Home SWEET home!

So it clearly has been quite some time since I've been on here. What a semester it's been! The time has gone by so fast!! I have been LOVING my time in ARIZONA!! I love everything about it! The girls here are amazing.. they have become a family to me! At U of A we have 80 Alphas and at ASU we have 55. We are quite busy out here with alpha sessions, preparing for initiation, participating in War of Roses, date dashes, planning Parents Weekend, and homecoming festivities.

Let me do some introductions:

Delta Gamma Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi

University of Arizona, 2010

Meaghan, me and Brisen

aka "the fam"

From left to right: Amy (NMC), Emily, Lauren and I

the Streiff and I

Meaghan, Me, Amanda, Jessica and Brisen

Emily, Me, Lauren, Meaghan, Gabby and Dom

There are currently 233 members of the Delta Gamma Chapter. That's a ton of people for the record! They are precious! We have 54 girls that live in the house. Below is what I know as home.. or the Pi Palace!

This is me and Regan in front of the house!

Anyway, I feel very fortunate to be here! It's crazy how I ended up here, but like they always say, everything truly does happen for a reason!! Thank you ADPi and thank you Delta Gamma Chapter! I can't imagine life anywhere else!

PI LOVE,

Ash

I stole this from MegGar

Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special. Dont set your goals by what other people deem important.

Only you know what is best for you. Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them life is meaningless.

Don't let life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.

Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each other. Don't be afraid to encounter risks.

It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave. Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find. The quickest way to recieve love is to give love. The fasest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings. Don't dismiss your dreams.

To be without dreams is to be without hope; to be without hope is to be without purpose. Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you're going. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

I'm sick. I'm tired.

I am grateful for all of my healthy days. For those of you who don't know.. I don't get sick very often. This week has been a heck of a week. I am not quite sure what my ailment is but it consists of a sore throat, a dry cough, & extreme fatigue. I slept for 3-4 days straight.

Meaghan Windisch has been amazing. She got me all of the meds that you see in this picture. She has become a little sister to me in this house! Love her!

I'm about to make my way to ASU for recruitment! My energy level is still pretty low. My body has taken quite the beating from this illness. Sad day. I'm excited to see the girls and hope my energy picks up in time for recruitment! Recruitment will be no fun otherwise.

I'm hoping to bring you all good news regarding Gamma Rho's recruitment!

As You Travel Through Life

Unknown

As you travel through life there are always those times
When decisions just have to be made,
When the choices are hard, and solutions seem scarce,
And the rain seems to soak your parade.

There are some situations where all you can do
Is simply let go and move on,
Gather your courage and choose a direction
That carries you toward a new dawn.

So pack up your troubles and take a step forward
The process of change can be tough,
But think about all the excitement ahead

There might be adventures you never imagined
Just waiting around the next bend,
And wishes and dreams just about to come true
In ways you can't yet comprehend!

Perhaps you'll find friendships that spring from new things
As you challenge your status quo,
And learn there are so many options in life,

Perhaps you'll go places you never expected
And see things that you've never seen,
Or travel to fabulous, faraway worlds
And wonderful spots in between!

Perhaps you'll find warmth and affection and caring
And somebody special who's there
To help you stay cantered and listen with interest
To stories and feelings you share.

Perhaps you'll find comfort in knowing your friends
Are supportive of all that you do,
And believe that whatever decisions you make,
They'll be the right choices for you.

So keep putting one foot in front of the other,
And taking your life day by day...
There's a brighter tomorrow that's just down the road -
Don't look back! You're not going that way!

Inspire. Dream. Soar.

Sisterhood can be summed up in five short words: "We LIVE for each other." Regardless of differences, we strive shoulder to shoulder... We BELIEVE in each other, we LOVE one another and we support each other! We're not perfect but we're perfect for each other!

Delta Gamma Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi is filled with extraordinary women. They had an amazing recruitment where they recruited 77 new Alphas bringing their Chapter total to over 200. We have been working hard to come up with some amazing plans for this year. The girls are very excited about the women in their new Alpha Class and we're trying to use that momentum to move forward and reach new heights. I have a few personal goals that go beyond my actual objectives. My biggest goal is to get girls to really build Sisterhood and to realize that their differences can actually be a positive. If they let go and allow themselves to be vulnerable, I think something really special could happen this year. I believe in these women and see great things for this Chapter. We just need them to believe in themselves! This is a task that I can handle! Inspire. Dream. Soar.


First Blog--link here.

Move In Day at U of A!!!!

I absolutely LOVE this. I love the look of it, the words: so simple but so impactful.

"Lead me. Guide me.

