For me, the past two weeks have been unforgetable. Not only did I attend my last University of Tennessee at Knoxville Twirling Camp (as a student, anyway), but I also had the time of my life at the Miss Tennessee pageant! As I sit here in my hotel room, I honestly cannot believe how quickly the time has flown by. When I was younger, I always wanted to grow up. Now, there are a million moments I wish I could freeze time just to make the most of this year. Being crowned Miss Tennessee's Outstanding Teen has allowed me to grow and gain so much confidence. Doors have been opened and I have had experiences and met people I could never have imagined. It has taught me to appreciate all the blessings God gives me and all the wonderful people that surround me.
When I arrived Tuesday night at the Jackson Civic Center, I had no idea what was in store for me. Being able to spend the week with Channing as we appeared together was one of the most fun memories I will ever have. We spent the days waking up early, getting coffee, and then freezing while we watched rehearsals. In the afternoons, we ate then went back to the Civic Center to watch more rehearsals. Once these were finished, we drove back to the motel where we got ready to appear backstage that night. Each night was filled with inside jokes, hurting feet, beautiful dresses (big thanks to JoAnn's!!! as always, lol), laughter, and photo ops. We were so fortunate and were able to not just be announced on stage, but also get to be Jay Demarcu
s's "personal assistants". Alison Alderson Demarcus and Jay Demarcus were the emcees each night. Before introducing Jay, Channing and I pumped up the crowd with signs, then made sure Jay was ready to go by bringing him towels, water, and mints. We had such a great time working with them! Towards the end of each night, we helped Alison and Winston celebrate their ten year anniversary of working together at the Miss Tennessee pageant. I helped carry out a coffee mug, pie, and even a crown cake! On Saturday night, my new big sister was crowned. Nicole Jordan was crowned Miss Tennessee 2010!!! Congratulations!!! Nicole was also one of my big sisters at my prelim pageant, so it was very exciting! Thank you sooooo much to everyone who helped make this week truly amazing. Mr. Tim, I could not ask for a better director! It would not be the same without you! Thank you for everything. I LOVE my gift basket from you and Mrs. Missy! MAOT, here we come! Mrs. Jane, Mr. Jimmy, Mrs. Val, Mrs. Missy, Brittany, Paige, Jared, all the local directors, the contestants, Chris, Craig, Alison, Jay, Stefanie, and all my Miss Tennessee family: You are all wonderful!! Thank you so much for everything you do for this system. This past week has flown by and I don't want it to end. All the contestants were so sweet to me and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend time with them. Also, to the local directors, thank you for being so helpful! I loved meeting and getting to know you! I had a blast!The year hasn't even truly started, and I am already beginning to wish I could make time stand still. Now, my main focus will be to get ready for August where a whole new Journey is waiting for me. I pray that God will continue to bless me throughout this journey and allow me the opportunity to spread his blessings to others. Once again, congratulations, Nicole!!!
(I have tons of pictures!! Go check out my facebook!)
