Boston You're My Home

Well, what a sad way to bring back my blogging. Unless you live in a hole or haven't checked your facebook/twitter/tv or any other type of news related media today, I'm sure you have heard about the horrific events that occurred in Boston, Ma. But just in case you're the one living in a hole, here's what happened...

April 15 to many is known as doomed tax day but today, in Boston, several thousand people gathered to cheer on the 25,000+ runners in completing life-long goals, raising money and awareness for a variety of efforts, and of course, some good old competition. What was meant to be a celebration however, quickly turned tragic when two bombs were detonated causing three casualties and over 100 injuries.

As a Bostonian myself, this horrible and truly unbelievable event hit close to home. Too close for my liking. I immediately began receiving phone calls and texts from friends and fellow Kappa's checking in with me and making sure other friends and family were okay. Frantically, I called home and thankfully, all was well with my family and friends. My brother began telling me how after the traditional Sox game, he and his friends almost went to the finish line to watch and participate in the day's events. But because of how crowded it was, he turned home and hopped on the T back to Milton. I've never been so relieved to hear that he preferred the comfort of our quiet little suburban home to the bustling city of Beantown.

Historically, the Boston Marathon has been quite an attraction. People representing a total of 96 countries were running in today's race and hundreds of thousands were given the day off from work or school to attend the festivities. The Boston Marathon boasts being the oldest annual marathon in the world and in true New England fashion and support, mile 26 was dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Sandy Hook shooting not too long ago in Newtown, CT. This marathon is more than just a race, it's a well-known and established community gathering of New Englanders and others to enjoy themselves and the great city of Boston.

I know a lot of people have been posting and commenting on this event but truly, these acts of terror on our nation, neighbors, friends, and family is getting out of control. It is deeply saddening to have to live this life of fear and take something so positive and innocent and make it something so scary.  If you look through the news articles or the Youtube videos, there are so many reports of how awful it was at the finish line. People who lost limbs, others screaming for help, and now in the aftermath, the streets are covered in red and eerily quiet.

I'm not posting to make anyone who reads this sad or angry- although you have every right to be, I know I am. I'm actually posting to write a public apology to those who have been affected and also to thank those who helped. Newscaster after newscaster, they interviewed spectators who saw marathon runners pass the finish line and continue on to hospitals to donate blood. Anyone trained in medicine pushed past fleeing people to offer assistance to anyone who needed it. EMT's, police officers, and firefighters rushed to the scene and even just normal everyday people offered hands where they could to help. These are the heroes we need to say thank you to. So to all those who helped, thank you for helping me see the thin light of positive in such a tragic event. Even when your life was still in danger, you thought of others first and that is respectful on so many levels.

Talking to my mom on the phone today, I felt like saying "I love you" carried a little more weight. Make sure to call your family, call your friends, and call those who have made an impact on your life and tell them how much they mean to you. And if you see an emergency responder, say thank you.  My heart goes out to anyone who was hurt and especially those families who have lost someone special. No one deserves that and no one should have the right to tear others down this much. I hope that Boston comes together stronger than ever and rather than focusing on the negative of the event, help authorities where you can and support one another in this time of need. #PrayforBoston

Northern Exposure

I hope that title got at least a few smiles from my Michigan State gals. After my visit to Irvine, I headed back east (are you understanding my travel pattern yet?) to Michigan State. I had visited MSU in the fall for a recruitment visit so I couldn't wait to be back on the M.A.C.

Little refresher... They were my fourth visit ever so I was incredibly impressed with how patient they were with me as I was just beginning to get a grasp of how this job works. I was under the impression that Michigan was always cold but that was definitely not the case in the beginning of September. We were stashed away in the basement with about a bajillion fans blowing hot air around as the Delta Gamma Chapter members (not to be confused with the Delta Gamma sorority) recruited their butts off upstairs. I'm not kidding when I say the first day I walked to the basement, I felt like I was back in the South it was so hot and humid.

Previous President of MSU KKG

P.I.K.E.S.

Fast forward to this semester and I swear when I got off the plane, it was like the wind had been knocked right out of me. Very much like when I went from San Diego to Syracuse, I again was going from So Cal to East Lansing, Michigan. I don't think this needs any explanation but for the record, 30 degrees is not warm and is definitely not a heat wave.

Fleur de Lis PJ's- how cute is she!?

