Crunch Time

Its one week away from Miss Phoenix/Miss Cave Creek, two weeks away from Miss Tucson Desert Rose/Old Pueblo/ Del Sol, three weeks away from Miss Tempe/ Miss Mesa, and 9 weeks away from Miss Grand Canyon. I'd say ITS CRUNCH TIME! There is no time to mess around now. Pageant prepping is no joke for those who don't know. Much more goes into this than the common person realizes. Finding the right wardrobe, practicing every day in that wardrobe in front of a mirror to the music selected for the pageant, finding the right pair of pageant shoe and practicing in them all day long, finding the right pageant jewelry (it makes a difference!), practicing stage hair and make up, getting a spray tan (maybe even 2) and nails, practicing interview skills everyday, watching and reading the news every day, making flash cards on current event and personal questions, practicing poses in a mirror, practicing smiling (yes, it hurts after 5 minutes of none stop), completing all the paperwork for the pageant, perfecting the personal paperwork so the judges will want to know you, double triple and quadruple checking to make sure you have everything in your emergency pack (what you forget is what you'll need), practice talent everyday for hours, practice eye contact when having a conversation. On top of this, stay focused in school (most of us are college students), stay healthy, keep up with a physical workout routine, eat right, stay focused, follow deadlines, stay positive, and do not stress out. How is this possible you might wonder?! We are true pageant girls, to the core. We love what we do. We do it for the gratification, for the scholarship money, for our families, for our future, for   a shiny new crown, for the self satisfaction, for the sisterhood, for the organization. Here's a fun fact not many people outside the Miss America world will know; our crowns have 4 points on them. Each point  stands for a characteristic each titleholder/competitor must have: style, service, scholar, and success. Eat, sleep and live by these 4 points and you could never go wrong.
XO-A