FC Humor

One of my fellow FCs found this hilarious list of snappy consultant answers to stupid and/or annoying questions we hear on the road.  A consultant from another organization passed it along and we can all relate WAY too well.  I just had to share it.  And in case you were wondering - yes, we do get asked these questions frequently and although we would like to no, we don't usually answer them this way :)


Snappy Consultant Answers to Stupid FAQs:


1. So are you still in college?
Yes, I fly back home every Tuesday and Thursday for classes.


2. Are you a Tri Delta? 
No, I'm a Zeta who majored in fraternity espionage.


3. Where have you been?
Do you have a map and 2 hrs? 


4. So you just travel all of the time and party with the chapter? 
Yes, that’s all I do.


5. Isn’t it hard living out of a suitcase? 
Actually it’s a lot easier than living inside of one. 


6. Isn’t traveling fun? 
Sure - I just love jet lag, TWA breakfasts, 200 lbs of luggage and puddle jumper plane rides to one horse towns like this place.


7. Does “Nationals” pay for your travel?
No, but as a loyal sister I don’t mind paying thousands of dollars to help out.


8. How big was your chapter? 
Well there were only 3 of us but we got along really well.


9. What offices did you hold? 
Well to tell you the truth, I was never initiated; I couldn’t make grades.


10. Why did you decide to be come a consultant?
Brainwashing and temporary insanity.


11. Are you married? 
Yes, my husband and I feel that the fact that we are separated for months at a time strengthens our marriage.


12. Do you need any sheets and towels? 
No, I carry them along with my spare nightstand and rollaway bed.


13. Do you have everything you need? 
Got a spare wardrobe, private bathroom, hot tub, stress tablets and a sleazy date for Saturday night? 


14. Aren’t we a good chapter? 
Yes! I especially love your $2500 indebtedness, your senior bar crawl t-shirts, hazing your new members, and your total disregard for the Fraternity’s bylaws. Keep up the good work.


15. Do you want to eat? 
No, in honor of USA for Africa, I’ve gone on a starvation diet and often fast for days at a time.


16. Do you get paid for this? 
I’ve never met a slave that got paid.


17. So this is your permanent job?
Well at least until I’m 65, the retirement benefits are excellent. 


18. Where do you go from here? 
Well, headquarters thought I could use a vacation so they’re sending me to Honolulu for a week or two - and hey, by the way, thanks for sending your per capita fees in on time!


19. When will you be finished? 
44 days… eight hours… 32 minutes.


I am well aware that family and friends may not find this quite as entertaining as I did but like with any job - we get out fair share of "well duh." moments with chapter members.  I have lucked out since my last post though and not had too terribly many of these :) Here is where I've been:


Chapman University - Orange, CA
I went back to Chapman for another couple of days before heading home for a weekend break.  I was glad to be back in familiar territory AND I got to see my lovely friend Ann Marie who was home from South Carolina on Spring Break.  We walked around Balboa Island for the day and caught up after going over a year without seeing each other!  I also had dinner with my FC love Emily!  This is the first time we have seen each other on the road so we were both excited.  We had dinner at Duke's in Malibu and drove around in the fancy new Mustang that Avis hooked me up with for the week.

walking Balboa

dinner with Emily :)

Furman University - Greenville, SC
After a much too short break I didn't have far to go for my next visit.  Mom drove me up to Greenville and dropped me off for a few days on Furman's beautiful campus.  It was SO nice to be close to home and in familiar territory.  The chapter there is incredibly sweet and I got to attend the initiation of 44 new members to Gamma Xi - their biggest pledge class yet!  On my last night in town I went to downtown Greenville with a few friends and loved it.  For a girl who doesn't have weekends frequently I've been getting to see quite a few friends lately - and enjoying every moment of it :)

walking the lake at Furman

Chapman University - Orange, CA

I'm back at Chapman for another week and a half of hanging out with the Epsilon Nu chapter.  Yesterday I had St. Patrick's Day off so I went with Chandler (who I live with) out to a few bars in Tustin and Newport to enjoy the green beer festivities.  So far this visit is off to a fun start!

celebrating St. Patrick's Day with Chandler and friends

Long Overdue, Part 2

"So where are you from?"
I roll my eyes because I wrote them all a letter explaining the exact conversation we are about to have.
"South Carolina. I went to the University of SC."
"Oh that's cool.  Is it (insert stereotype here) there?"
"No, not really..."
"Where do you want to live after this?"
"I'm moving to Charleston."
"Where's that?"
what I want to say...
"You've never heard of it? That sucks. It's a lot nicer than it is here."
what I actually say...
"The coast of South Carolina. Here watch this video..."


