Sunday, April 19, 2009
North Carolina, the ulitimate test of being flexible
A few weeks ago, on April 1st I go a text from my boss saying that she needed to talk to me and I should call her as soon as possible. So I was getting ready for my Greek Advisor meeting, trying to look all professional, I called her. She told me that she had an opportunity for me to fly to North Carolina, in 3 days and abandon the rest of my Louisiana and Kentucky chapters, and become a Leadership Consultant/House Director (House Mom- just like the movie the House Bunny) for one of our chapters. I laughed and said, "Happy April Fools!". I still had other chapters to visit, ha ha, very funny, she almost got me. Joke was on me when I was boarding a flight out of New Orleans to North Carolina 3 days later.
I never imagined how much my flexibility would be tested in this job, or how many opportunities there would be to have it tested. Even though I expected to be in Kentucky right now, I am in North Carolina. I had forgotten the simple pleasures of being in one place; taking clothes out of a drawer vs. your always packed suitcase, DRIVING!, being able to have coffee whenever the urge strikes, always knowing what time zone you are waking up to. Having my own spaces has been amazing too, the House Directors apartment is really sweet and its nice to have a living/office space separate from my bedroom. The house is beautiful, a registered historic home, one of my favorites from my travels this year, and it helps that I had already visited this chapter in August, so names and faces were familiar.
In some ways I feel like a soccer mom. There are currently 18 residents in the house all between 19-21. I have never driven to Sam's Club and come out with 8 boxes of cereal and 4 gallons of milk, (2%, 1%, and soy of course). But it feels good to be around the same people, no longer developing temporary friendships.
Yesterday was the chapters Founder's Day brunch. The women did an excellent job facilitating the program "Remembering Our Purpose" and I was happy to see that everyone came together to make the brunch happen. I wish that more alumnae could have come.
Real life is starting to set in, and the fact that I only have 3 more weeks left of this job is scary. I have prospects but nothing definite. I guess the hardest lesson that the road has taught me, who color codes everything and NEEDS to have a plan, is that I just have to sit back and enjoy the ride. No matter how much planning goes into something, chances are its going to change.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Louisiana!!
Sunday I flew out of Philly on the way to Louisiana. Total flights: 2, Philly to ATL (of course... did you think I would connect anywhere else?) and ATL to Alexandria LA. My bag weighed exactly 50 pounds... that takes talent, so after 7 months of living out of a suitcase I can finally estimate what 50 pounds according to Delta airlines feels like. The weather was not bad in Philly but apparently in ATL and Louisiana it was rainy so everything was way delayed, so delayed in fact that I missed the chapter meeting! So, I did not get an opportunity to meet the chapter and introduce myself, oh well.
I have only been in Louisiana for two days and I already feel like I have tried so much new food and feel like I'm in a different place. I'm not sure I have heard the word ma'am so many times in two days : )
Maybe since I started out on the East Coast in Virginia and PA in the beginning of the year it didn't feel like too much of a different place. It was definitely in the same comfort zone, someplace new, but everything was not unfamiliar. Going from Wisconsin, where it was 14 below zero, I saw frozen lakes, ice fishing shacks to now Louisiana where the trees are green, flowers in bloom, sun shining feels ...much different.
The women were so surprised that I had not tried local favorites, dirty rice, gumbo, grits, craw fish and many more. So, I have made it a priority to eat as many new things as possible during my 4 weeks in the state, going more south each week I travel. Yesterday I had "good gumbo" for lunch during my Greek Advisor meeting, delicious. It seems that everyone has an opinion on where "good gumbo" can be found, so I had some with a seal of approval. I can now see why one of the chapter members craves her Mom's gumbo when she is feeling ill. I also had a beinget in the morning.. delicious pastry, like a doughnut only way more rich. Today I had a meat pie.. while ordering I asked the women I was having lunch with if it was like a Jamaican beef patty... they looked at me like I was strange and said they had never had one of those!! So, yes, in fact they are the same, you say meat pie, I say beef patty... potato, pahtotohe. I've also experienced fried okra, catfish fillet, craw fish tails. I keep hearing a new thing I need to try every time I look at a menu, its great.
