Wednesday, July 28, 2010

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


Saturday, July 24, 2010

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.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

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

Monday, July 19, 2010

"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.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

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!