Now don't mistake me, most people I meet are wonderful.  But there are those few that catch me with the wrong questions on a bad morning and I can't help but force them to sit through a YouTube video about the greatest city from the greatest state in the good ol' US of A.


This morning on my plane ride to Southern California from Moscow, Idaho (pronounced, moss-co, y'all) I was listening to my typical country music playlist and one of my favorites came on.  "Little Miss" by Sugarland has been played loudly in my '97 BMDub (BMW, not so hip friends) since the summer of 2010 when I first heard it on the radio - but boy do those words mean something different now.  This job is rough some days, and it's hard to have the get-up-and-go attitude when sometimes all you need is a Sunday afternoon and a hammock.  If it has done nothing else for me, I will forever appreciate my weekends.  But like with anything, I'll be okay.  This is one of the coolest things I'll ever do, along with one of the toughest.  I'm always "on", always going...like alwaysalwaysalways.  When Jennifer Nettles sings, "Little miss, I'll take less when I always give so much more...Little miss, be my guest, I'll make more anytime that it runs out," I can't help but smile and be reminded of my year thus far.  Then I belt out (in my head, of course, not to disturb the sweet lady beside me in 9A) "It's alright, it's alright, it's alright, I'll be alright again!"  I swear I will conquer this whole life the sweet Lord has given me if I can just get through these next two months...with the help of a lotta prayer and a lotta Starbucks.


So where has my head been restin' these past few weeks?


Chapman University - Orange, CA
My home away from home for the semester.  Chapman is our newest chapter, about 2-years-old, so they get extra lovin' to make sure they are staying on the right track.  I couldn't be happier I got this assignment - talk about some pretty weather!  I stay with a sweet family in Irvine, about a 15 to 30 minute (depending on traffic) commute to campus.  The Murphys have been wonderful!  And it is so fun that one of the daughters, Chandler, is my age and at home right now until she starts nursing school in May.  I actually get to be a real person when I'm there and hang out :)

My very own bedroom? Heaven!

A little blurry since it's from the car.
Don't worry Mom, I was stopped.

Elon University - Elon, NC
Past home to Emily Wise, a fellow consultant!  So of course, they treated me so incredibly well.  This is where I spent my Valentine's Day - which wasn't so bad when I got a special delivery of flowers from sweet Emily!  I hung out with the house residents and their adopted "house cat" Poseidon, whom I love.  As my mother can attest to, I would take in every stray if possible so I may or may not have encouraged Poseidon to come inside a couple of times.  That's not against house policy is it?  Oh it is?  I apologize.  Oops.  It was nice to be close to home and not get the "Aw, that's so cute!" face every time I said y'all.

Beautiful flowers from Em :)

Poseidon - highlight of my visit. Normal, right?

University of Missouri - Columbia, MO
A quick stop to see our newest SEC friends was next!  And boy are they pumped to join the best conference in the country - but who can blame them, right ;)  I got a tour of their AMAZING rec center that looked like a grotto/cave/something really cool and got to experience a little cold weather before spending most of the month in sunny California.  It was fun to be at a campus with Greek Life that reminded me a lot of South Carolina's.  I even got to see their performance in the RAMS (Race Against Multiple Sclerosis) Lip Sync Competition - at which they kicked butt performing a rendition of Sister Act.

Mizzou's Memorial Union

The Columns

UCLA - Los Angeles, CA
I took a Friday/Saturday trip from Orange County up to LA to do a recruitment workshop with the women of the UCLA chapter.  It was a super quick visit, but I still had enough time for a campus tour and a couple of dinners in the cool, Westwood area around campus.  You know, the area bordered by Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, and Brentwood?  Yeah, not nice at all.  I will be returning to visit the Bruins again next month for a regular visit - and hopefully more time to explore the beautiful area.

