National Leadership Conference

This week I will be attending the 2012 National FCCLA National Leadership Conference: #realitycheck. My flight landed yesterday in beautiful Orlando, Florida! After a crazy ride to the hotel at 1 am I finally got to my room around 2am! How crazy? I ended up waiting for one of this year's Iowa State Officers to find her way to the correct hotel until about 2:30am! After approx. 2 hours of sleep, I was up and ready for the day! It was a fantastic day at Sea World! I am so excited to be going to Disney's Magic Kingdom tomorrow! Although today has had its ups and downs, I'm so glad that I am here experiencing this #realitycheck. I'll be honest, I didn't know how I would feel, knowing I would be rooming with the very girls who took over for me as a state officer in March. Would I be jealous, would I judge them, would I come off as mean? I was too nervous for something that I really had no reason to be nervous for. I have loved getting to know this team of leaders even just today. As bittersweet as this is, I have loved getting to know them more than I ever imagined. They're such a strong group, and for that I commend them. Its a tough job being a state officer and so far what I've seen as a team has been exemplary. I don't think we could have had a better team to replace mine. I was a bit nervous at first, leaving the organization that I am incredibly passionate about into the hands of kids I didn't know...but those feelings have changed substantially. Its kind of fun being a has been with all of that experience under my belt! I've helped them overcome some nerves about state meetings and the conference, and its so incredible to see their confidence shine through! Like I said, this is incredibly bittersweet but its a really cool experience. I miss my team dearly and I really wish they were all here to experience The Ultimate Leadership Experience with me here in Orlando, but I'm excited to see the couple that did make it down! Although I miss my team, I am looking forward to what this week will have in store!