Walk beside me."

That's my motto as an LC I think. To make a difference and to inspire; not to command and do for them.

Things I learned/realized today!

1. Don't print out 27 8X10's at CVS. I just spent $188.
2. Who knew CVS had a huge liquor section?
3. Should have brought a coffee maker!
4. Broadway (my new favorite street) is getting even better. I mentioned yesterday that there is a starbucks, chic fil a and target all in the same plaza. Well also on this street is the CVS and JIMMY JOHNS!! (only my fave sandwich place EVER!)
5. My food heaven continues: BJ's, Dunkin Donuts, Pei Wei, Jamba Juice... I just am loving my daily drives.

Things I accomplished:

1. Completed my first run at U of A. Their campus is beautiful. 645 is a perfect time to go for a run. It's still light out, and the temperature is perfect!
2. I completed mine and Regan's binder!
3. I unpacked every ounce of my stuff.
4. I created a nice photo mural on one of my walls!

Wish list continued:

1. ipod clock/radio holder
2. tv
3. fan

I'm leavin' on a jet plane... Don't know when I'll be back again

OOOOO how I love travel days. There is something so relaxing about an airport. I know most people would think I'm crazy, but when you have spent countless hours in an airport, you have to make the most of it! I love the people watching and the constant rush of it all.

When I was on my flight to ATL I started pondering. What if we were able to judge our Exit Row Participants? Could you imagine if the flight attendants asked for a vote when the people sat down in the exit row? I mean, after all they're responsible for my life. It makes sense to have a say, right? Just food for thought!

Things I realized today...

1. How wonderful it is to not travel with two phones. (Especially when one is... let's just say "vintage" to be polite!)
2. That the new LC's have it made. They get blackberries and are driving around in a G20 Infinity. WHAT? No mini van? What kind of experience are we providing for these women?
3. You can never be too prepared or too experienced!! I definitely left my computer on the table at Cafe Intermezzo. I felt like I was missing my brain. Traveling on 3 hours of sleep isn't safe.

My accomplishments!

1. Trip to Target. Check. (Everything at target was written in English and Spanish. interesting.)
2. Purchase 80 hangers. Check. (This better be enough!)
3. Get home without my GPS. Check.
4. Get fingerprint for house access. Check.
5. Unpack all of my crap. Check.

Things I enjoy about Tucson!

1. There is a chic-fil-a, Starbucks, Toni and Guy, and target all within 5 minutes.
2. The Sisters that I have met are fabulous!
3. Everything is fairly close to campus which is very nice!

Wish list

1. ipod player/clock

2. TV

"Seasons change, so do cities. People come into your life and people go, but it's comforting to know: the ones you love are always in your heart and if you're very lucky, a plane ride away." Michael Patrick King

ARIZONA BOUND!

It's official, I'm moving to Arizona! The car is packed with all of my pin attire, all of my bedding, towels, a good number of shoes, my stationary, and a yoga mat! I still have to pack all of my regular clothes but I feel pretty accomplished. I officially depart from Tampa on August 5th. I will be heading to Tucson, AZ!!! Ahhh!

A traveler! I love [her] title. A traveler is to be reverenced as such. [Her] profession is the best symbol of our life. Going from–toward; it is the history of every one of us. ~Henry David Thoreau~

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by,

and that has made all the difference. Robert Frost

The journey, not the arrival matters. T.S. Eliot

jour·ney (jûrn)

n. pl. jour·neys

1.

a. The act of traveling from one place to another; a trip.

b. A distance to be traveled or the time required for a trip: a 2,000-mile journey to the Pacific; the three-day journey home.

2. A process or course likened to traveling; a passage: the journey of life.

v. jour·neyed, jour·ney·ing, jour·neys

v.intr.

To make a journey; travel.

v.tr.

To travel over or through.

I'm trying to get everything organized and ready to go. I've gotten my flight booked, my car contracted to move, and have been on two different conference calls! Ahh, the big move is in eleven days! So much packing to do and don't know where to start!

Good news, REGAN is coming to ARIZONA!!!! I'm super excited! I hope this will be a great first visit for her!

I can't believe that our journey began a year ago! It's weird because I'm continuing on this journey.. There are some similarities and many differences. The biggest differences being that I won't be continuously moving, and I won't be doing it will my girls.

Anyway, here are a few quotes that grabbed my attention!

"Journeys, like artists, are born and not made. A thousand differing circumstances contribute to them, few of them willed or determined by the will-whatever we may think." Lawrence Durrell

".... travel is more than seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." - Miriam Beard

We may run, walk, stumble, drive, or fly, but let us never lose sight of the reason for the journey, or miss a chance to see a rainbow on the way. Gloria Gaither

Life is a journey, not a guided tour.

