My Week in Jacksonville

My experience with nationals was quite amazing! The week didn't start off as planned! Maybe some of you saw my Facebook post about this, but it's one interesting story I would love to share. I decided to road trip to Florida.

With everything that you need to bring it becomes way more than you can fit into one or two suitcases. We had made it so far without a hitch, when suddenly everything went downhill. My truck stopped working in the middle of the highway! Luckily I had enough momentum to pull over. So, I was stuck the side of the highway, but let me tell you I was determined. I popped open the hood and started working on my truck heels and all. By the time I showed up to the hotel I was covered in grease. My hair was flat and my makeup might as well have been gone! However it reminded me of something important. A big part of being a title holder is being adaptable, you have to be able to make the best out of every situation. That is also one key thing I teach during my Dancing Through the Pain Classes.

The rest of the week was extremely busy from touring the Jaguars stadium to late night rehearsals. At the end of the week it is worth it! You meet so many new friends from all over the world. We still have a group chat going and everyone talks almost every day. I could tell so many great stories about pageant week, but I am going to save some to share with everyone later! 

Going into finals night my goal was top eleven, my mom wasn't able to come to prelims due to her health. She made it to finals so all I wanted was for her to see me compete. When they called my name in the top eleven, it was truly a rush of emotions. I was ecstatic but I knew it was going to be a challenge! We all helped each other backstage, from zipping dresses to pep talks we all had each other's backs. I cannot say thank you enough to everyone who helped me during the week.

Amanda and I knew each other through social media before pageant week. We had always just clicked! As soon as we met at the beginning of the week we became so close. She was like my big sister, in fact I remember turning around and seeing her face when they called my name as Miss Teen International. She was screaming, the pictures are actually pretty funny! When they called Amanda's name... My reaction was priceless. I was already crying and a mess, but once they called her name I started yelling so loud (you could probably hear it from the back of the theatre)! Amanda, I cannot wait to see what other crazy adventures we have this year! 

"Success is not measured by what you accomplish but by the opposition you have encountered and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds." -Orison Swett Marden

Garin Harris