 If it didn't get so gosh darn cold, I think I would truly up and move to Michigan in a heartbeat. The chapter members I have been able to meet and spend time with are so amazing. They're the type of girls you can walk into a room and they instantly have a conversation with you about the most recent episode of the Bachelor or will invite you to their workout class that afternoon just because they're nice girls. They really know how to make a girl feel welcome- must be a Mid-Western thing :)

Birthday Girl!

 

 

Delta Province Meeting

<3

And what better way to spend my Valentines Day than with the MSU Kappas? I think the doorbell may have rang  about every 30 minutes with flower or card deliveries for the girls. Love was definitely all around and it was sweet how cute parents, boyfriends, and the Greek system in general was when celebrating Valentines Day. Too bad it fell right after the start of Lent... seriously though, such a tease. Or at least a tease for those who gave up sweets- I was not one of them so I was happily eating my single gals treat of froyo :)

Swirl with Reeses

 

When I was there in the Fall, the girls were explaining to me how close they were to the Pi Kappa Alpha Chapter. In fact, it's kind of crazy how many brothers/cousins/uncles/twins are in either Kappa or Pike. Naturally, the bus boys are Pike's too and after learning about the Pike firetruck in the Fall, it was one of my goals to get a picture on the firetruck. Within minutes of me expressing interest, Tyler (one of the Kappa/Pike twins) immediately made a quick phone call to one of his brothers and invited me over to the house to get a picture. Let me just say, this thing is OLD. It rarely ever leaves the garage but from what I can gather, one maybe two of the brothers learns how to drive it and passes it down to another brother and so on every year or two. Unfortunately the insurance had JUST expired (go figure) so I couldn't technically go for a ride on the truck but still, they put the siren on for me and I pretended to drive. It was fun but I think I'll leave the whole sexy Firefighter/firetruck thing to the boys.

I also got my butt kicked during my visit. Not physically but in a Bar Method workout class. I like to think of myself as decently athletic. I've been playing some sort of sport for almost my entire life and I played field hockey throughout college on the club team. Don't let the skirts fool you, field hockey is a tough sport. Bar classes though are unlike anything I have ever done. Writing about it now is making my body hurt... It's a class that combines yoga, pilates, isometric training, stretching, dancing and well (excuse my language but really there's no other way to get this across) it's a class that kicks your ass. Or at least that's how you feel afterwards. The classes are expanding all over so if you can, try one out. You may not be able to walk upstairs for a week but hey, pain is gain sometimes? 

Zot Zot!

My goodness, time has definitely gotten away from me and I owe you several posts both about some fun stories and of course, about the amazing chapters I've met or traveled back to along the way. In the spirit of finals and procrastination for all my friends on the quarter system, I will do my best to post each day to entertain you in the depths of the library :)

SEVERAL weeks ago, I visited the anteaters, otherwise known as UC Irvine. I arrived from snowy and freezing Syracuse very very early in the morning. Let me just say, there is nothing better than getting on a plane in the low 20 degrees and getting off in the 70's. After a quick wardrobe change in the parking lot out of my snow boots and into my ever so chic Target sneaks, I headed to the chapter house to meet the lovely ladies of Zeta Eta.

They were so welcoming and gracious even while I was practically falling asleep while talking with them. Between the past 3 nights of recruitment at Syracuse, not sleeping the night before my flight, and the 3 hour time change, I was quite a zombie. After a much needed and extensive nap, I was ready to hit the ground running again. Plus, I was back in one of favorite states so I had to take advantage of the fun in the sun while I was there!

It was a busy week as we showed the campus how great the chapter was. I even got a picture with their mascot, Peter the Anteater. Did you know anteaters say "Zot Zot"?

Anyways, it wasn't all work while at Irvine. I finally had my first Sprinkles cupcake- red velvet for those of you who are curious, and of course had to check out some really great restaurants/bakeries. Who says you can't have your (cup)cake and eat it too?

Sprinkles!!

Yummm

We also went shopping at this unbelievable (and dangerous) outdoor mall. This whole 50 lb. suitcase limit is getting really hard especially as the semester goes on. No matter how cute the clothes you pack are, you can't help but hate your wardrobe by week 4 or 5. I may have done a little damage at Brandy Melville but hey, they were light layers and sometimes an extra smile at the Airline desk stretches an extra pound on the scale.