Beautiful tile work at the UCLA house!

University of Idaho - Moscow, ID
I took a trip up to Idaho this past weekend for another Reflections training visit like my one at Tennessee - only this time I was flying solo.  Literally.  I love doing Reflections visits though because schedules aren't packed 8 to 10 with officer meetings...just 9 to 5 with a workshop instead.  And then a day free!  A tease of a weekend, but I'll take it!  I ate at several of their local dives, which were all amazing, and got to experience huckleberry barbecue sauce. One word: yum.

Administration building on Idaho's campus

Long Overdue, Part 1

"‘For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11

Look vaguely familiar?  It's been posted before.  And I'll post it again.

Sometimes it is so hard between the early morning and late night meetings, packed flights and busy airports, job searching and apartment finding, to remember that I need to breathe.  I need to have faith that my Father is going to look out for me and all I can do is the day by day.

I thought second semester would be a breeze. And I suppose to some extent it has been - in that it's flying by like the wind.  But if by "breeze" I was thinking easy, I was thinking wrong.  So my schedule has slowed.  Instead of 23 different visits, this semester I only have 13.  But my worries have not.  I'm not freaking out about missing flights and sleeping on what are most likely dirty sheets anymore, but I am obsessing over finding an apartment and a means to pay for it once this gig is up in May. So if you're reading this, go ahead and send a prayer up to the Big Guy for me on that one - it is much needed and appreciated!

As far as the visits have gone though - I have been loving it!  Here's an account of the first leg:

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville, TN

First visit of the semester, and my favorite all year.  Fellow consultant Sarah and I got to do this one together - which I cannot explain how excited that made us!  We went to help the chapter implement a body image program Tri Delta is proud of called Reflections.  It is the first evidence-based peer-led body image education and eating disorder prevention program that has been repeatedly shown to work, and is the first designed for and in collaboration with an international sorority.  Pretty cool right?  Since the training was only a day and we were there for 5, it gave Sarah and I a lot of time to explore Knoxville.  This is the only time I've actually questioned whether I could handle living farther than two hours from the coast - there is something about those Tennessee mountains.  It helps that it is only an hour from Nashville, where I went for the first time over my winter break.  Wes and I went to visit his sister the week before I left for my spring travels, and let me tell you I can't wait to go back!  It pains me to say it, but I think I could have even overlooked the orange and been a Volunteer if UT had been on my list of college visits.  I left a little bit of my heart in Knoxville!

Neyland Stadium

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette - Lafayette, LA

I got to go see my Ragin' Cajuns again!  And enjoyed it just as much as last time.  It is always so nice going back to a place where they already know your name.  The sweet UL girls took me out to eat way too much (again) and I was there just in time for the beginning of crawfish season!  It was nice to visit with them some more, and meet with all of their newly slated officers.  I stayed with Sara, the member who planned my visit to UL in the fall, at her parents' home which was so fun.  I got to sleep in a real bed and we chatted about the fact that she applied to be a Field Consultant next year!  I have my fingers crossed for her, I think she'd be amazing at it!

Out to eat with the UL ladies

Beginning of crawfish season!

Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge, LA

The ladies at LSU treated me so, so well - which I'm sure my fellow consultant AnneMarie, a LSU alum, made sure of :) I stayed in their alumni center hotel...the same weekend as the football team was having their end of the year banquet.  I got to see the Honey Badger in all of his post National Championship Game glory...er, well, not so much glory, I guess.  But you know what I mean.  I was taken to a basketball game, got to see Mike the tiger (the real one and the mascot), as well as enjoy some more Cajun food.  I probably put on a good 5 pounds between this visit and my time at UL.

With Mike the Tiger at the basketball game

Real Mike!

The University of Southern Mississippi - Hattiesburg, MS

Home of the Golden Eagles...formerly home to General Nat (Nathan Bedford Forrest) - those Mississippi schools and their mascots.  My third and final visit to a school in the great state of MS.  This is such a welcoming chapter and I loved getting to visit Hattiesburg.  I was hoping for a Brett Favre sighting, but no such luck. This visit was a super short one, so we hardly even had time to cram a campus tour in before I had to leave on an earrrrly morning flight back to SC for my first break.  I always feel bad for the chapters who have to squeeze so many meetings into such a small amount of time, but they did it with ease!  

