Life has been going 1,000mph since my last post and I keep on saying to myself “I’ll write a new one when I finish this next thing”... Then I start a new project and repeat it to myself again.
This morning, as I took the dog out after going to see the fitness sponsor, I realized that it is also my responsibility as Miss Vermont to keep everyone updated on what I am doing. This is just as important to do as any of my other job requirements. So tonight, I took a break from my ever growing email inbox, phone calls and scheduling to take some time to hold up my end of the deal and say what I’ve been up to.
First of all, I would like to announce this very exciting update: The battle with paperwork is (almost) finished! The majority of it is sent in and can be checked off my “To Do” list. It is a huge relief and I have to give millions of thanks to everyone to took the time to read, re-read, edit and then read again (for good measure) all of my paperwork.
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| Katie (Miss Vermont 2011) staying up until the wee hours of the morning to help me with my paperwork |
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| A 1:30am action shot |
That was a large focus of the past few weeks but there have been other perks of being Miss Vermont... Like 4th of July parades! Which is much more interesting to read about than paperwork, trust me.
On July 3rd, Chloe and I went to Montpelier to ride in the parade in our state capitol. It was particularly special to be able to share the experience with two of our Preliminary Titleholders: Rylee and Nina (Nina is also Miss Vermont’s Sweetheart!) both of whom are from Montpelier.
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| Chloe, Nina, Me, Rylee, Local Celebrity |
Our stylin’ rides were sponsored by Cody Chevrolet and it started to really sink in that I am Miss Vermont when the magnets with my name (spelled correctly!) were placed on the sides of the car. What an amazing feeling! It just got better once all the cars started moving. The parade was PACKED! I wish I had the presence of mind to take a picture of the crowd while we were driving through town- it was really a sight to see.
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| Chloe and me with our awesome Car Sponsor who looks spiffy in his blue shirt! |
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| So official! |
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| Chloe being adorable. |
The next day, I went to my hometown parade in Rochester, Vermont which was very exciting for me.
I’m going to go on a little tangent and tell a side story about getting to the parade: I was driving the back roads to Rochester and unfortunately with all the rainfall- part of the road had washed out. Right as I was driving towards town, the road was being closed off to the public. I felt panicked because I knew that if I had to turn around and drive back to the other route, I would never make it to the parade in time. I rolled down my window and asked the construction worker: “What if I told you I was Miss Vermont and I needed to get to a parade in Rochester? I can show you my crown if you want proof...” and he replied “I already know who you are, you can drive through here, just make sure you go slowly!”. THIS WAS AWESOME. Not only did someone recognize me sans crown and sash, I GOT TO DRIVE THROUGH A CLOSED OFF ROAD. I felt pretty cool to be the only person driving on that road and I owe a sincere “Thank you” to that man because I was able to make it to the parade with time to spare.
Back on track to my main point- I couldn’t wait to go back to the area where I grew up and where I was going to have home turf advantage, so to say. A family friend, Joe Massimino, was my driver and it was a big moment to be able to ride in the Bat-mobile. Yes, the Bat-mobile. It’s sleek and black and a convertible. I’ve seen this car drive around town many times but have never had the privilege of being a passenger in it! Joe spiffed the car up, put am American flag on the back, attached little flags to the antenna (eat your heart out Mr.President) and the magnets were the finishing touch, of course.
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| Securing the crown to my head with intense focus next to the Bat-mobile |
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| Hometown reppin' in Rochester |
It was incredibly hot and humid the entire week so while we waited for the lineup to start we took refuge under some shade and caught up on life. It really made me appreciate the importance of small towns and the incredible relationships and friendships you build with the people in your community... And shade. It made me really appreciate that too.
Once the parade started, I had a blast going through the center of town where I saw SO many faces that I recognized- many of them people who have supported me every year that I’ve competed in Miss Vermont. I have the best and most dedicated cheerleaders. After the parade, I walked around the park and caught up with old friends while the barbecue started to get fired up. It was no surprise to see Governor Shumlin in town to join in the festivities and we stopped and chatted for a few minutes before he went to get some grub (we really do have delicious barbecue).
As the afternoon came to a close, I gathered up my traveling companion, the dog (who apparently really dislikes parades so she had to stay by the church and watch from afar), and headed back to Burlington- feeling so blessed and excited the whole drive back. I also felt a little sweaty and dehydrated.... but that didn’t matter compared to the overwhelming positive reception by my community.
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| Traveling companion, Jessie |
I feel so lucky. I have a feeling that I am going to be saying this often, probably every day for the next year. Vermont is really an amazing place.
Being Miss Vermont is a once in a lifetime experience in which I am going to learn skills that will help me throughout my life.
I also will learn things that I never considered before. For example: One thing that I have discovered throughout these Independence Day festivities is this... waving is harder than you think it is. I have to admit I am unsure of proper parade waving etiquette. I don’t know if I should only to a single hand wave or if I am skilled enough to do a double? Do you wave with fingers open or closed? Are there periods of rest that should happen or is it a constant wave? These are all things that I’ll figure out after I have more time as Miss Vermont, but it never crossed my mind that I would have to consider the mechanics of waving before this happened. Like I said, lifelong skills.
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| Parade advice |
Anyway, this respite from my list of things to accomplish tonight has been wonderful and a nice way to reflect and process this whole experience. I hope that everyone had a great of a holiday as I did.
I must get back to the emailing/phone calls/scheduling but keep an eye out in the next week for more posts! In the meantime, check out this article that was published in my hometown paper (maybe why the construction worker recognized me?!): Rochester's Achee is Miss Vermont
Thanks for reading!
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