I had such a blast getting to know the fantastic Zeta Eta's because they are such wonderful and diverse girls. Truly genuine and smart young ladies, they always seemed to put a smile on my face even just minutes after hanging out with them. If you have the chance, take a trip down to meet them- they're worth it :)

Like any traveling consultant though, some familiar faces are always welcome. During my visit, I was able to see not 1 but 4 of my fellow KKG consultants. Naturally, we indulged in some fun and shared stories and I was lucky enough to spend 2 nights with them. Andrea is the chapter consultant at Chapman where we just colonized a chapter, Brianne is currently the consultant at Irvine, and both Charlotte and Brit travel just like me. We had so much fun and it truly was the best night I could've asked for!

Snapchats with Andrea

Char :)

Alright kiddos, time to work on the bajillion other stories I have for you. Some things to look forward to though:

Spending the weekend with E.Bailey and hearing stories about waffle house weddings, getting to ride the PIKE firetruck at MSU, assisting with the installation of the Eta Rho Chapter at Cal Poly, Chi-town, and St. Patty's day in my beloved Boston with Brit to name a few.

For those of you studying your butts off in the libs or finding anything to do except study, good luck. Spring break is right around the corner!

Tricks of the Trade

After having traveled and racking up over 30,000 miles in the past 20 or so weeks, I think it's safe to say I've learned some tricks to the art of flying. I've listed 10 do's and don'ts along with some fun stories of my travel experiences for you so hope you enjoy- and don't make the same mistakes I did!

1. Do shower before you head to the airport. I know, for those of you who can get away with a day or two of not washing your hair that's great but let's be real for a minute. You are about to cram your butt into an airplane with far too many seats/rows than there should be, aka lots and lots of people. You will also be breathing the same recycled air for however long your flight is. Makes you really want to fly now, huh? One of my worst flights was because some poor man was making my eyes water the entire trip. As I was making my way to the back of the plane, I was instantly hit with a brick wall of a stench starting at row 21. I gagged down the aisle to row 29 where my seat was and low and behold I found the problem, of course in MY row. You could practically see the smell coming off of him like in cartoons. Thankfully he was not sitting next to me but I almost whipped out my travel size bottle of Febreeze and doused him in the Shower Freshness. I think he could've actually used two bottles, it was that bad. I managed to giggle with the girl next to me and we made friends with the poor passenger who was sitting next to him. Long story short, be mindful of everyone on the plane and try not to make other passengers want to rip out the emergency oxygen masks.

*Disclaimer: This does NOT mean to cover your smell with perfume and/or cologne, just get in the shower*

Ewe, don't be Pig-Pen from Charlie Brown.

2. Don't forget to put your laptop computer in a separate bin during security. Travelers always forget this one or put their computer with all their other paraphanalia in the same bin, so just don't. It holds up the line and then you have frustrated travelers holding up their beltless pants and standing in bare or socked feet on the gross airport floor waiting for you.

3. If you're over the age of 20 and out of college, please Don't wear your scrubbiest sweatpants and your stained sweatshirts. It's not classy and I won't lie, I'm judging you a little if you can't toss on some jeans and a clean top. Comfy does not equal scrubby. For those of you with kiddies, you get the by here. Kudos to you for getting your little rascals up and packed and presentable, let alone to behave so don't worry about what you look like. We'll just blame the kiddos if you look like a hot mess.

Cute and comfy. Extra points for the scarf- planes are chilly!

4. Do talk to the people next to you! Maybe it's just because I can be a chatty Kathy and would talk to a brick wall if I was bored but I have met some of the nicest people on my plane rides and with it, came away with some pretty awesome stories. There was the newly ordained Priest, the emergency medi-vac army guys I sat with, and the recruiter and staffer for Bloomies in NYC (doesn't this sound like a bad joke?)  Don't do yourself the disservice of meeting some amazing people in the world because you're scrolling through your old messages on your iphone pretending to be busy. You're not fooling anyone. So next time, smile and introduce yourself.

5. Don't rush the gate. I don't mean arrive at your departure gate right as it's leaving, you definitely should arrive on time if not a little early. I mean when the flight attendant gets on the intercom and announces your boarding number, don't rush and push people out of your way to get on the plane. I promise you it isn't going anywhere and unless you're on Southwest, your assigned seat will be there.  Plus, you're about to be sitting for the next X amount of hours- what's your hurry anyway?

Enjoy standing while you can.