And this ladies and gentlemen, is my to be continued...

But don't worry, it will be continued sooner rather than later - keep your eyes peeled for a post in the next couple of days!

home stretch

So again, it has been a while.  I think I have said that at the beginning of over half of my posts...but that's just because at the start of this whole gig, I had every intention of posting at least once a week.  That was all fine and dandy until this job rocked my world, and I realized it really takes my whole self to be good at it.


But this is why I will give myself to Tri Delta for as long as I am able:
      Because it completely shaped my collegiate expereince.
      Because God used it to teach me patience and unselfish leadership.
      Because it helped give me the confidence to lead a group of 250 women.
            And then teach women how to lead countless more collegians.
      Because it forced me to figure out who I am.
            And to work for things that mean a lot to me.
            And introduced me to thousands of women who value the same thing.
     Because I see collegiate women growing into role models every single day.
            And I get to be one of those role models.
     Because I get to do something amazing like this as my first "real" job.


And the kicker of it all - half of the women I am giving my life to right now don't even understand what my position is.  They don't know what a Field Consultant does and are blind to the bigger picture of Tri Delta.  But that is where I come in.  I get to teach. guide. direct. motivate. inspire.


Wow.


These past few weeks have been so full of everything mentioned above. But I have really gotten into the rhythm of travel and chapter visits.  I left off at UT Arlington, so here is what I've been up to since then...


Texas Tech University (Lubbock, Texas)
Tech was one of my favorites.  I was living the good life staying at the Embassy Suites in Lubbock - which doesn't get enough credit by the way.  All I heard was that it was "in the middle of nowhere"...which it kind of was...but Lubbock itself is a pretty cool place.  Tech is the second largest continuous campus in the United States to the Air Force Academy.  Pretty neat claim to fame.  The chapter was great and reminded me a lot of my Alpha Lambda loves back in SC!  Plus they loaded me up with shirts.  I mean about 10. Seriously.  While I was in Lubbock I witnessed my first dust storm and let me tell ya folks, I was pretty freaked out.  It looked like a plague straight out of the Bible!  The sky got red and, well, dusty in a matter of minutes.  Luckily it passed rather quickly.  And I don't think I ever want to experience one of those again.

Taken about 5:00pm - crazy!

Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, Arizona)
Flagstaff has now taken the number 1 spot for prettiest places I have visited.  I loved loved loved the mountains surrounding the campus and lucked into having gorgeous weather for my entire visit.  If they didn't have such frigid winters and weren't so far from the beach and South Carolina - I'd totally move there.  So obviously I never would, but I kinda entertained the idea.  The chapter was amazing too.  Such a great group of women, and I got along with them immediately.  If only I had been able to participate in their famed homecoming event "Tequila Sunrise"...you know, where the bars open at 6am on game day.  All they need is some real tailgating and they would be set!

Beautiful Flagstaff!

University of Oregon (Eugene, Oregon)
MY FIRST VISIT WITH ANOTHER CONSULTANT!  And it was as great as it sounds.  I was giddy with excitement my entire first class ride to Eugene to see Miss Morgan Wolber and play in Oregon with her.  You read that right, first class.  Kim our fabulous travel agent really gave me a great surprise that day.  Free Mojitos - yes please!  Don't worry, we didn't have any meetings on our arrival day.  Morgan and I took full advantage of our time together - visiting both the Oregon coast and Portland during the 4 day visit. We went to the Oregon Zoo, International Rose Test Gardens, and saw some creepy little seaside town that would probably be less scary when in season.  We also had the chance to go out for a few drinks with some other consultants...a taste of normalcy!  I could do this job forever (longer than a year anyway) if I always had a travel buddy.

Morgan and I in Newport, Oregon

Jacksonville University (Jacksonville, Florida)
Never have I ever seen so many beautiful live oaks on a campus.  The campus is small but almost every bit of it is shaded by a gorgeous oak tree.  It felt great to visit a chapter close enough to home that they had heard of my hometown.  Okay, maybe they were just saying they had to make me feel better...but at least they knew where Columbia was.  Marine Science is also huge at JU, so I got to take a tour of their great facility!  It was really neat to be a nerd and look around at all of their equipment.  I got to stay in the chapter room on the Tri Delta dorm hall so I had plenty of space :)  And it was all decorated for Halloween so I got to celebrate a little bit, even if it was while working on reports.

