June 22nd 2013, 7 days until I crown a new Miss Delaware, 367 since I was crowned last year. The big question everyone keeps asking is "How are you feeling?" The conception is that it's bittersweet, that I should be starting to cry, and becoming nostalgic, and slightly emo. Honestly, I'm not sure if this is normal for pageant girls but all I'm feeling is the "sweet" part of "bittersweet."
I'm not saying that I would trade this experience for anything, being Miss Delaware has been the most incredible and life changing year of my life. I have traveled to parts of Delaware that I didn't ever know existed (Shout out to Bear, Hockessin, and other related Northern DE towns,) met amazing people from the Vice President of the United States to brave children at AI DuPont Hospital and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. I've been in the starting car at a horse race, learned a thing or two about NASCAR and professional wrestling, gone back to prom, taken the ferry more times than I care to count, and traveled all the way to Orlando and Las Vegas. I have lived and experienced more in the past year than in the 20 years prior.
Being Miss Delaware is a busy and lonely job. I have spent more hours in my car than in my home, moved back to Selbyville away from all of my friends and sorority sisters at UD, and strained a lot of relationships in the process. When you win Miss Delaware, you don't realize that 30,000 miles, 356+ days, and countless appearances later, you are just left dog tired. I don't say this to complain because I would never ever complain about what has been the single greatest experience of my life. I say this so y'all can understand where I'm coming from and why I'm so stinking excited to move to the next chapter of my life. I've loved serving my state and the wonderful people in it, but it is time to move forward and give the spotlight to another young woman.
I cannot wait to see which girl is going to be carrying on the Miss Delaware legacy next year. She is going to have the most busy, wonderful, and crazy year of her life, and I am so excited to go to Atlantic City in September to watch Miss America! I am so excited to know that another lucky girl is going to have the same experiences and opportunities I've had this year, and I can't wait to move back to Newark, start my job and my internship, and move on with my education.
I am thrilled to announce that next year I will be embarking on 2 professional journeys once I return to the University of Delaware. I will be an ESPNU Intern for UD and will be reporting from the sidelines and on other sports related special interest stories. Broadcasting has not been my career ambition, but my year as Miss Delaware and my involvement with the Miss America Organization has opened this door for me, and given my love of sports and of being on camera, I couldn't pass up this chance to explore a new path. I will also be a campus representative for Kaplan Test Prep Center at UD. I will be helping other students who are looking to further their educations by helping them find options to improve their scores on the LSAT, MCAT, GRE, and other graduate school exams. Again, this is an opportunity I wouldn't have received had I not been Miss Delaware this year.
Spring semester I am applying for (and hoping/praying/crossing all my fingers and toes that I get into,) a study abroad trip to London for January-mid May. Freshman year of college I studied in Spain for a month and it was without a doubt the highlight of my college career. After spending a year at home in slower lower, I think city living in Europe will do me some good!
So, to sum everything up, my feeling about crowning a new Miss Delaware:
Excited, anxious, thrilled, grateful, humbled, thankful, loved, happy, peaceful
This has no doubt been the best year of my life thus far. I have seen and done things that I never thought I' have the chance to, and I will hold these memories in my heart for the rest of my life. Having said that, there comes a time when we must move on, let go, and take a leap of faith. I am determined to make the next year of my life even better than this one.
The big thank you post is coming soon, stay tuned!!!
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