The place I am staying this week is amazing. Its right on the river with flowers blooming and near the downtown area. The buildings here are different in a good way, definitely southern style, with black metal lattice on most buildings, and if not columns in the front. I'm also seeing Fleur de leis everywhere. Its great to see a place that has so much pride. There is LSU stuff everywhere, even though I'm not near LSU at all.
I have only been in Louisiana for two days and I already feel like I have tried so much new food and feel like I'm in a different place. I'm not sure I have heard the word ma'am so many times in two days : )
Maybe since I started out on the East Coast in Virginia and PA in the beginning of the year it didn't feel like too much of a different place. It was definitely in the same comfort zone, someplace new, but everything was not unfamiliar. Going from Wisconsin, where it was 14 below zero, I saw frozen lakes, ice fishing shacks to now Louisiana where the trees are green, flowers in bloom, sun shining feels ...much different.
The women were so surprised that I had not tried local favorites, dirty rice, gumbo, grits, craw fish and many more. So, I have made it a priority to eat as many new things as possible during my 4 weeks in the state, going more south each week I travel. Yesterday I had "good gumbo" for lunch during my Greek Advisor meeting, delicious. It seems that everyone has an opinion on where "good gumbo" can be found, so I had some with a seal of approval. I can now see why one of the chapter members craves her Mom's gumbo when she is feeling ill. I also had a beinget in the morning.. delicious pastry, like a doughnut only way more rich. Today I had a meat pie.. while ordering I asked the women I was having lunch with if it was like a Jamaican beef patty... they looked at me like I was strange and said they had never had one of those!! So, yes, in fact they are the same, you say meat pie, I say beef patty... potato, pahtotohe. I've also experienced fried okra, catfish fillet, craw fish tails. I keep hearing a new thing I need to try every time I look at a menu, its great.
The place I am staying this week is amazing. Its right on the river with flowers blooming and near the downtown area. The buildings here are different in a good way, definitely southern style, with black metal lattice on most buildings, and if not columns in the front. I'm also seeing Fleur de leis everywhere. Its great to see a place that has so much pride. There is LSU stuff everywhere, even though I'm not near LSU at all.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Wisconsin- America's Dairyland
Last week I travel from PA to Wisconsin. I flew from Newark NJ ( in NJ just long enough to recognize highway signs and miss it a little) to Atlanta to Minneapolis. You know the expression, all roads lead to Rome? Well for me, all flight connect in Atlanta... really, no matter where you are going and what direction you came from, it all connects in Atlanta.
I spent the last week at University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire. I got to stay in a really sweet chapter house. It snowed the second day of the visit about three inches, and it was definitely below zero at night. I finally got to see Confessions of a Shopaholic, it was nice to get out of the house and see a movie. I miss going to the movies.
This week I am at University of Wisconsin at Stout, I have one more chapter in Wisconsin after this week and then I will be home for a week. It will be great to have my own bed and be able to recognize street signs and restaurants.
I spent the last week at University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire. I got to stay in a really sweet chapter house. It snowed the second day of the visit about three inches, and it was definitely below zero at night. I finally got to see Confessions of a Shopaholic, it was nice to get out of the house and see a movie. I miss going to the movies.
This week I am at University of Wisconsin at Stout, I have one more chapter in Wisconsin after this week and then I will be home for a week. It will be great to have my own bed and be able to recognize street signs and restaurants.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
The jump from the MidWest to Pa and the kindness of strangers
I think that today was one of the craziest travel days that I have had... in my entire life, including getting lost in France and missing our train there.
Total Flights: 3- Joplin, MO to Kansas City (MCI) to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to Allentown Bethlehem Easton airport (ABE). Literally across the country, a hop, skip and a jump.
Total baggage fees: $0- I was too late to get charged... story to follow
Time zones: Central now back to Eastern : ) yay
Today I left Pitt State in Kansas, it was really sad to say goodbye to the chapter and pack up all of my things. I was told that it only took about a half hour to get from the chapter house to the Joplin airport... that turned out to be a huge lie today. The chapter member came to pick me up and everything was going okay, until I realized that it was 1:30pm and I should be at the airport and we are not even near it. So I really start freaking out when it is 1:45pm and we are stuck behind some really slow people going 55 mph in a 65. So we get to the airport at 2pm and my flight is supposed to take off at 2:15!!! argh!