On campus at JU

University of Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa)
Here I am in Iowa City, trying not to freeze.  The girls make me feel better about being a cold-wimp though, because they agree it is frigid in the mornings.  I am staying in their big, beautiful chapter house and the area is really pretty neat.  I wasn't sure how I'd feel about Iowa (since all I think of in association is corn) but I'm a fan!  I am here until Tuesday (the 8th) when I drive to Des Moines to visit Iowa State.  THAT should be an interesting road trip.  Hopefully I don't get lost in a field.

"Yeah, I love to hear 2001 and feel Williams-Brice rock"

Disclaimer:  This post isn't like the rest.  It's half rant, half reflection.  It's more about my experience than what I've been up to.  But I also think it's my favorite.


So I board my plane this morning just in time for kick off of the Gamecocks' game down in Starkville.  I checked my phone to make sure no one had scored in the first two minutes and put it in airplane mode for take-off (yes, I know they clearly state airplane mode does not qualify as "off" - but I have officially decided it doesn't matter).  I put my head back on the headrest and closed my eyes - basically assumed my position for take-off that has become more habit than anything.  After the awkwardly tall man behind kicks my seat a few times, I doze in and out until I hear the ding that tells me it is okay to turn on my electronic devices.  I pop in the earbuds to my iPhone to listen to some music as I stare out of the window at the majesty below me.  And that is exactly what it is - sweet majesty.  Have you ever stared out of a window on one of those commuter flights that stays low enough for you to make out what is below you? 

It's amazing.

I want to shake the people around me and say, "Are you seeing this??" But I digress.  A few songs in I hear the unmistakable thumping that starts the one song that can give me goosebumps anywhere, anytime. You see, Patrick Davis uses the beginning beat of 2001 to start his song Just A (Big Ole Cock) and I love it.  Now, if you clicked that link and are listening to the song you realize it isn't a remotely serious song, no emotional thing.  It's just talking about the Gamecocks.  But I suddenly realize, flying over Nowhere, Texas (literally, Texas has a lot of "nowhere") - I'm crying.  I'm looking out of the window and tears are filling my eyes because here I am traveling the United States, seeing all of these wonders below me, and there is only one place I want to be.  Home.


I can't count the number of times a chapter member has said to me, "You get to travel somewhere different every week? I bet it is so cool to see all of those different places! And it probably gives you a lot of options for where you want to live next year. What's been your favorite city?"


So of course I say that it is really neat, and that it has been such an awesome experience seeing this great nation we are fortunate enough to live in.  Then as the words "San Diego" are coming out of my mouth to reference my favorite place, I am really thinking WHERE I COME FROM IS BETTER THAN ANYWHERE I'VE BEEN. I'm going right back there as soon as the calendar flips to April 30th, and you'll be lucky if you ever get me out again.  People are nice, the land is beautiful, and it's not frigid until the appropriate season. We HAVE seasons.  And mountains.  And the ocean. And MANNERS.


And of course I have a little bias.  I know everyone probably feels that way about where they are from, so I'm just as proud as any one of them.  I am so grateful for this experience, all that it has taught me so far, and all of the people that have come into my life - even though they leave as quickly as they got there.

Because through all of it, 

I have so grown to appreciate the things

that I used to take for granted.

halfway through fall semester!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11


BOY have I had to remind myself of this over and over again during the past month since my last post.  Don't get me wrong - traveling has been such a wonderful chance to see the country.  From San Diego to Corpus Christi, I have seen some really neat places.  However, it has also been very trying.  As I said in my first or second post - this job really has been a FULL experience.  I am now halfway through the semester and here are the places I've been since my last post!