6. Speaking of boarding... if you have 2 suitcases and 1 is checked, Do gate check your 2nd bag if possible (aka you don't have anything too valuable in there). Unfortunately, planes are not designed to hold everyone's carry-on luggage so if you're already going to be waiting for your first bag, might as well just have both suitcases meet you at your final destination. Best part about this, you don't have to pay an additional fee so it get's checked Fo Free. It is much easier than trying to squeeze down the aisles and banging into people with your rolley bag. Plus, there never seems to be a guy with big enough biceps to help you haul it overhead :)

7. Don't pay for plastic water bottles and instead bring your own! I don't know if you've noticed but airports are like movie theaters. The food and drinks they have for sale are pretty expensive and before you know it you've spent $20 on a water bottle, gum, granola bar, and magazine. No thanks, I'm on a budget. Instead you can both save money and go green by bringing your own, just be sure to empty it before security. Made that mistake in Orange County and they almost tested my water for illegal substances. I swear it was just H2O.

Personal KKG Water Bottle

8. Do sign up for frequent flyer miles. Even the smallest amount can go towards that free flight. And if you accumulate a certain amount you can get bumped up to first class. Talk about living the High Life. 

9. Don't over-pack. I'm going to say that again, don't over-pack. Take it from the biggest over-packer you'll ever meet, it will only create more problems. You typically get about 50 lbs. for your checked bag and as much as you want to bring that wicked cute dress (or 6 of them) truly try to look at what you're bringing and pick your favorite, inter-changeable outfits. That way, while you're on the road or just going to your favorite travel destination, if you happen to buy anything, you will still be under that 50 lb. limit. Otherwise you may find yourself on the floor moving items from your stuffed checked bag to your even more stuffed carry-on.

10. Finally...this ones a bit odd but Do pack like a little kid. I'm talking about baby wipes, baby powder, and my favorite watermelon lip smackers. Planes and traveling can be dirty so rather than using drying hand sanitizer or soap, use easy to pack and moisturizing baby wipes. Plus they double as make-up removers for even the toughest mascara. Baby powder also works great for greasy hair, ladies. You can get dry shampoo but Baby Power is typically cheaper and a small travel size bottle will last forever. Plus, fun fact- if you go somewhere sandy, the powder is awesome at helping remove that gross wet/moist sand without scratching your poor skin. Finally, my Lip Smackers because, well I just love it and who wants chapped lips on a plane (or anywhere) anyway?

Alright folks, there you have it! 10 Do's and Don'ts of traveling. Yes, there are plenty more but these have been the most helpful for me. I've listed my runner up's below so check those out too! Feel free to share your own tricks of the trade in the comments sections :)

Time for bed for me! Night everyone and safe and happy travels!


11. Always look at Sky Magazine for a giggle.
12. If you're in flats or it's flip flop season, pack a pair of socks in your carry-on so you don't have your fresh pedicure touching who knows what on the ground. Yuck.
13. Write everything down and take tons of pictures!
14. Make sure you have your headphones on the plane. Nothings worse than realizing you left them at home or in your Gate Checked ;) suitcase.
15. Collect something from every place you travel to. If you're going to a lot of places just don't make it a heavy item. 50 lbs. remember?
16. Try new foods. I've added quite some staples to my travel success stories- Whattaburger, Waffle House, Chick-Fil-A, Food trucks, Zaxby's and anything else that the locals eat (I swear I haven't only gone to fast food). Panera isn't going anywhere.
17. Don't put all your underwear into one suitcase. Also, try to have your toothbrush, deodorant, toothpaste, and contacts with you in your carry-on luggage. You just never know... 

A Trip Back East

So I am a little overdue for my post on Syracuse- sorry for the delay girls, but I guess some things are worth waiting for. I was originally scheduled to visit Syracuse in the Fall but Sandy put a little bit of a damper on that trip and instead of heading to the rather clear skies in upstate New York, I went home to Boston to weather the Hurricane. Fortunately though, they rescheduled my visit for the winter and I had a fantastic time with the ladies of Beta Tau- even though I was scared for my life on the tiniest plane I've ever traveled on.

The TINY Plane I took to Syracuse

The girls in their super cute round 1 outfits

Recruitment was in full swing but it didn’t deter the girls from having a ball. Within two hours of my arrival, I walked into a FULL ON dance party. I mean, on the coffee table yelling to the ceiling dance party. I tried to upload the video for y'all but blogspot didn't feel like being that cooperative. Oh well... 

KKG Dance Party. Typical.

The girls blew me away for their Philanthropy Round, the infamous Kappa Kandyland (with a K of course). I’ve never seen anything like it. The colors were unbelievable and the way they decorated even after a long night of recruitment/voting was crazy. They had girls in every corner taping things to the ceiling, the walls, maybe even the floor. The center part was my favorite though. It was a long table FULL of candy- airheads, skittles, starbursts, and lollipops. I’m not gonna lie, I may have stolen a couple…or a lot…of Starburst throughout the day. Whoops. 