WELCOME TO ATLANTA WHERE THE PLAYA'S PLAY

... In the infamous words of Lauren Caldwell!

How do the rest of the lyrics go?

Welcome to Atlanta where the playas play

And we ride on them things like every day

Big beats, hit streets, see gangsta's roamin'

And parties dont stop til' eight in the mornin'

In true ADPi consultant fashion.. we need to change these words.

Welcome to Atlanta where the Consultants play
And we go to training like every day
Big names, fun games, see ReGe's comin'
And I heard she talks til' 3 in the mornin'

Haha, oh the memories!! Training is what made my group so close! I remember some sessions more than others. The women that you meet at training are some of our finest IO's. It's neat to spend time with them on such a different level! Some are more fun, while others are more informational, but they all love ADPi and have the same passion that you do. It's such a great experience and I'm so excited that these women are about to experience the infamous ADPi Cram Session!!

Good luck to each of you!! L&L

‎"The more light you allow within you, the brighter the world you live in will be. Gratitude is an inner light that we can use to illumine our souls. The more we are thankful, the more light we experience, and the more we shine forth in the world."

--Attitudes of Gratitude by M.J. Ryan

Gratitude... such a simple word. How often do we really stop to think about the simple things in our lives. I mean the fact that we wake up each day breathing is something to be grateful for. I love this quote written above. It reminds me of a statement that I use to say when I was in college. "Let your light shine so bright that the rest of the world needs sunglasses." It's so true. We all dim ourselves to fit in: to feel ordinary. What's wrong with trying to live an extraordinary life.

I believe each of us have an endless amount of potential. The difference is how we use what we've got.

I think this mindset is what helped me the most during my first year as a consultant. Believe in the impossible. As Audrey Hepburn said, the word itself says "Im Possible." If you believe it can happen, and if you give it all the effort that you have, I think it can be done! We need to live with confidence not in fear of the unknown.

Our replacements... but oh so fabulous!

‎"Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of food, your closet full of clothes - with all this taken away, you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating." by Michael Crichton

I am very excited to introduce you to our newest additions to the "Sisters of the Suitcase" family! Lori Corley, Mary Kathryn Dykes, Megan Garrison, Regan Morgan, Emily Snowden, Ashlyn Stallings, & Jenni Stinson. They are going to do amazing things this year--I can't even wait to hear about them all! They are adorable, and if you get a Chapter visit this year---you are quite lucky!

So a little background: I met Megan Garrison (Chico State) and Lori Corley (Longwood University) during my travels!! I knew they would make amazing consultants and am sooooooo proud that they were chosen!! Ashlyn (Samford) is my Violet Sister!! (Similar to a Diamond Sister within the Chapter.) She is precious! She's very artsy and I just love her! Mary Kathryn (Presbyterian), Regan (Valdosta State), Emily (Vandy) and Jenni (Oklahoma State) are also fabulous! They all are super sweet.

Oh, by the way, I am officially a Senior Leadership Consultant for Alpha Delta Pi! I will be working with our Arizona Chapters to get them to that next level. I have visited ASU twice--and they are a fabulous group of women. I am very eager to meet our Sisters at UofA because Tara visited them last year and loved them! (Which obvi means I'll love them!) This is the first time that a Senior Leadership Consultant has been given this style of project. Generally, SLC's are consultants for colonies. Jackie Mills is also an SLC this year and she will be working with Arkansas and Texas A&M. We don't know much of what's going on, but we're excited none the less! We are breaking the mold, and we will be making miracles happen this year! I can't wait to find out who is coming to visit AZ!!! All I can say is they're in for a treat!

Our final farewell!

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us."

Brittany Holbert, Tara Fuller, Stefanie Boyko, me, Julia Boisvert, Laura Sill, Lauren Caldwell, & Jackie Mills.(from left to right)

Leadership Seminar was quite the mix of emotions. It was our last task to perform together as consultants: quite odd, really. This year has flown by. I was so very fortunate to have shared this wonderful experience with my fellow travelers. These 7 women who began as strangers, became my family. My experience is quite unexplainable but I know I am a better person for meeting each of them. Thank you Sisters for the many memories, for the laughter, for the tears shared, for the phone calls and texts, for the non-judging ear, the silly emails, the constant motivation, the passion, effort, and for being a constant friend. You have been my EVERYTHING.. the only people who truly understood. I appreciate you all and am so proud of the job we did this year. We lived by our motto, and truly have changed the world, one ADPi Chapter at a time!