Alt Break Series: Weekend Break

The next chapter in my Alt Break series was written when I went with a bunch of my friends to the Kansas Neurological Institute on a Weekend Alt Break. For just a few hours, I was able to make thank you cards and place mats with some truly wonderful ladies and visit a place that I could easily see myself coming back to volunteer again. The staff and regular volunteers made us feel very welcome and comfortable as well and, like all volunteering, it was such an easy thing to do for just a few hours of my time that (I hope) made a big difference.

Laura and Janet with Laura's beautiful placemat!

Brian and Carrie!

Kaitlyn and her FABULOUS hand turkeys!

They gave these to everyone who volunteered and you bet that it's now hanging on my wall. (:

MACURH 2014: From a Dream to Reality

Let me tell you the story of how a girl from a small town in Kansas over came everything to make her dream a reality for her and so many others. A dream of hosting a regional conference and bringing it back to KU after 20 years.  A dream that everyone said was too hard, too long, or not worth it. A dream that came true….

This all started a year and a half ago when I returned from NACURH 2012 in Boulder, Colorado. I will never forget having a meeting with my advisor and telling him I wanted to host a conference. He sighed and said, “I knew this was coming… OK. Let’s get started.” And we haven’t stopped moving since.  I researched and began shoulder tapping and bringing people in from AURH and Hall Governments. The next thing I knew, we were at MACURH 2012 watching SLU win the honor of hosting MACURH 2013. I looked at Laura and said, “That’s going to be us next year.”

We have spent the last eight months writing a 56-page bid, recording a wonderful 5-minute video, and perfecting a 25-minute presentation.  It was all worth it. It will always be worth it.

OCTOBER 26, 2014

There is a period of time I will forever know as the 24-Hours-of-Never-Ending Anxiety, aka October 26, 2013.  The Bid Team knew we were presenting first at 8 am, so we all were awake and getting ready at the ungodly hour of 5:45am. We made it to SLU’s campus and were told there were technological difficulties and that we would go in a little bit. It was like waiting for a baby to come: ten members of a family sitting around a waiting room just hoping for good news. Finally, it was time to go in and set up. We had the room to ourselves for five minutes, we did a Prezi check, sound check, and a quick “1, 2, 3, ROCK CHALK!” Our presentation had begun.

I began by welcoming, introducing and thanking various individuals and we all turned to watch our AMAZING video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB9tCP6oUv4

We all took turns going through our sections of the bid and telling the region how we hoped MACURH 2014 would look like. I was so proud of my team! They were doing amazing in everyway! I, on the other hand, have no memory of speaking coherently. I remember stuttering and slurring my words, but according to my team, this is not true! It must have been the adrenaline. However, about 15 minutes into the presentation, the “timer” held up a number 5. I had no idea what it meant because I knew we had 10 minutes left.  I minute later, we got a 4 and we still had several slides. Laura and I stole a glance of quick panic and silently knew to skip a few slides to try and end it quickly. I have no idea how we understood each other in that moment, but I’m just glad we did. I got up to try and end and in the middle of my words, I hear “STOP.” I. Panicked.

But after a moment, they realized we still had five minutes and we were allowed to continue. I (according to my team) jumped right back in like nothing happened and we went back to our skipped slides.  We ended with this amazing KU video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocflO69t2ZU

After, we were expecting a GRUELING question and answer session from the NCC’s in the region. Shockingly, we only had a record 4 questions before someone moved to end Q&A.

We. Were. Shocked.

We spent the next several minutes decompressing and just celebrating for doing such an amazing job! I was, again, so proud of them and all we had accomplished and I can think of no other individuals that I would rather have gone through this with. We had left everything we could in that boardroom and all we could do now was wait….

As per regional practice, my advisor and I were going to be told before closing ceremonies so that regardless of the decision, we could prepare the bid team and ourselves. I’ve had many people ask me how I reacted when I found out and the best answer I can give is that I “Miss America’ed it” hardcore.  I was, of course, crying and emotional that I finally had an answer! I called my mom and dad, talked with my advisor, and prepared myself to face my team.

They were waiting for me in another room, standing in a circle holding hands. They were clearly waiting for me to join them, but I could wait that long. I walked in, tears still falling and said,

“We won.”