UC San Diego (La Jolla, California)
I think this goes without saying - San Diego is BEAUTIFUL.  It was absolutely my favorite city so far.  From seeing the Pacifiic Ocean for the first time to being shocked by cliffs bordering the water - I was in awe of the landscape.  La Jolla is the area outside of San Diego where UCSD's campus is and it is such nice neighborhood.  Expensive living and upscale shops and restaurants all around.  The way it is positioned you can literally see the fog rolling in from the water in the morning and it clears up in the afternoon.  It was so strange and nothing like I have ever seen.  I was in town to help the Tri Delta women there prepare for their recruitment the next week.  I met with several officers and helped them plan what they would be doing day to day.  Recruitment visits are my favorite because it is much easier to pinpoint areas that need to improve, and there is a visible outcome to the work put in.  While in La Jolla I had a lot of firsts - one of which being my first In-N-Out burger!

Just as good as everyone says!

Brenau (Gainesville, Georgia)
Probably my favorite chapter visit so far.  Not that I haven't enjoyed others, but the women here were so welcoming!  And it could have something to do with the fact that because of all of my traveling, ANYWHERE in the southeast really does feel like home.  I was just excited to be in the same time zone as my family and friends!  But Gainesville really is a cute town and the campus dynamic of Brenau - an all women's college with 800 students - was so interesting to me.  While it was very different from my own collegiate experience, I loved seeing how their chapter worked.  I already told the Chapter Services team at Executive Office that I wouldn't mind going back for a visit in the spring!  After my short visit here it was home for break where I got to see my first home game of the season.  Best. Weekend. Ever.

No I didn't take this - but I just wanted to remind
everyone how beautiful Williams Brice is :)

Texas A&M Corpus Christi (Corpus Christi, Texas)
After this break it was especially tough to get accustomed to life on the road again.  It became clear that travel has started to take its toll on me physically and mentally.  It really does take the right frame of mind to be able to handle going without seeing anyone you know for extended periods of time, as well as sitting in on Friday and Saturday nights because you don't know anyone in the town you're in.  The women here were wonderful though and it was neat to see their campus they call "The Island".  Corpus was really unique, and again a different coastal feel than I am used to seeing on the Atlantic Ocean.  The Padre Islands were pretty though!  I was excited to see the water again :)  Instead of staying in a chapter house at TAMUCC (they don't have housing), I stayed in the guest house at their advisor's home.  It  was such a treat to have my own space!  PLUS she had the sweetest cat, Ranger, who made me feel right at home.

The view flying into Corpus Christi

Ranger loved me!

Stephen F. Austin (Nacogdoches, Texas)
My second school this leg was good ol' SFA in the oldest city in Texas, Nacogdoces.  This is where Jason, our Chapter Services Director, and several other EO employees went - so it was neat to see their old stomping grounds!  Nacogdoches itself really doesn't have much going on, but the campus was very pretty.  I got to have some down time for a change and relax for two days of my five day visit.  Literally the entire chapter was in Houston supporting their football team in their rivalry game versus Sam Houston.  Although they lost, all of the girls claimed to have had fun when they returned!  The rest of my visit was PACKED however since we had to make up for lost time.  My one assignment while I was visiting SFA was from Jason - he demanded I get a picture in front of "Surfin' Steve" giving the Lumberjack "axe 'em" sign.

Axe 'em, Jacks!

UT Arlington (Arlington, Texas)
Here I am in Arlington (just minutes from Executive office) enjoying my time with the Mustangs!  I am staying in the lovely chapter house here.  They don't realize just how lucky they are to get so much attention from the housing corporation being so close.  I have been here for 2 days and leave in 2 more.  It has been a nice change of pace to be somewhere I recognize, and I am SO much looking forward to seeing all of my friends at EO tomorrow!  I managed to squeeze a little break time in so I will be able to stop in for a visit.


As you can see I have had a packed last month.  It has been full of both smiles and tears, so I have to remind myself constantly that this is a year of growing and learning for me.  The Lord has a plan and while it may seem like it is to ruin my social life (I literally have none on the road), I know he has wonderful things in store for me :)

One month down!

It's official!  As of Saturday my two suitcases and I have been traveling the good ol' US of A for a month.  And as of yesterday, I have gone coast to coast.

Oh HEY sequoias in the airport...Welcome to Fresno, y'all!

