
Now that we are back home safe and sound Britton has headed in for surgery and the snow has begun to fall again! Back to the real world!
Monday, January 10, 2011
snow, snow, snow
So I woke up Sunday morning and it was snowing. This isn't my first encounter with the snow but this was the most beautiful. The last real snow we had was during a blizzard which made it impossible to see and everything was being blown about. Sunday's snow, however, was peaceful.
Britton and I had planned on heading to Sioux City for the day to be with his mom and eat good food so after getting ready we made the trek to his house. Britton's car can take the snow for sure but my baby was in Sioux City already so i knew at some point i would be taking it back to Verm... Once we made it to SC i promised my mom I would go out and play in the snow. We suited up with some old snow gear and went out to brave the cold. with Britton's mom in tow to take photos we began gallivanting across his lawn making snow angels and having snowball fights.
We went all out and crossed to the neighbors backyard to do a little sledding down the huge hills in his neighborhood. I'm not gonna lie about it, i was slightly nervous. But lucky for me, i had Britton behind me on the sled to navigate. As we got closer and closer to the end of the hill and the beginning of a fence Britton's feet went out to stop our sled sending snow all over my face and up my nose! The joys of the sled were soon met by the misery of the hike back up the hill. Little did i realize that the heading back up the hill would be somewhat torturous.
Now, it's been many, many hours since first waking to see the snow falling in Vermillion. And the snow didn't let up on our drive to SC or as we played in the snow that afternoon. It snowed all day long, without so much as a 5 minute reprieve. My car was already covered in snow out in the drive way. Britton cleaned off my car that night to help me prepare for my journey back home which i didn't start until almost 10 pm. Its one thing to drive at night and another thing to drive in the snow. Mix the two for this Florida girl and you have a possible disaster on your hands...
As I got onto the interstate after fishtailing and meandering about the unplowed roads I caught sight of an upturned car, lying in the ditch beside I-29. I thought to myself, "just don't even think about it and you'll be fine!" While the snow wasn't piled too high on the highway it was quite a task to see the road below my tires. As I left the city lights of Sioux City and Dakota Dunes behind me, all I saw ahead was darkness. I stayed calm and tried to follow the dotted white line whenever it came into view. Few cars were out so i didn't worry too much about other crazy drivers. I focused on myself, my speed and staying on the "road" or at least staying out of the ditch.
As i came nearer to the Vermillion exit i began to panic that the snow and ice would make it more difficult to get off the highway and up the ramp. i stayed calm and remembered to take deep breaths. I continued to tell myself that i could do it and i would be home safe and sound within the next half hour. As i drove up the ramp no problem i knew i was in the clear and would be home safe! While driving down 50 was even less plowed than the high way, i kept a steady and slow pace and made it safetly into Vermillion.
As i awoke this morning i realized the snow was still falling and the cars were deep under the snow. Its been an adventure and I can't wait until the snow stops and the sun shines again! Hopefully that day will come tomorrow.
Britton and I had planned on heading to Sioux City for the day to be with his mom and eat good food so after getting ready we made the trek to his house. Britton's car can take the snow for sure but my baby was in Sioux City already so i knew at some point i would be taking it back to Verm... Once we made it to SC i promised my mom I would go out and play in the snow. We suited up with some old snow gear and went out to brave the cold. with Britton's mom in tow to take photos we began gallivanting across his lawn making snow angels and having snowball fights.
We went all out and crossed to the neighbors backyard to do a little sledding down the huge hills in his neighborhood. I'm not gonna lie about it, i was slightly nervous. But lucky for me, i had Britton behind me on the sled to navigate. As we got closer and closer to the end of the hill and the beginning of a fence Britton's feet went out to stop our sled sending snow all over my face and up my nose! The joys of the sled were soon met by the misery of the hike back up the hill. Little did i realize that the heading back up the hill would be somewhat torturous.
Now, it's been many, many hours since first waking to see the snow falling in Vermillion. And the snow didn't let up on our drive to SC or as we played in the snow that afternoon. It snowed all day long, without so much as a 5 minute reprieve. My car was already covered in snow out in the drive way. Britton cleaned off my car that night to help me prepare for my journey back home which i didn't start until almost 10 pm. Its one thing to drive at night and another thing to drive in the snow. Mix the two for this Florida girl and you have a possible disaster on your hands...
As I got onto the interstate after fishtailing and meandering about the unplowed roads I caught sight of an upturned car, lying in the ditch beside I-29. I thought to myself, "just don't even think about it and you'll be fine!" While the snow wasn't piled too high on the highway it was quite a task to see the road below my tires. As I left the city lights of Sioux City and Dakota Dunes behind me, all I saw ahead was darkness. I stayed calm and tried to follow the dotted white line whenever it came into view. Few cars were out so i didn't worry too much about other crazy drivers. I focused on myself, my speed and staying on the "road" or at least staying out of the ditch.
As i came nearer to the Vermillion exit i began to panic that the snow and ice would make it more difficult to get off the highway and up the ramp. i stayed calm and remembered to take deep breaths. I continued to tell myself that i could do it and i would be home safe and sound within the next half hour. As i drove up the ramp no problem i knew i was in the clear and would be home safe! While driving down 50 was even less plowed than the high way, i kept a steady and slow pace and made it safetly into Vermillion.
As i awoke this morning i realized the snow was still falling and the cars were deep under the snow. Its been an adventure and I can't wait until the snow stops and the sun shines again! Hopefully that day will come tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Its a new day
As i woke up this morning there was one thought in my mind... "man, are you sure I have to be a grown up?"
This year I took a huge leap and left the wonderful City of Orlando to make it big in the Midwest. I suppose "make it big" isn't the right phrase, as i have moved cross country to the small town of Vermillion, South Dakota. Hardly the place to "make it big." But I jumped in head first despite my big bad fears of leaving home and now I've decided to document the adventures.
Here are a few tips I have learned that might help others with big, life changes before and after the decision is made:
This year I took a huge leap and left the wonderful City of Orlando to make it big in the Midwest. I suppose "make it big" isn't the right phrase, as i have moved cross country to the small town of Vermillion, South Dakota. Hardly the place to "make it big." But I jumped in head first despite my big bad fears of leaving home and now I've decided to document the adventures.
Here are a few tips I have learned that might help others with big, life changes before and after the decision is made:
- Weigh your options when choosing to make a big change, is the job, boy/girl, opportunity great enough to leave all that you love behind
- Skype often with those that you love so you don't feel quite so far away
- Bring things with you that you had back home! There is nothing worse than feeling like you have nothing from your past when you step into your future
- Invite people to visit that are sure to come, its nice to show off what you know about a new place
- Meet new people but don't smother them! you might need new friends but you won't make any if you want to be with them all the time so you don't feel alone
- Speaking of alone time, make the most of it and learn new things about yourself. Finally learn how to do that craft you've always wanted to try or learn to cook for one!
- Put yourself out there. Even if you decide you don't want to stay forever in your new home its nice to have someone to share it with ;)
- Take lots and lots of pictures. Document the seasons because you've probably never seen anything like it!
- Travel as much as you can both to get away and see what surrounds you
- Become a local, eat the food, try out the bars and make friends with the people that have been there forever! They can share the greatest stories!
Throughout the last 6 months these are the things I have learned that have made my time here more enjoyable. While I hope that this has been a joy to read I realize they won't always be this cheerful. I wonder what is in store for me tomorrow!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)