Leaving my heart in Kansas

I've said this before but one of my weaknesses this year on the road is going to be that I will find a way to fall in love with every chapter and city I visit! Currently my heart has been left in Baldwin City, Kansas...but I guess I should back up to the start.

On August 8th I woke up in Indianapolis, Indiana bright eyed and excited to visit my first chapter. The four of us TLCs that were left got dropped off at the airport and it was such a surreal moment thinking "okay, this is the moment we've been trained for. We are on our own now!" The four of us checked into our flights and then said our last goodbyes to each other before heading our separate ways.

Hannah, Abbey, Millie and I 

My first flight took me to Chicago for a quick layover before boarding my plane to Kansas City, Missouri. Flying into Missouri I was shell shocked. I cannot even begin to describe to you how refreshing the miles and miles of rolling green grass and trees were. It was beautiful. 

Upon landing Abbey (another TLC) and I were greeted by the President and Recruitment Chair for the chapter we were visiting. I felt right at home the moment they said "We love your accent!" It was about an hour car ride from Kansas City, Missouri to Baldwin City, Kansas...home of Baker University. 

I was blessed to spend two weeks with one of the oldest chapters of ZTA and to experience a sisterhood that loved me for me! This tiny university of around 900 students opened my eyes to just how beautiful other campuses across the country are. Take a look:

I also had the pleasure of staying in a beautiful home! One thing I really enjoyed was that every single member of this chapter lives in the house. How cool is it to literally say you have a 24/7 sleepover with all of your sisters? And check out the beautiful crest printed in their wooden floor:

Their home is also full of so much history; including the chapters' original charter and a picture of their founders. Fun fact...this chapter was originally a local sorority that got absorbed by ZTA! How cool! (sorry that is my ZTA nerdy side coming out!!)

I got to experience a sisterhood mustache event AND the Kansas City Race for the Cure! I felt extremely lucky to be able to attend a Race for the Cure event as a TLC. Us TLCs are on the move so much that any of us are hardly at a chapter when this event happens! Needless to say, I have discovered that I will always cry at the finish line watching breast cancer survivors walk across.

My last week with the chapter brought my first recruitment as a TLC. Seriously...I LOVE recruitment! From House Tours to Philanthropy to Skit Night to Preference, I enjoyed every minute I spent with this chapter. All their hard work was rewarded on Bid Night when the chapter gained 26 new members :-) 

House Tours 

Philanthropy Round

Pref Night

Bid Night

I was so sad to leave this wonderful chapter the morning after Bid Night but the memories I made with them in Kansas will forever be in my heart as my first days as a TLC. So to the ladies of Sigma Chapter at Baker University: thank you for loving my accent, my Coca-Cola with Lime love (even though I spilled it in cars), my obsession with taking pictures, my Jitter coffee runs, and for loving me even though I won Nashville Trivia at your own sisterhood retreat :-)

While in Kansas, I was talking with a chapter member about my blog and we started brainstorming ways that a TLC blog could benefit chapters I visit even after I leave. So starting this Sunday (September 1) there will be a simple blog post that comes out every day. It is my hope that my ZTA sisters across the country can use these post as ideas for chapter events or just a simple membership enrichment. Still confused? Here's what the post will be about daily:

Sisterhood Sunday: post on Sunday will consist of ideas you could use for sisterhood events or simple ways to spread ZTA love to all your sisters!

Membership Enrichment Monday: post on Monday will consist of items you could present in chapter that would count as a membership enrichment activity.

Travel Tuesday: for all my ZTA and non-ZTA readers. Tuesday's will showcase local places I have visited on the road that I think you would love if you ever get to visit those cities.

Wellness Wednesdays: a day dedicated to health and wellness tips!

Think Pink Thursday: any and everything surrounding Zeta Tau Alpha's amazing philanthropy of Breast Cancer Education and Awareness.

Flashback Friday: post on Friday will be for giggles and fun. Just a day for flashback pictures of my time in ZTA!

Spotlight Saturday: a day left open to spotlight any thing that chapters could benefit from! 

Of course I will still do post about the amazing chapters I visit and the experiences I have but I hope to turn this blog into something that will benefit my ZTA sisters everywhere!

I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day weekend with the ones you love! Be safe :-) 

Catching Up Part 2

Let's begin the continuing post of the end of training...

Our last few days in Indianapolis provided an opportunity for us to go to a cookout at Alpha Sigma Alpha headquarters where we got to see the Farmville sign which relates to our Alpha chapter located at Longwood University.

The last two days brought lots of goodbyes including seeing my two roommates (Chloe and Hannah) for the past 3 weeks leave on their first trip!

While majority of the TLCs left on Wednesday, five of us didn't leave till Thursday. This allowed me to spend the afternoon at International Office looking at some of the archive items I had not been able to look at during the week! Being able to see all these ZTA artifacts is such a rare opportunity for any ZTA and I am so lucky I had the chance!

When ZTA Convention was held in NC

Our founder, Frances Yancey Smith, has her teacher's diploma on display

Installation announcement of Phi Chapter at Duke University from 1915

Berkley's Charter

Themis magazine article on Eta Tau when we were installed in the 70s

On Wednesday night, those of us that were left when to eat at a wonderful mexican restaurant in downtown Indianapolis called Bakersfield. 

 We then drove around downtown Indianapolis...

 Then back to the hotel we went to pack for our first trip! Be on the lookout over the next few days for my post about my first chapter visit here in Kansas :-)

Something Blue... (with a little catching up to-do!) Part 1

First, I am going to go ahead an apologize for this post because it is going to be long due to the fact that I have some catching up to do! 

Week 2 of training brought about more learning and a super fun day of TLC photo shoots! Here are some candids from the day:

We also had individual shots taken and these were turned into our bio pages! Fun fact: our bio pages are on Pinterest so I can say I've been "pinned!"

 The pictures were taken in the cutest little town called Zionsville...I would love to go back there one day and explore some more :-)

The rest of the week was full of training from wonderful past national council members and the staff at International Office! I enjoyed getting to meet each of them and once again learning more about ZTA everyday! Friday August 2nd I got an early, early morning flight back home to North Carolina to be a bridesmaid in the wedding of my sweet friend Emily. It was a gorgeous wedding fit for a princess and a great way to spend my last weekend before starting to travel the country! (Emily even wore turquoise boots so she must be a ZTA at heart!) 

I arrived back in Indiana early Sunday morning to enjoy the day off with the rest of my TLC sisters. Four of us decided to spend our day off enjoying the Indiana State Fair! It was a lot smaller than the NC fair but very neat to experience. We also got to try fried Girl Scout Cookies and let me just tell you...if you ever have the opportunity to try them YOU MUST! They are Gods gift to Earth :-)

More about the end of training to come...