So, I run inside to the counter to check in and there is no one there, not anyone standing in line... and no one behind the counter. Great, not a good sign, I am way late, by like an hour. So I find a bell on the counter and start ringing it. I tell the woman who magically appears that I am VERY late to check in the my flight that is leaving in 15 mins. She begins to hand write me a boarding pass and a tag for my bag. She tells me that she cant charge me the $15 fee to check one bag because it is too late. Omg she is an angel. So, she somehow convinces security to re-open (yes ther was only one security line, and a small enough airport that it closes between flights) for me to go through. She tells me that at Kansas City I will need to leave security and have my boarding pass printed at the ticket counter and then re-enter security.
So, I have about 30 min at Kansas City to magically make that happen... and I almost missed my flight. I dash out of the first plane, which by the way I was on with only 2 other passengers, and run inside to leave the secured area. I go to one of the check in machines to check in, use my confirmation number, thank God I had written that on a post it and had it in my briefcase. But, alas.... the computer is telling me that it is "too late" to check into my flight and will not print my boarding pass. So I wait in line just to tell someone, I've checked in I just need my boarding pass. It is now 3:15, my flight is boarding at 3:16 and I still have to go through security.... ah!
Someone wonderful prints out my pass. I jump into a security line. One of the Security guys is walking by and sees the flight number on my boarding pass and takes me out of the line to jump past like 25 people. He also jumped me ahead in the line to screen your stuff and made sure that I had bins and everything. As I am putting my laptop back into my briefcase they are calling my name... I AM THAT GIRL... I AM HOLDING UP THE ENTIRE PLANE!! I rush, so much so that I almost forgot to grab my carry on rolling suitcase (my life would be a huge disaster without that since ALL of my work things are in that). They call my name a second time as I start running to my gate, and as I am shouting excuse me to the millions of people that need to be in my direct path to gate 10. As I get to my gate there are 4 men in suits just waiting to take my seat. As I give my boarding pass she tells me that I will need to reprint a boarding pass in Chicago... really?! But she says I can print it at the gate, so no triple security. As I am running down the hallway to the plane, I see someone in a neon vest, who takes my bag from me, calls me sweetheart, and tells me to calm down and that the door to the plane has not closed yet. So, I walked on the plane, the very last girl... I was totally that annoying person who delayed everyone.
So I got to Chicago okay, had enough time there and no need for triple security that I could grab some dinner and chill at my gate. I think at 5:30 was the first time I had breathed since 1:45. I made that flight to Allentown and met with the chapter members from East Stroudsburg.
I have a sweet room this week, to myself, with a double bed! I cant remember the last time I slept in a bed bigger than a twin. The chapter definitely made the room homey and gave me snacks and extra toiletries, so sweet.
Total Flights: 3- Joplin, MO to Kansas City (MCI) to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to Allentown Bethlehem Easton airport (ABE). Literally across the country, a hop, skip and a jump.
Total baggage fees: $0- I was too late to get charged... story to follow
Time zones: Central now back to Eastern : ) yay
Today I left Pitt State in Kansas, it was really sad to say goodbye to the chapter and pack up all of my things. I was told that it only took about a half hour to get from the chapter house to the Joplin airport... that turned out to be a huge lie today. The chapter member came to pick me up and everything was going okay, until I realized that it was 1:30pm and I should be at the airport and we are not even near it. So I really start freaking out when it is 1:45pm and we are stuck behind some really slow people going 55 mph in a 65. So we get to the airport at 2pm and my flight is supposed to take off at 2:15!!! argh!
So, I run inside to the counter to check in and there is no one there, not anyone standing in line... and no one behind the counter. Great, not a good sign, I am way late, by like an hour. So I find a bell on the counter and start ringing it. I tell the woman who magically appears that I am VERY late to check in the my flight that is leaving in 15 mins. She begins to hand write me a boarding pass and a tag for my bag. She tells me that she cant charge me the $15 fee to check one bag because it is too late. Omg she is an angel. So, she somehow convinces security to re-open (yes ther was only one security line, and a small enough airport that it closes between flights) for me to go through. She tells me that at Kansas City I will need to leave security and have my boarding pass printed at the ticket counter and then re-enter security.
