Wow, it’s taken me a while to write all this, so i’ll keep it short(er) than my usual travel blogs.
Jackie, my Mom, and I had a really early flight to Washington, D.C. and arrived at 3:35pm on Friday, May 4, 2007. At 3:30 in the morning, Jackie and I woke up to get ready for our 6:00 flight, so we left our house at 4:30 and went to the airport‚ Dad dropped us off, we gave him a huge hug, and checked our bags in. Half awake, we all go through security‚ and i encountered the “take all cell phones off” speech‚ and the consistant response, “no, i can’t, it’s an insulin pump!” Everything was fine, no scanning, and they knew what the insulin pump was, and it was all good. So we put our shoes back on, and jackets, and took the tram to the gate and wait to board‚ the D Gates at our airport are so nice! lol.
Insulin Pump, Sensor, and all, we boarded the plane at like 5:40a.m. and the flight was off at 6:00 in the morning to Denver. We get there around 8:00 and found somewhere to sit and eat breakfast! Jackie got a bagel, I had cereal, and mom had an omelet. We had about 35 minutes until the connecting flight would be boarding. By this time, Jackie was still half asleep‚ and i was really awake! (probably excited to get there already) The flight seemed as though it was never going to land‚ like 2 hours before landing, i was ready to go walking around in DC, haha. I was getting really confused with both the time changes, and so i was a little mixed up. And my ipod was losing all its battery! :[ We finally got there around 3:30…..took a taxi to the Hotel, and walked over the Key Bridge and walked around Georgetown…which was really cool, it kind of reminded me of Nashville, in a way. We had dinner there and that was nice! We went back to the hotel, and Jackie and Mom unpacked their stuff, I didnt even bother becuase i was going to move to another room later the next day.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
We woke up around 9:00am, took a shower, got ready, and went to the lobby and saw the Prudential posters and arrows leading us down to the lower level…where Jackie and I met with my counselor and pretty much told me what I’d be doing, where my room was, that i could move in anytime, and also, how the boys could not be on the girls floor, and how the girls could not be on the boys floor. haha that was sooo funny. We had to be back here by 6:30 for the activity, then dinner. I got my luggage from my mom’s room, and we took it down to the room where i would be staying. I unpacked my stuff, and Jackie, Mom, and I all went for a walk over Key Bridge to Georgetown…where we walked around, did some shopping, found a Starbucks….which was sooooo good! Haha.
We got back at around 6:00…and my blood sugar was really high! I went down to the High School Room and awkwardly stood there talking to a group of people, thinking to myself, what else can i ask each of them? lol. We all sat down, and in groups of 5, wrote down on a paper hand what are 5 values we use on a daily basis for our volunteer projects? I wrote down, “drive, passion, determination, motivation, dreams” We then got to meet most of the high school honorees…I say we because Taylor, who i had just met, we said that we’d meet everyone together…and met about 24-26 people, we were so proud. hehe. We then, went to the Welcome Dinner, talked, took pictures…and then we went back to the rooms, and had another activity with an easter egg, mine was blue, and we had to “trade candy” for another type of candy, while meeting the person to see if they had our state. Then were split into groups where we talked about out paper hands and why we wrote those down. So we spent like 2 hours after dinner, just getting to know everyone, finding a group for the buses, (Bus #2!!!), and going over the schedule for the next few days. Then we had room checks at around 11:00p.m.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
On Sunday morning, we all met for breakfast and then got on our buses to go to Arlington National Cemetary around 9:00. We visited the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam War Memorial, that was an amazing overwhelming experience in itself.
oh my gosh, it was overwhleming to see the changing of the guard and the whole ceremony. We then went to lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe and that was cool…
And at the end of the lunch, everyone was singing the YMCA and that was just hilarious!!!! :]
Then, we went to Grant Memorial and the U.S. Capitol, for a tour, and to take pictures on the steps with all the Honorees, that was fun. While we were waiting, Taylor and I decided that it would be cool to get a picture with the Capitol behind us, and 12 pictures later‚ we got it! Well, actually, Rebecca did. haha. :]
We then had a wonderfully guided tour of some other Washington, D.C. landmarks and memorials, which was aamazing! :]
Me on the steps with the Lincoln Memorial in the back.
Takeo, Taylor, Patrick from Ireland, and me!
And we had an hour to get all dressed up and ready for a dinner reception and the State Awards Program‚ which was cool‚ we rehearsed how we were going to walk in and take our seats, and how we would walk to receive the State Award, which was a $1000 check. There was a reception between, and we all had the honor to meet Peyton Manning, who is sooo nice, and his speech was the best speech i have ever heard, He is truly an inspiration.
Jackie, Taylor and I walked around the museum, and that was sooo cool!