The walls were covered in head to toe with decorations!

I spy some Starburst :)

Fortunately for me, recruitment events were only held on the weekends so I had the entire week to hang out with the girls and get some work done. I braved the storm and walked around on campus in the snowiest and blizzardiest place I think I’ve ever been. When I was a senior in high school, I was so sick of the cold and the snow. I mean I went about as far away as you possibly could from New England in escape of it (yaaa California). But it actually was kind of nice to be back in the wind chill. Scary thought I know but it’s pretty hard to get that fresh rosy-cheeked-wind-chill look without well, the freezing cold. Although I will say I did not miss the crazy temperature drops. After freezing my butt off and running inside it was like a race to take off my jacket and layers before I would start sweating. Clearly forgot that rule of winter and let me tell you, it really was not a good look for me. 

Anyways, one of my favorite parts about visiting chapters with houses is checking out the old composites. Beta Tau has been around since 1883 so you can imagine how old some of the memorabilia they have is. Typically the 80’s hairstyles are enough to get me chuckling but House Parents? What on earth were they thinking? I also did a little investigating and found SCU’s old Standards Adviser, Julie Forsberg! So funny/great seeing old pictures of her- although she looks the exact same. Still pretty cool.

House Parents

I also had the opportunity to meet some unbelievable alumnae. Kristen and Naz are just to name a few. Kristen had the fortunate opportunity to be my roomie for the 9 days I was there. Poor Kristen was not feeling well the day I got there and although it was kinda funny, our first meeting was a little out of the norm. Thankfully she was okay but the medicine the doctors ordered for her were hysterical and I first met Kristen as she was being ushered to bed by their VPO, Mandy. I guess you could say we were close within the first 5 minutes of us meeting :) I’m sure by the end of the week she was ready to kick me out and head back to DC. Just kidding, we actually had so much fun throughout the week, probably more so than some of the members. Alumnae like sleepovers too. Naz recently graduated from Beta Tau and she is hysterical. So poised and so smart, she was such a great asset and role model for the actives. Plus she endorsed me on Linkedin so we’re besties now. 

Kristen and Naz prom pic

Goof Balls

I really have to give the girls props. I was so impressed with the chapter throughout the week but they truly showed how capable and dedicated they were when we were informed that recruitment rounds would last until 2:30 AM. Yes. That is not a typo, 2:30 AM. Both the Kappas and the women going through Recruitment rocked it and I was so so proud of all the actives for keeping their heads high and energy up.  I know by the end of the night we were all dragging but by talking with these girls, you would never know it.

Kristens favorite House Tours prop

All in all, even with the craziness of Recruitment, watching Girls and the Bachelor, braving the freezing cold, rounds until 2:30 AM, and then literally running out the door to catch my cab for my 7 AM flight back to Cali, Beta Tau was tons of fun and craziness. I was so happy I had the opportunity to meet all the amazing women (Ari, Megan, Jess, Mandy, Coco, Jessie, Erin, Hannah, and the list goes on and on and on!) at Syracuse and can’t wait until our paths cross again- hopefully on a visit to Beantown! L&L 

Take me back to San Diego

So what kind of week can combine #TheBachelor, my first flat tire, and sunny 70 degree weather in January? Let me just say a great one. Week 3 took me to sunny San Diego where I was able to spend some time with my UCSD Kappa ladies. Earlier this year, I spent a week with the Zeta Nu’s during their hectic yet fun-filled recruitment. Here’s a #throwback for them. 

First Round of Recruitment

Zeta Nu Kappas!

Meriah showing off her dancing skills after Rounds

Bid Day!

 If those pictures don't show you how great these girls are then maybe their Rap Video will. Anyways, I definitely suggest taking a trip down to San Diego if not to meet some of these girls then at least for the weather. It was a wonderful 70 something my first few days there. I even got a bit of a sunburn when I went for a run in shorts and a tank top. Did I mention the fact that it’s January? Gosh, I love California. But on for some fun stories…

So while I was on my visit in the fall I stayed with Mace and Nicole which was an absolute ball. Naturally, when I came back for my second visit, I was more than thrilled to hang out with Mace. But as all traveling consultants know, you always need to expect the unexpected- especially with someone like Mace (Kidding, but not really :P)