So, I have about 30 min at Kansas City to magically make that happen... and I almost missed my flight. I dash out of the first plane, which by the way I was on with only 2 other passengers, and run inside to leave the secured area. I go to one of the check in machines to check in, use my confirmation number, thank God I had written that on a post it and had it in my briefcase. But, alas.... the computer is telling me that it is "too late" to check into my flight and will not print my boarding pass. So I wait in line just to tell someone, I've checked in I just need my boarding pass. It is now 3:15, my flight is boarding at 3:16 and I still have to go through security.... ah!
Someone wonderful prints out my pass. I jump into a security line. One of the Security guys is walking by and sees the flight number on my boarding pass and takes me out of the line to jump past like 25 people. He also jumped me ahead in the line to screen your stuff and made sure that I had bins and everything. As I am putting my laptop back into my briefcase they are calling my name... I AM THAT GIRL... I AM HOLDING UP THE ENTIRE PLANE!! I rush, so much so that I almost forgot to grab my carry on rolling suitcase (my life would be a huge disaster without that since ALL of my work things are in that). They call my name a second time as I start running to my gate, and as I am shouting excuse me to the millions of people that need to be in my direct path to gate 10. As I get to my gate there are 4 men in suits just waiting to take my seat. As I give my boarding pass she tells me that I will need to reprint a boarding pass in Chicago... really?! But she says I can print it at the gate, so no triple security. As I am running down the hallway to the plane, I see someone in a neon vest, who takes my bag from me, calls me sweetheart, and tells me to calm down and that the door to the plane has not closed yet. So, I walked on the plane, the very last girl... I was totally that annoying person who delayed everyone.
So I got to Chicago okay, had enough time there and no need for triple security that I could grab some dinner and chill at my gate. I think at 5:30 was the first time I had breathed since 1:45. I made that flight to Allentown and met with the chapter members from East Stroudsburg.
I have a sweet room this week, to myself, with a double bed! I cant remember the last time I slept in a bed bigger than a twin. The chapter definitely made the room homey and gave me snacks and extra toiletries, so sweet.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Kansas the Sunflower State
I officially made the trip from Missouri to Kansas the Sunflower state, but it is January and sadly there are no sunflowers. I am visiting Pittsburg State (yes Pittsburg, no not the one in PA) home of the Gorillas.
The chapter has a really cute house, its very home-y with a dormer! I had no idea what a dormer was before I arrived. All the rooms are furnished with desks, chairs, closets and all of the beds are up on the third floor. Its kinda nice that you know when you go to sleep its going to be pitch black and completely quiet. Everyone says its the best sleep you ever get. I woke up a few times last night, but I usually wake up whenever I sleep someplace new for the first night.
Next week I jump from the middle of the country to the East Coast, I'll be glad to be back in Eastern Time. whoo!
The chapter has a really cute house, its very home-y with a dormer! I had no idea what a dormer was before I arrived. All the rooms are furnished with desks, chairs, closets and all of the beds are up on the third floor. Its kinda nice that you know when you go to sleep its going to be pitch black and completely quiet. Everyone says its the best sleep you ever get. I woke up a few times last night, but I usually wake up whenever I sleep someplace new for the first night.
Next week I jump from the middle of the country to the East Coast, I'll be glad to be back in Eastern Time. whoo!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Central time and MoWo
Flights today: 2, Richmond to Cincinnati and Cincinnati to Kansas City.
Baggage weight: 53 pounds. So, when I checked my bag in Richmond I literally started to cry when the Delta employee told me it would be $90 for the 3 extra pounds in my bag. really... REALLY!! So, I guess she felt bad for me because she let me go... thank God, I really cant justify paying $30 per extra pound in my bag.