After the awards, we took a bus back to the hotel, and said our goodnights. :]
Monday, May 7, 2007
It was an early rise, and after eating breakfast, we all took buses to the Honoree Community Service Project, where we visited an elementary school in Washington, D.C., and we spent time reading books to the children, and I got to read to three children in Pre-K, who were adorable! I read them Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Suess. They read the book to me, actually, and i got to talk about volunteering and where i live, and they were so excited to have their picture taken, and thousands of books were donated to the school. Reading to the school children was my favorite event, it was something i will always remember and cherish. We went to the front of the White House with some friends, it was so fun!
The girls!! Allison (my roomie), Taylor, Me, Ashle, Emily, Shannon, Megan
Emily, Me, Jacob, and Ashley! :]
Then we were taken to the program‚Äôs national recognition events‚ we all arrived, found our seats, had lunch, and then teh National Awards started‚ everyone was excited and eager to know who the National Honorees were.
They started in random order and said something like, “we’d like to introduce a young woman from the Nevaada‚” (i was thinking it was Heather Wilder, because she is an amazing young girl and we were just talking about how she should win) and then they said, ..State High School‚" and i’m thinking, ohhh my gosh, I GO THERE!! Nooooo way! Jackie and my mom and I were totally shocked, i was soooooo srprised..everyone was clapping, and i stood up, looked at Jackie, then started to walk to the right side of the stage..and looked at Taylor, who had the biggest smile on her face, and I was saying to myself, “ohh my gosh, oh my gosh, ohh my gosh! oh my gosh!!” I walked to the other side of the stage, a walk that seemed like forever, and shook hands, and someone told the audience what my volunteer service was, and i was awarded the National gold medallion‚ and then i had to say something, and i literally thought i was not going to win, so i didn’t have anything planned to say, so all i could think of that fast was, “Thank you,” first, i’d like to thank my family who have always been there, and everyone at Prudential and NASSP, and everyone sitting here today, and wow, just thank you!“ and I sat down‚ my heart was beating sooo fast, i couldn’t beleive it, i had never felt that light headed in my life.
It was an amazing surprise, and i am still shocked.
The National Honorees are wonderful, inspiring people who are all so nice, and really good friends. :]
And after going to the Media Room, we all met at the buses, and of course had to take a picture….and so this is Me, Heather Wilder, Bryce Pfeiffer, Robert Rasmussen, Kendall Ciesemier, Anna DeSanctis, Jourdan Urbach, Kelydra Welcker, and Taylor Bell. (not pictured is Kelly Davis)
We all went back to the hotel, and I went to the Lower Level and attended a Volunteer Workshop, which was so valuable, becuase we got to brainstorm tons of ideas of how we can communicate better, be organized, talk to the media and our representatives, grant information, and tons of suggestions, it was amazing!! Then at the end, there were speeches from each group, and they were so funny, mostly inside jokes and how everyone enjoyed meeting everyone.
After that, Jourdan waved me over to leave the room, and we had a "group picture‚” shoot, and that was funny,and then Jackie and Mom came back from the hotel with Starbucks! I was soooo happy, and so i like downed my sugar free latte and went upstairs to see mom, and on my way down the hall, someone said, “go over there, your mom and aunt are waiting for you!” And I thought that since everyone was confusing my sister for my mom, they were talking about my sister‚" but oh my gosh! Guess who was standing there!!!!! Aunt Mama!!! She flew from Las Vegas to Washington, D.C. to come and see us!!! I was sooo surprised, once again. That was awesome. :]
We all got on the buses to go the Crusie on the Potomac River on “The Spirit of Washington II” And that was soooo much fun!!!!
After the cruise, when we all got back to the hotel, we said our goodbyes, and took a ton of pictures, and then we had room checks, so we couldnt spend a lot of time saying goodbye, but it was just enough. 70 seconds until the room checks, we still werent in the elevators..haha
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Breakfast by 7:15 with friends, even though my meeting wasnt until 9, but i still wanted to see everyone.
Jackie, Mom, Aunt Mama, and I went to a meeting, and that was pretty cooooool.
Then we came back to the hotel and heard that there was a lunch on the top floor, and so we went up there and had a real good sandwich, and talked to a lot of people and got more pictures (of course!) and Jackie and I sang, because everyone noticed our last name as Singer, and wondered if we sang…haha. I love that play on words. So we sang and the whole room got really quiet! lol. We said goodbye again, and that was soo sad, i really miss everyone a lot!!!!
I had to go to the room for the pictures for the National Honorees, and when i finished we went to the airport. But before then, I got to take a picture with Taylor Bell, who was also a National winner, and so that was soo cooL! He’s really sweet.
When we got back to Vegas, around 7 i think….we all went to our favorite restaurant and saw my dad and grandparents, which was totally awesome!! I missed them so much!
Sensor Update:The sensor lasted 6 days and i had to take it off the day were back in town, because the site was pretty red. But it worked all that time and it was such a great help!!!!!!!! :) My diabetes was all over the place, from the exercise to the excitement, but i was able to keep it under control most of the time. :]
