Toxic Juans & Beauty Salons

March 2nd: Pierre, SD > Rapid City, SD… and back (172 Miles, 8994 Total) 

          I tagged along to attend an event in Rapid City for my internship.

March 3rd: Pierre, SD > Watertown, SD > Sioux Falls, SD > Hurley, SD> Pierre, SD (565 Miles, 9559 Total)

          I went to a Home Show in Watertown, The Summit League Game in Sioux Falls, and a Friends of the NRA Banquet in Hurley.

March 4th-5th: Pierre, SD (0 Miles, 9559 Total)

          I got food poisoning. Like bad. For 48 hours. I did not move 50 feet for two days.

March 7th: Pierre, SD (0 Miles, 9559 Total)

          I went back to work at the Capitol for my second to last day. The session was almost over, and folks were either on edge or in a really good mood.

March 8th: Pierre, SD > Sioux Falls, SD… and back (454 Miles, 10013 Total)

          I attended the South Dakota Prayer Coalition Luncheon and heard all the candidates for the U.S. House Race speak.

March 9th: Pierre, SD (0 Miles, 10013 Total)

          March 9^th was the last day of my internship in Pierre. It was hard to leave the office and say goodbye to all of the people I had spent the last three months with.

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March 10th: Pierre, SD > Vermillion, SD (282 Miles, 10295 Total)

          Back to school it was! I moved my life back to Verm town and got settled again into my dorm.

March 11th-14th: Vermillion, SD (0 Miles, 10295 Total)

          Classes started for me on the 12^th and I hit the ground running with Student Government, College Republicans, sorority meetings, and homework!!

March 15th: Vermillion, SD > Sioux Falls, SD (130 Miles, 10425 Total)

          I made a short trip up to Sioux Falls to Salon Britori to see Shawn and get my hair did. Tehe.

March 16th: Vermillion, SD > Brookings, SD (232 Miles, 10657 Total)

          I entered enemy territory to work on my walking for Miss South Dakota with a former Miss South Dakota. It was worth the students’ awkward gazes as I strutted around the lobby of the PAC, as I really needed some tips and advice.

March 17th- 21st: Vermillion, SD (0 Miles, 10657 Total)

          I was nominated for an executive position on Student Government, turned in my final paper for my internship, have gotten back into a routine and am starting to feel like a normal human again. Life on the road and not in school was a blast but having a sort of normalcy to my schedule again was very needed.

Here’s to the next 6 weeks! See you in 20 days for the next update! 

Dinosaurs, Diners, & Democracy

This is one of the last installments before I leave Pierre and head back to Vermillion to become a “regular college kid” again.

But in the meantime… this is what I have been up to:

February 6th-8th: Pierre, SD (0 Miles, 3503 Total)

I spent my week working in Pierre, but also managed to get in another school visit. I was back in Stanley County, but this time I spoke with the Underclassmen!

February 9th: Pierre, SD > Hot Springs, SD (224 Miles, 3729 Total)

I drove home to Hot Springs and get a little bit of rest before the Miss South Dakota Fashion Show…

February 10th: Hot Springs, SD (0 Miles, 3729 Total)

On Saturday I slapped on my heels and strutted the runway to raise money for the Miss South Dakota Foundation. There were dazzling jewels—– and three dinosaurs made an appearance!

 

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February 11th: Hot Springs > Pierre, SD (224 Miles, 3953 Total)

No time off for me, Sunday morning I was headed back to Pierre for SHED, or Students for Higher Education.

February 12th: Pierre, SD (0 Miles, 3953 Total)

SHED continued into Tuesday. I knew many of the students at the conference, even one from my high school. I was able to listen to the Governor speak and then walk across the hallway back to the office I work in. It is funny how much the capitol building has become to feel like home.

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February 15th:Pierre, SD > Norfolk, VA (1672 Miles, 5624 Total)

Thursday I drove myself to Sioux Falls and hopped on a jet to spend a weekend in Virginia. It was nice to get away and have a second to catch my breath in the middle of the chaos.

February  19th:Norfolk, VA > Pierre, SD (1672 Miles, 7296 Total)

Monday, with tears rimming my eyes, I dragged my feet back onto a plane and headed back to South Dakota. After landing in Sioux Falls I drove myself back to Pierre to prepare for work the next day.

February 20-21th: Pierre, SD > Aberdeen, SD (160 Miles, 7456 Total)

I made a little trip to Aberdeen. It was a good break away from the capitol and I enjoyed exploring a new place, despite the car troubles I had.

February 22nd:Aberdeen, SD > Pierre, SD (160 Miles, 7616 Total)

Thursday I drove back to Pierre just in time for the weekend, which wouldn’t be any less busy!

February 23rd:Pierre, SD > Brookings, SD (189 Miles, 7805 Total)

Friday, after working all day I headed to Brookings for the Miss South Dakota Bootcamp!

February 24th:Brookings, SD > Vermillion, SD – Vermillion, SD > Pierre, SD (397 Miles, 8202 Total)

Saturday was the Miss South Dakota Bootcamp. I got my contestant number (#9, my lucky number) and after the event was over I drove down to Coyote Country and moved back into my dorm room. After only being in Vermillion for a total of three hours, I drove back to Pierre- as I got a call from my parents about a HUGE surprise.

February 25th: Pierre, SD > Hot Springs, SD….. AND BACK AGAIN (448 Miles, 8650 Total)

Sunday morning, sleep heavy in my eyes, I woke up and drove all the way to Hot Springs… to pick up my new car. I said goodbye to my old green trailblazer, Betsy, and thanked her for all the memories. I then drove my new car, which has yet to have been given a name, back to the state capitol, on its maiden journey, the first of many it will go on with me.

February 26th-March 1st:Pierre, SD (0 Miles, 8650 Total) 

I read to over 150 children in 6 different classrooms and have been all kinds of events with Secretary Krebs.

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The past few days I have grinded through the week- and a lot of paper. (I have become a Professional Paper Shredder since I have started working in Pierre.) It is incredible to walk through the halls of the capitol and have legislators, lobbyists, and even loiterers stop to say hello. The connections I have made here will be life changing and already have been.

Being on the road as often as I am, it is wonderful to have familiar faces almost everywhere I go. (Yes, even the cashier at the gas station in Chamberlain knows me personally now.)

On the road the food is not so good, the weather is not so friendly, and the radio is not so clear. However, the experience is priceless and the view is pretty incredible.

See you in another thousand miles!