I got delayed in Cincinnati, it was snowing as we landed and pushed everything back, which pushed the visit back a little and made some meetings a little hard. I was supposed to take off a 2:25 and didnt end up leaving until after 3pm. So, today there was not alot of settle time, I literally dropped off bags and then headed off to a meeting. It was a long day of travel, I'm totally wiped out. I still dont really feel like its an hour earlier than it is... hopefully tomorrow the hour will even out : )
Baggage weight: 53 pounds. So, when I checked my bag in Richmond I literally started to cry when the Delta employee told me it would be $90 for the 3 extra pounds in my bag. really... REALLY!! So, I guess she felt bad for me because she let me go... thank God, I really cant justify paying $30 per extra pound in my bag.
I got delayed in Cincinnati, it was snowing as we landed and pushed everything back, which pushed the visit back a little and made some meetings a little hard. I was supposed to take off a 2:25 and didnt end up leaving until after 3pm. So, today there was not alot of settle time, I literally dropped off bags and then headed off to a meeting. It was a long day of travel, I'm totally wiped out. I still dont really feel like its an hour earlier than it is... hopefully tomorrow the hour will even out : )
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Back on the road again... Alpha and Recruitment
It was so great to see the other LC's at Mable's House, I'm sad that it was just for a week, but it was amazing to be back together, so much better than just jokes over the phone : )
My first visit of the Spring semester was Longwood University, our Alpha chapter. This was great since I had already visited in October and had a relationship with the chapter. It was also a longer visit, so things were a little more spread out as far as meetings, but I also arrived to help with Recruitment. So, it was a long weekend of Open House, Philanthropy and Preference parties from Thursday to Monday that ended with "Walk". Walk is Longwood's version of bid day where the women who have just accepted a bid from a sorority literally run from a line to the chapter that they chose and get "shirted". Two sisters run up and literally pull a shirt with the sorority letters over her head. It was great, like a Greek Life pep rally. Everyone was decked out with poms, cheering, wearing letters, running with flags, its great. Tomorrow is the Fraternity's version of Walk which I have heard can get a little crazy and has been known to involve crowd surfing.
Next week I will head into Central time. I will be in Missouri, but unfortunately will not be able to attend Mizzou's Installation which will be next weekend. I'm sad just because its everything coming together that I helped build when I was there in August, and it would have been a chance to see Tiffany and a few other familiar faces.
Its funny to go from being home, and getting used to staying in the same place having to dig into a closet and not a suitcase to get clothes, to asking where the Greek Life office is and not recognizing any faces in a large cafeteria. Someone said that as of today there are exactly 100 days left of the job, I cant believe it, but I guess its true. I still have no idea what I'm doing with my life once this job is over. Ej, who lived/worked Philly is moving to Boston for a better position with the company she works for. I wish I could be that decisive to just say... this is what I am doing after May, but I still feel like I am not being pulled in a definite direction.
My first visit of the Spring semester was Longwood University, our Alpha chapter. This was great since I had already visited in October and had a relationship with the chapter. It was also a longer visit, so things were a little more spread out as far as meetings, but I also arrived to help with Recruitment. So, it was a long weekend of Open House, Philanthropy and Preference parties from Thursday to Monday that ended with "Walk". Walk is Longwood's version of bid day where the women who have just accepted a bid from a sorority literally run from a line to the chapter that they chose and get "shirted". Two sisters run up and literally pull a shirt with the sorority letters over her head. It was great, like a Greek Life pep rally. Everyone was decked out with poms, cheering, wearing letters, running with flags, its great. Tomorrow is the Fraternity's version of Walk which I have heard can get a little crazy and has been known to involve crowd surfing.
Next week I will head into Central time. I will be in Missouri, but unfortunately will not be able to attend Mizzou's Installation which will be next weekend. I'm sad just because its everything coming together that I helped build when I was there in August, and it would have been a chance to see Tiffany and a few other familiar faces.
Its funny to go from being home, and getting used to staying in the same place having to dig into a closet and not a suitcase to get clothes, to asking where the Greek Life office is and not recognizing any faces in a large cafeteria. Someone said that as of today there are exactly 100 days left of the job, I cant believe it, but I guess its true. I still have no idea what I'm doing with my life once this job is over. Ej, who lived/worked Philly is moving to Boston for a better position with the company she works for. I wish I could be that decisive to just say... this is what I am doing after May, but I still feel like I am not being pulled in a definite direction.
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