I’m a HUGE fan of #TheBachelor and Mace may be related to one of the contestants searching for love so I of course wanted to meet her. While we were blasting some music and heading to watch Sean take his shirt off fall in love with some lucky girl, we all of a sudden heard this thudding noise coming from the back of the car. We immediately pulled over and realized we had a flat tire, or rather a rim with some piece of rubber hanging off of it.  First thing I do? Pull out my phone to call Triple AAA. Mace’s first instinct? To pop the trunk, pull out her tool kit, and start popping off the what-cha-ma call thems that hold the tire on. Finally after going back and forth with Triple AAA for a bit (there was an issue about my parents removing me from membership… thanks mom and dad) I ended up rolling up my sleeves and helping. 

I honestly wish I could’ve videotaped the entire scenario but the pictures and the story will have to do. Some of the conversation went a little like this:

Me: “Mace, I don’t know what I’m doing. What is this? A crank? How does this work? Don’t you just jack it up or push a button or something?? This is weird. Shouldn't we just wait for someone to come help?”

Mace:  “No! It's fine, you do it like this (motions how to use a hand jack) yeah, perfect. Okay I’ll keep a look out so we don’t get hit by a car…. Wow, you’re doing work”

Me:  “Shine the i-phone light over here for a sec. Okay, I think we got it! Now what?”

Mace: “Um. Well. I don’t know” *Calls boyfriend Nick and explains situation; He laughs and instructs us what to do* 

And this goes on and on. Until some lady pulls over and explains to us that we should probably get out of the road. Yes, thank you lady in the minivan. It has always been a dream of mine to hand jack a car up to change a flat tire. And then play in the road. At night while wearing dark clothing. But thank you so much for the advice and speeding away right after informing us of that and not offering to help. Can I just say, an average of about 50 cars drove by. Half of them flew past us (some almost hitting us) and the other half slowing down to look at us and then driving away anyways. Tisk Tisk not very gracious San Diegans.

Finally though, the police showed up. It must’ve been a slow night because once one cop showed up, 2 other cop cars miraculously showed up too. Don’t they always seem to pop up in groups like that?? Oh well, they were quite impressed that we had almost finished. One of the officers got down to help us tighten the lug nut things so our tire wouldn’t fly off. (I’m pretty sure he was the rookie which made me automatically think hazing but I refrained from my anti-hazing chatter.) So here’s a shout out to the San Diego police- thanks guys for helping, even if this picture is super awks.

Me and the Police Officers who lent us a hand

ANYWAYS… back to the important part where I got to meet #selma. Yes, for you #Bachelor fans, Selma. The fabulous and absolutely gorgeous gal who was the lucky duck to go on a one-on-one this week-- even if it was scaling a mountain in 100 degree weather. Whatever floats your boat Seanie boy.

Btdubs… I heard if you use #hashtags, you gain more publicity for your blog so if you're wondering why I'm hashtagging, it's because I’m trying to be more #trendy.

Let me tell you… Selma is awesome. She is absolutely hysterical and so down to earth and just normal. No #Tiera-ble here. Actually, both of Mace’s sisters are pretty funny and the night turned out to be a blast. I even learned some Bachelor inside tricks too :)

  

So the beginning of the week definitely started off with a bang. Literally I guess for the poor tire. The rest of the week was pretty standard- lots of officer meetings as usual and catching up on some e-mails and what not. I did get to see the fabulous Brianne though. Brianne is my LC bigfor Kappa and is working as a consultant at the Irvine chapter. It was so great to see her and just relax. We went to BJ’s and had the best chocolate chip cookie Pizookie I’ve ever had. The poor waiter kept asking us if we needed him... we ended up shutting down the place. oops. 

Chapter Council hard at work during wrap-up

Finally, I of course have to give the biggest shout out to my roomies. Terra, Kat, and Chels who were absolutely amazing. We had a blast, or I had a blast, hanging with them. Whether it was Chelsea driving away with her laptop on the roof of her car or late night (and by late I mean all night) chats with the neighbors/other roomies, it was truly so much fun. Plus, T-Swift was on non-stop so it automatically made my day, every day. Or maybe my favorite part was the internet name and password but I’ll keep that between us girls. 

                               

Chels and Daniel being goofballs

                                 

Overall, it was so great to be back at San Diego and I can’t wait to head back there at some point- whether as an LC or not. 

Alrightey everyone, it’s late here and time for bed. I’m currently at Syracuse and recruitment is underway so I need to get some sleep when I can! 

Nighty night!