The Windy City:
Oh where to even begin! My trip to Chicago was a whirlwind of
sightseeing, rehearsing, meeting the girls, rehearsing, changing outfits,
and…you guessed it, rehearsing. And although rehearsals did seem to take up the
majority of the week, the opening number routine to ‘What Doesn’t Kill You
Makes You Stronger’ is forever engrained in my brain. Aside from that, I had
the opportunity to form so many great friendships with some truly amazing
people. I would have to say the relationships I formed are what seem to stand
out most when looking back on the entire experience. I may not have left
Chicago as Miss Teen International, however I still came home a North Dakota
state titleholder, and that in itself is something I am proud of.
The first night I arrived in Chicago I attended my sister
queen, Ashley’s, finals night. It was so exciting watching all the Mrs.’s
contestants on stage, and it got me super pumped for my competition. The night
ended with Sarah Bazey receiving the 2012 Mrs. International title, followed by
the coronation ball shortly afterwards. Watching all the contestants interact
after their week it was obvious to see some true connections had been made.
The second day in Chicago was my free day! I spent it
shopping and dining with my mom and my aunt Debbie. We had a fun time exploring
the outdoor mall across from the hotel. The next day was the day of
orientation. It was finally time for all the contestants to meet! I was filled with anticipation as I walked
into the room; however that feeling quickly dissipated as I started talking
with some of the girls. They were all so nice! We received our schedule for the
week and headed back to our rooms. 7:00 a.m. came bright and early as we
boarded the bus for downtown Chicago. We visited the John Hancock Observatory followed
by the Boys and Girls Club. Let me just say, the view from the 94th
floor is like no other, you could see EVERYTHING. It was breathtakingly
beautiful. Sightseeing was definitely fun; however I can’t even describe in
words how rewarding our trip to the Boys and Girls Club was. We all wore our
sashes and brought our autograph cards to hand out to the little girls. We
helped them make crowns of their own and
took lots of pictures. Needless to say there was a plethora of princesses
occupying downtown Chicago that dayJ
The
remainder of the week flew by! The countless hours of rehearsal paid off and
everyone performed the opening number flawlessly. Caroline Crowley went home
the 2012 Miss Teen International titleholder and I couldn’t be more thrilled
for her! She will do amazing things this year. I recently shared on my Facebook
that there are many things I took away from my
time in Chicago, however a certain song really got to me. The theme for the
week was ‘Legacy’ and about asking yourself what kind of mark you are making on
the world. I encourage you to look up this song because it pretty much sums
that all up. The song is called ‘I Was Here’
by Lady Antebellum. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XZ12nrz47U My favorite lines from the song are, “I want to do
something that matters, say something different, something that sets the whole
world on its ear. I want to do something better, with the time I’ve been given.
And I want to try, to touch a few hearts in this life. Leave nothing less, than
something that says, I was here!” And like I said earlier, although I didn’t
bring home the big crown, I come home to a crown just as powerful. I’ve been
blessed with the opportunity to make a difference in the world, an opportunity
to leave my mark behind, and that will be my legacy.
Until
next time,
Olivia
