Take Me Out To The Ballgame

This week has gone by so fast! I really thought it would go slower since I have something to look forward to at the end of the week, but luckily it didn’t work that way this time. This week has been so packed with training and action plans; I’ve hardly had time to miss living with the others. I’ve been working into the evenings to get all caught up. I’m feeling pretty good about things. I’m nervous about my first visit just because it is my first visit, not because I’m not prepared. I’m looking forward to getting out on the road, but I’m REALLY looking forward to coming home this weekend!
One of the women that work here had tickets to a minor league baseball game she wasn’t going to use and offered them up to staff. I got one and went to the game Tuesday night with another staff member, Hilary, and her roommate. It was HOT! We had great seats though and I saw a batter accidentally let go of the bat. It went flying up into the stands! I bet he was so nervous about killing somebody! No one appeared to be injured by it, so that’s good. We stayed for about half the game- enough to eat and watch some good runs. They drove me downtown after we left the stadium and I saw this beautiful war monument. It was so large that I couldn’t get it all into one picture! It was in the middle of this big roundabout across from what I assume was the capitol building. I guess there is an actual museum under the monument. I also heard Indianapolis has the next most war memorials to Washington DC. I don’t know if that’s true, but it would be kind of crazy if so! I really like that downtown area of Indy. It’s got so many shops, restaurants, and bars. When we left there they drove me up Meridian Street, which is known for its huge houses. It was pretty dark, but I could still tell that they were some very impressive homes.
That was the most exciting thing from this week. Tonight I go from work to the airport with all my stuff. I hate that I’ve just now been able to get to know all the staff and I have to go. There are some really fun people here and it’s a nice work environment. It’s just different working with people you automatically share a common experience and bond with. I love it. I guess I’ll see them all in November!

Fried Butter at the IN State Fair

What a busy week it has been! It’s only going to get busier too. This week has been full of training at HQ. Let me tell you, after nine hours of education my brain tends to feel like jello. I am learning a lot though and I should almost be an expert on how to run a chapter by the end of this week. I’ll be the only LC left this week- two left this morning and two leave tomorrow morning. I’ll be heading to the airport about 4:30am. At that time the lights will still be blinking in the city. After a certain time at night most of the stoplights start flashing red or yellow. Yellow means to just continue driving but pay attention at intersections. Red means you treat it as a four way stop. It’s nice because no one waits at a red light for five minutes without ever seeing another car. Also next week- I get to rock the minivan by myself. YES!
This week has had its ups and downs. I have had my fair share of computer problems, including losing all information on my jump drive. I plugged it in Thursday night to discover it was completely empty. Tell me how that happens! About fifteen documents were recoverable, but no more. My identity was stolen so I closed my credit card account. Luckily I am not responsible for any charges that were not mine. On the positive side, we took pictures this week for publication in the Phoenix. Thursday the LCs dressed up for photos and Friday we wore letter shirts. Taking pictures like that is always fun. We went to dinner at a staff member’s apartment Wednesday night. It was great to have a home cooked meal; even better for the girls who have been here six weeks. It was also nice to get out of the hotel. Having only one room to live in makes me stir crazy after a while. Friday afternoon we went to the Indiana State Fair, which is evidently a huge deal here. I have never been to the Arkansas State Fair and I don’t remember one in Nevada, but this has a permanent fair grounds (for use once a year) with separate buildings for cows, chicken/rabbits, horses, llamas/alpacas, pigs, and sheep. Now, I enjoy seeing baby animals of all these, but rows upon rows of hot and smelly cows just don’t hugely entertain me. The llamas on the other hand have the craziest hairdos I have seen in a long time. They’re great for a good laugh. There were rides and food vendors as well. Food I would expect in Arkansas, but not Indiana- deep fried butter. Does that not just make your stomach turn?!
This afternoon I met my friend Caitlin and a couple of her friends to see Step Up 3D. Caitlin and I were in Honors together, studied in Italy together, and were both Greek at school. She is at Purdue for graduate school. It was really nice to see a familiar face, and I saw my first 3D movie (besides the short shows at theme parks). We went to Trader Joe’s after and that was cool too since I haven’t been to one since I left Nevada. It was a really nice afternoon! Caitlin and I talked about how we were surprised that Indiana culture seemed a little like Arkansas. I think I expected it to be a lot different since Arkansas and Nevada are so different.
Well, that is a fast overview of this past week. This week should bring lots of catch up work. I cannot wait to come home for the weekend and see people for Jade’s graduation! After that, I am Louisiana bound!

LC Training

Hello all! My adventures started off a little shaky, but I'm settled in Indianapolis now! I had to repack about 3 times all the way up to arriving in the airport parking lot to get my suitcase below 50lbs. The airport scale determined my bag was 49.3lbs, thank goodness! No $100 bagage fee for me United! Take that!!
I arrived in Indy Tuesday night after an uneventful flight and was greeted by the other four Leadership Consultants in a minivan. Yes, we drive around Indianapolis in a sky blue minivan! It was really nice that they came and got me though; I immediately felt less nervous about the whole move. They are really fun and they already know the area pretty well, which helps a lot! They are Lindsay, Megan B, Megan R, and Maureen. Maureen, Lindsay, and Megan B. are from Virginia and Megan R. is from New York. They've all been in Indy since about July 1 and are pretty far along in their training. I have a lot of catching up to do! We’re staying in two rooms in an extended stay hotel near HQ and it is fairly central to things. I can get to Kroger on my own from here.
My first day at work was Wednesday and I was really excited to meet the staff and see our building. It is beautiful! The staff is all women, except for one man- Gino. It's a funny dynamic, but seems to work well. I jumped right into training with the others so as time goes on and after they leave to begin traveling, I will go back and learn the stuff they have already gone over. Wednesday night Alpha Sigma Alpha hosted a BBQ for all the people that hold my position in other Greek organizations. There are 30 some Greek organizations that have their headquarters in Indianapolis and they all have Leadership Consultants, or some other title for them. I met a lot of men and women who were also in their first or second years of traveling for their organization and we just talked about their experiences. I jokingly told people the BBQ was for me because it was my first day. It was quite hot, but the BBQ went well!
Speaking of the weather, it really has been nice! HQ likes to keep it about igloo temperature (which also reminds me, we do in fact have a chapter in Anchorage, AK) so I literally have purple fingernails everyday.
We work 9 hour days and have a half day on Fridays. Thursday was more training and Friday began with a staff meeting. This is my only weekend with the girls so we went out last night and had a good time. Indianapolis has some pretty cool nightlife and concerts it seems. It makes me wish I'd been here longer to explore more of the city with them. I’ve already learned that Panera Bread is one of the best places to eat EVER. Indy has so many places to eat and shop in general.
Megan B. and I are talking about seeing the Colts stadium this week. Thursday and Friday the five of us are taking pictures for our national magazine, The Phoenix. It should be really fun, but things are going to get really busy really quickly! I’ll keep you updated!