But before I start in on my current visit at UC Merced let me catch you up on the last couple of weeks of my Field Consultant life.  After my visit in West Georgia I got to have my first BREAK!  I can't even describe how elated I was to have a few days off.  I never fully appreciated my weekends before taking this job.  I have grown to envy "normal" people and their "Saturdays" or whatever they're called.  Monday or Friday - it's all the same to me.  So to say the least, two full days of no work was much needed and had been on my mind for a week leading up to it.  I flew from Atlanta to Charlotte (couldn't they have just dropped me off in South Carolina?) where I was picked up by the best boyfriend in the world who surprised me with a night in Charlotte where I got to do my favorite thing - TAILGATE!  Coincidence I booked my flight into Charlotte on the day of Carolina's season opener in the same city?  Of course not.

Tailgating in Charlotte for the USC v. ECU game!

After the Gamecocks made the football game way more interesting than I cared for it to be, we went to Columbia for me to reunite with the fam!  Have I said how nice it was to not do work yet?  Well, it was wonderful.  We ate at Liberty and I loved getting to see everyone.  I spent the rest of my break (all one day of it) in Charleston so I could see Wes' new place.  I was sad to leave everyone but got on my plane at CAE anyway and flew my way back to Dallas for round two at UTD.

This visit was solely based around recruitment and you know what that means - no sleep!  We worked from 8:30am to 1am on recruitment days getting the room decorated, practicing songs and conversation, and keeping each other from going crazy.  I really grew to love these women over my week there - they worked so hard!

The UT Dallas Tri Deltas on Preference Night

I was so nervous for them on Bid Day and was praying they would get the solid pledge class they really needed.  You see - formal recruitment has never been a strong point for this chapter.  They usually pick up most of their members during COB (informal recruitment) and they have been trying to change this image.  Well guess what - THEY DID IT!  I was a proud mama.  I teared up when they all hugged in excitement about their new 27 person pledge class!  I know what you're thinking "27 is good?!" - well yes.  At UT Dallas 27 is big.  In fact, the biggest class taken!  The other two chapters brought in 24 and 25 members.  The chapter really stepped up during their Preference Round and sold Tri Delta to the women coming through recruitment. I'll say it again...SO. PROUD.

The chapter with the 27 new Deltas

After spending a week there I was excited to move on but sad to leave the women at UTD!  I'm glad I'll be returning to help them with slating especially because I will have a fellow Field Consultant with me!!  I will get to introduce the chapter to AnneMarie in November - I know we'll have so much fun.  Before I left the chapter members gave me some beautiful flowers.  So sweet of them!

Wendy, Ashley, Zhen and I with my flowers :)

UTD has been one of the biggest growing experiences for me during my time of traveling so far.  They have been a challenge but also have been that unconditional friendship that my sisters across the nation all are.  It is so moving to realize that the vows we took really do bound us together - BBPB!  It doesn't matter how different a chapter is from my own, they are always welcoming and that is such a great feeling. Especially when I'm homesick!  Which has happened way more than I expected it to.  Among other things - this entire Field Consultant experience is an affirmation that I want to live in South Carolina (or at least the southeast) for the rest of my life!  It is beautiful and the people are wonderful - so everyone at home, be thankful you live in the greatest state!!  No bias there of course :)

After that rewarding trip to UTD I have made my way to Merced, California...by way of Phoenix and Fresno.  I am so glad I had a chance to pass through Phoenix - what a beautiful but weird landscape!  I literally stared out the window for 15 minutes taking it all in.  "It" being what I imagine Mars to look like.  I'm excited for my visit to Northern Arizona in Flagstaff later this semester so I can explore the area a bit more. 

After my layover in Phoenix I arrived in Fresno where I picked up my cute little Ford Escape I will be driving around the central valley for the week.  I made the hour long trip to Merced and let me tell ya - not a lot to see along the way.  And by "not a lot"...I mean nothing.  That made the trip seem a little longer than necessary but I made it.  The hotel is brand new and I love it so far!

Home away from home in Merced

View from my hotel window - remember when I said "nothing"?!

I had my first meetings in Merced today and everyone I have met so far is great.  It is a new campus and a new chapter so I'm sure the next week will be a challenge but I'm looking forward to helping with what I can and then moving on to San Diego!

Miss and love everyone!