Emily Brooks at Nationals

 My trip to compete in the Mrs. International Pageant started out with my Director, Janelle Steinberg, picking me up at 8am the Saturday prior to pageant week. We loaded up her car with my luggage for the week ahead. This included enough clothing for 2-3 wardrobe changes each day! I’m used to traveling quite a bit and only packing a small carry-on bag; even for a 3-week trip. Needless to say, it was challenging for me to justify bringing all of these items, but once I started the week I was glad to have such fashionable outfits to wear for the events!


                Getting to Kingsport, Tennessee where the pageant was held required 20 hours of driving. We broke it up into 2 days and stayed over one night in Indianapolis. I had such a great time chatting and laughing with Janelle that I started losing my voice. We ended the last hour of driving the first day by singing theme songs to 80s sitcoms together. It was a blast making memories together on this epic road trip!

                Once we arrived in Kingsport, it was time to get settled into a room at MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center. Unfortunately, it was pouring rain when we were trying to unpack the car. Janelle was so kind and wouldn’t let me get rained on since I was already changed into one of my outfits for pageant week. She ended up getting completely soaked, so I wouldn’t have to get wet.

                Right away, I started meeting contestants from all over the world! At the photo booth in the lobby, I met contestants that traveled from Japan to compete in the pageant. They were so gracious. Google Translate helped me to share some of the experiences with them from when I had traveled to Japan with my family.



                I soon had the opportunity to meet my roommate for the week. It was really exciting that she was Mrs. Washington International as my family had just been to Seattle for the first time. She was wonderful to room with, and I’m thankful for her kindness throughout the week.


                As contestants, there were many events to attend. We had the chance to volunteer together at Second Harvest Food Bank, eat lunch at Allandale Mansion, raise funds for Girls Inc. at the pageant Gala, golf at Golf Amplified, and learn how to make soap from a local artisan. When we weren’t busy with social events, we were busy practicing for the big show.

                It was a wonderful experience to compete on stage during the pageant. My Directors and Pageant Coaches had helped prepare me, and all of that hard work paid off. I felt really confident in the spotlight. Having my family in the audience cheering me on with their support made my heart so happy.

             


   It was an amazing week of memories that I will treasure throughout my life. I hope to travel to visit the other contestants that I met during the week. They are each amazing, beautiful, and talented in every way and I miss them already.


                I’m grateful for having the opportunity to represent the beautiful state of North Dakota on an International stage!

Thank you to Mel and Mary Richardson for running such a wonderful pageant system, the other contestants for your friendship, my Directors: Janelle Steinberg and Jessie Aamodt for helping me prepare, Mrs. International – Ashley Rae Klinger for being an amazing role model, Ava Hill with Queens Consulting for all of the amazing coaching, my mom for helping me with alterations, my family and friends for all of the support, and my amazing husband and children for making life so meaningful every day.

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