Hugging, more crying, and excited whispers followed with the promise that we could not tell a soul until tonight, including the rest of the KU people.

That night, the bid team had a table to themselves and we were so excited to finally be able to share this incredible news with everyone. I had been actively ignoring text messages all day and I just wanted to scream “KU WON” very, very loudly.

FINALLY, the last award was about to be given out… MACURH 2014. The Bid Team held hands and closed our waiting to finally hear what we had wanted for so long….

“MACURH 2014 will be hosted… at the University of Kansas!”

After I was sworn in, there were pictures, transitional meetings, and information overload… but I loved every minute of it. We were no longer a bid team; we were a conference staff. We have 370 days to plan and execute a regional conference…. but for right now, we are celebrating. We stayed up late watching videos and eating pizza, just being friends. We defied the odds, we ignored the people who told us we couldn’t and that it was too hard…. We did it. And I couldn’t be more proud to be a University of Kansas Jayhawk.

From Bid Team...

TO CONFERENCE STAFF!

And Regional Board Member!!!

KU Delegation!

Being Sworn In

Spring Breakers 2013

I have some of the best friends in the world. Hands down; no contest.

Becca, Laura, Hadley, Katie, Claire and I

These beautiful women and I just had a fantastic week in Branson getting some R, R &R (rest, relaxation, and recreation). Shopping, Silver Dollar City, and Snow (yes, SNOW!) were the main ideas for this trip, sprinkled with KU Basketball and movie days/nights. I believe we ended up watching no less than 18 movies throughout the week, and I won't lie, that is what I consider to be a good time.

Beautiful deck view  (:

Shopping at the Branson Landing

Just after riding the brand-new ride at SDC!

After doing damage at the Landing... #thinkpink!

#lovelyladies

Last day.. after the snow!

What makes these women so wonderful is the fact that some of them had never met each other or barely knew each other, but were willing to come hang out in Branson with me for part of break and that means the world to me.

Just call me Carrie who is surrounded by a Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte. Although, we are still trying to figure out who the Samantha is...

;)

Road Trip!

Two weeks ago, I returned home from a week long, cross country road trip! While I could write about a blog post about it, I think this video tells a much better story. (:

Kansas City Christmas

I love Kansas City. I don't believe I have ever hated leaving a city this much, and I have made no secret of my desire to settle there eventually. Because I will be frank, it's a deal-breaker between me and a potential husband if he is not willing to settle in the KC area.

Tonight, I got to go with three of my best friends to see the lights, get a picture with Santa, and create some beautiful memories along the way.

I have had an interesting semester here: a career change, living without my friends, new job and new AURH officer role is a lot to deal with when I feel like most days I can't even break even, let alone get ahead. So these three have become my rocks when it gets really hard to contain. We all went and got to know each other at MACURH, and even though Brian and I had been friends since May, Brian and RJ had known each other for years, and Laura and I had gotten pretty close leading up to MACURH, the four of us have grown together as a group and been fairly inseparable ever since returning from Kearney. I honestly do not know how I would have survived without them.


On the way home from KC this evening, I was turned around watching the city sink away, and I felt horribly sad that I was leaving (in my humble opinion) the best city on Earth. I also realized that with Brian graduating in the spring, and the three of our busy schedules coming up, we may not have many more times like this... Brian even said I was getting emotional, which aside from being embarrassing, is just a small sign that I truly love my friends and I hope to never take for granted the time I do get with them.


I also asked Brian, a native Kansas City-er, if this city ever got old. Would I still be turned around in my seat, watching in amazement, in five to ten years? Would I still get super excited every time someone bribes me with a trip to the city? He told me that he still felt a lot of the same amazement and wonder as I did, most likely because he didn't grow up inside the city...  His trips to the Plaza or Crown Center are special too. So that gave me a great sense of excitement for the city: that I would never tire of it and I would miss it when I was away from it.  Becasue, let's be honest, to miss the city, I would have to leave for a bit... and I think that time is sooner than I would like to admit.


(:

Brian Hillix!! (Or.. Enrique.)

<3 td="td">

RJ! (Or.. Gustav..)

Kansas City <3 br="br">

Laura! (Or..Winne ;) )