I have seen many of the beautiful girls lately competing in this year's pageant, whether it be at the gym, in the city or at different events and jobs it's always so fun running into the girls and sharing that common experience with them of, "trust me I know what you're going through." With a little under two month until the big weekend this is what all us girls know as crunch time. Even though the last few years I have spent these months dieting, going to the gym bright and early every morning, staying up late for fittings and packing, organizing interview binders, shopping for last minute things, choosing program book pictures and getting ready for orientation they have been some of them most enjoyable months of my life.
This morning I thought back to my first appearance as a teen titleholder back as Miss Illinois Teen USA 2002 (my dad played for the Chicago Blackhawks for 16 years so I lived in Chicago when I was younger) and I couldn't help but smile. It seems like soooooo long ago yet at the same time just yesterday. I remember my mom drove me bright and early to a Chicago Mall for a First Book event at a Build A Bear store. I was only 17 years old and I was wearing this bright peach matching skirt and jacket, I remember thinking it was sooo cute at the time haha :) I read a children's book to about 20 young girls and boys and then handed out books to each child. I've always loved children and remember how much it meant to me to work with these young kids. It was my first experience with a pageant and I really had no idea what I was doing, but all I remember is how much fun my mom and I had together that year :)
After that year, I went onto college and lived the normal life of a college kid; working hard in school, joining a sorority, getting internships to help me learn what it was I wanted to do with my life. I never thought I would do a pageant again because having only done one I really didn't ever consider myself a "pageant girl." It was my junior year in college I started getting the itch again. I wanted something to inspire me, push me, challenge me and I wanted to be apart of that excitement again of going towards a dream that inside I know I have had since I was a little girl.
After 5 years of training, growing and realizing competing at Miss USA was something I wanted more than anything my dream finally came true last November and it's been the most amazing wirlwhind every since. I can't believe how quickly this year has gone, even though I have done everything I wanted to do and more, hundreds of events and appearances and have made so many good memories and lifelong friends, time really does fly to fast when you're having fun.
So once again it's that time of year and I can't help but think about everything the upcoming contestants are going through and how hard they are working right now. I just wanted to write this post for you girls to encourage you to enjoy every single day on this crazy journey! Miss Mass USA and Teen USA is just one weekend and I promise it will be one of the most fun weekends of your life but I want to remind you that those months leading up have what have given me some of the happiest moments I have had on my Miss USA journey. Take a second to enjoy some great music during those morning workouts, thank your moms for accompanying you to all those tedious fittings, laugh at yourself when you're in a huge heap of clothes trying to figure out what to pack, make a new friend at orientation and just soak in every moment! Take a second today to thank the person who has been there the most for you along this journey, for me that's my mom :) So today's post is for her. I love you mom and wouldn't be where I am today without you! xo
