I know, I know. It has been a while since I have posted! A lot has happened since October 23rd.
The rest of the Colorado trip was amazing. We went to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre and raced up the stairs.
I ran on some trails that surrounded the area. It reminded me of Arizona because the dirt was bright red and the rocks were massive (hence the name “red rocks”.) I love being outside and exercising in new places. Every sense-hearing, smelling, feeling, seeing, and tasting- is engaged and immersed in the new environment. You not only see, but experience the area. Anyways, the next day we went up to Boulder, Colorado.
Jesse and I wandered around downtown during the morning and then borrowed Amy and a friend’s bike to do some real exploring. After climbing a solid 17 miles, we ended up in a small town north of Boulder called “Nederland”. Say it out loud. Sounds weird right? It almost sounds like you are trying to say “Netherland” but have a speech impediment. For that reason alone, I do not think I could live there. The town gave me another reason though. As soon as I got there, I sought out a small gas station where I could fill up my water bottle. I imagine I looked pretty pathetic as I slowly opened up the door with my ice-cold fingers and walked in with stiff legs and a cherry-red face. I put on sweet smile and kindly ask the young guy at the register if I could fill my water bottle up. Now, during past experiences, the guy running the register would recognize my sorry state and jump to get water as fast as his legs could carry him. Well not this guy, no sireee. He turns to me with a sour face and goes, “uh, that’s gonna cost you 75 cents”… “oh but, I (teeth chattering) I don’t have any money”. He replies, “well too bad. We charge for water”. I meekly swallow the few grams of moisture in my mouth and proceed to ask, “well… uh… how clean is the bathroom water”. I mean hey, when you need water, you really need it. “Oh, that’s going to be 75 cents too”. My chin about hit the floor. Who charges money for 8 oz of bathroom water? Geez.
Saying goodbye to Amy was the worst part about the trip. Some friends don’t stay in touch when they move halfway across the country, but not Amy.
Besides being a great friend, she is fun, adventurous, and has a great sense of humor.
Once I got back from Colorado, I had only a few school days before I was off to Kansas City for another meeting. The trip went well and we got a lot accomplished. I could tell that everyone was a little antsy because the conference was in less than a month.
During the next couple of weeks, I spent a lot of time training and studying.
In fact, I can honestly say that I became quite boring.
The week before the AFA conference, Ispent 12 hours in class, 16 hours on the bike, and the rest of my time either sleeping or studying.
The Saturday before the conference, Jesse and I went up to Greenville for the Hincapie warehouse sale to buy some winter cycling clothing. Now I don't have an excuse for not riding in the cold.
The AFA conference will forever stand out in my memory as one of the best experiences of my college career. My teammates on the leadership team- Ana, Bryce, Wayne, Katelyn, Lance, Cary, Blake, and Amanda- have each impacted and inspired me. You can listen to professional speakers all day, but in the end, it is friendships that really make the difference. I miss these guys.
After a group opening session, all of the students were divided based on year in college. Bryce, Ana, and I were in charge of the freshman group. Basically, we took turns introducing speakers, facilitating games, conducting group meetings, and answering a boatload of questions. During orientation, we divided the group of 120 freshman into 3 groups and made them each form a line. Then we gave everyone a toothpick and gave each person at the front of the line a lifesaver. The goal was to transfer one lifesaver (with a toothpick sticking out of your mouth) from one end of the line to the other end. Whoever got the lifesaver to the end of the line quickest won. Take a moment to imagine the scenario. It was hilarious. Let me tell you, the 2011 AFA freshman were incredible. During the games, they were wild, fun, and interactive. It got quite loud more than a few times. When we had speakers come in, they were respectful, attentive, and asked good questions. At one point, one of the speakers had three students come up on stage and act as panelist while discussing their future career plans. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought these students were conference speakers themselves. The best part about our particular group of students was their genuine passion for agriculture and the future of our industry.
I learned two things about myself during this experience. First, I love public speaking. Yes, I do get nervous, but it is a positive feeling that energizes me. A few times during the conference, people came up and asked if I had taken public speaking classes.
I told them no, but when you grow up in a family of ten, you learn to appreciate any kind of audience. Not only that, but I was the middle child... so obviously it was my job to make sure that others heard me. Getting the chance to speak in front of 700 people is a privilege and an honor. Second, I love talking. Now hold on, hold on. I know what you are thinking... "Molly, it's pretty obvious that you love to talk". Yes, yes, but I love talking in the sense that I love conversation and learning about other people. During the career fair, it hit me that this was not an intimidating or strict procedure, but a chance to talk and learn about other people and their companies. Sometimes it can be so easy to fall into a negative pattern of thinking instead of appreciating the positive side of things. I know I am preaching here, but trust me. Shifting your attitude really does work.
During the entire conference, I could feel God’s presence with me. With the amount of sleep and responsibilities, I should have been exhausted. In fact, sheer exhaustion was my number one fear going into the conference. Halfway through the conference, He brought a short piece of scripture to my mind,
“I can do all things through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). God granted me the ability to pour passion and enthusiasm into everything I did… and enjoy every minute of it. He is so good.
On the way home, my connecting flight from Charlotte to Greenville got cancelled. U.S. Airways gave me a voucher for a sketchy motel nearby and put me on the next flight out in the morning. Word of advice, don’t fly U.S Airways unless you enjoy spending the night in a run-down motel with beds that are flatter than a pancake and harder than your concrete driveway. Fortunately, I made it back home the next morning ten minutes before my first class. I parked, hopped out of the car with my backpack, and ran to class looking a little… ehem... rough. After class I made sure to tell my professor about my unfortunate travels and the dedication it took to make it to his class in time. Hopefully he will remember that small piece of information when he grades my next test…
PHEW! I am running over 1,000 words here so I’m going to stop.
Adios Muchachos!
