Payton's Crowning Moment

My Crowning Moment…

“There are moments that mark your life, moments when you realize nothing will ever be the same, and time is divided into two parts, before this and after this.” –Anonymous

I vaguely remember standing on the stage that night, with my head down, breathless… listening…. and time stood still for a moment as I heard the emcee announce, “And our Miss Teen North Dakota International, 2017 is…. (After what seemed like a five-minute pause)… PAYTON HAUSAUER.  The flood of emotion when I heard my name called was indescribable and surreal.  It was like a dream, only better. This had actually happened.

In that moment, everything that lead me to this point in my life began rushing back to me.  I remember thinking this was a defining moment in my life and the emotion that I remember feeling, was almost overwhelming. I was thinking how blessed I was with this amazing honor and how much my life was about to change.  The tears just came…I briefly remember thinking…don’t do the ugly cry, don’t do the ugly cry, I repeated to myself, but it was too late!

I remember waving graciously to the judges and the crowd.  The gratitude that I felt in this moment was so incredible.  Thank you for believing in me enough to be your Miss Teen North Dakota International 2017, I thought to myself, as the tears continued to fall.  I will not let you down.  I realize how fortunate I am and I WILL make the most of every minute of this year! I know I will never have the same opportunity again. 

This is my story of the day that divided time into two parts, the before and the after. The beginning was unbelievable and exciting.  Please stay tuned over the next year, as the work begins and the chapters to follow, unfold. I do not know exactly where this story will take me, but I do know it will be worth it in the end.

Yours in Harmony,

Payton Hausauer, Miss Teen North Dakota International 2017