Bowling Bash!

A big thank you to everyone who came to my Bowling Extravaganza Going-Away Party/Fundraiser last night! We had 19 folks bowling, and it was a lot of fun seeing folks one last time before heading out on tour! Here are some pictures my mama snapped of the evening!

The "Old Folks" as Mama Trow so nicely titled the group! =P

Mama (Leslie) Trow, Mommy, Jason, and Dad!

My Bro-Bro and Sis-in-Law

Me, Kyle, Liesl, and Ray...with QUITE the smile!

The Brothers Demos...aka Zack and Alex

Ray and Nick

Alex, Chesney, and Chelsea

Other Alex, Amanda, and Katie!

Lissy and Liesl

T-Minus 10 Days!!!

This seems so unreal to actually say that I leave for Orlando, FL in 10 DAYS! TEN!!! I've been waiting for this adventure since the summer of 2011, and now I can literally count the remaining days on my hands! At this point, my blog is going to turn from a source of fundraising and promoting to more of a personal diary of my adventures. I want to be able to capture this journey from start to finish, including my thoughts, fears, excitements, and all other emotions prior to leaving!

So...what must I do in the next 10 days you ask? Well...

• Work on my "host family" scrapbook (granted, I'll be scrapbooking while on the road, but I still want to prep the book a bit...maybe)
• Double check my sponsor dates with those who "Sponsored-A-Day" in my fundraising endeavors
• Shop for all my little necessary odds and ends, like lotion, face wash, cough drops, and those random things that I'll need for 6 months on the road. 
• Return some things from previous shopping endeavors
• Buy my ebooks for the college courses I'll be taking in conjunction with UWP
• Get my schoolwork in order (goodness knows I would freak out if I wasn't organized before "school" starts!)
• Do my HOMEWORK. Yup...I have homework already. I have 1 of 3 assignments done. Luckily, they're pretty darn easy for this first round.
• Host and have fun at my Bowling Extravaganza Going-Away Party/Fundraiser on Friday night
• Catch up with friends while we're all still in town!
• Get my haircut
• And...PACK! 

Oh mylanta am I nervous about packing! My anxiety is through the roof about packing the right things, making it all fit, and NOT going over the 50lb. limit! Fingers crossed I can do it! =) My suitcase has been sitting in my room ever since I got it at the end of November, and I've started throwing some stuff in that I don't use currently, but things that I wear day-to-day still haven't been packed. My room has exploded. I hate walking through the door every time I enter my room, but it's one of those situations that has to get worse before it gets better! Before I leave on January 4th...my room will be spotless!

Here's my wonderfully enormous, adorable, and awesome suitcase. We'll see how the packing goes!

Packing attempt #1...too much! Need to revise! BUT HOW?!? Ugh!

 

Cold Stone Fundraiser Update!

A HUGE thank you to everyone who came and supported my fundraising efforts at Cold Stone the other day. In spite of the chill in the weather (name that tune!), we had an awesome turn out, and I managed to raise close to another $300 for my travels - so THANK YOU! And an extra special thank you to my boss, Paul, for letting me host this fundraiser, and to my parents and Nick - my special voluntary scoopers! For their first day on the job, they did a TERRIFIC job scooping, mixing, singing, and helping the customers! I think they all have a future as professional ice cream scoopers, should they chose to embark on such a prestigious career path! I couldn't have done it without them! =)

Updated Tour Schedule

UPDATED TOUR SCHEDULE!
Cast A 2013

Lakeland, Florida, USA (Staging and Orientation)

January 4 (for FSC coursework) – February 11, 2013

Fort Myers, Florida, USA

February 11 – 18, 2013

Orlando, Florida, USA

February 18 – 25, 2013

Vero Beach, Florida, USA

February 25 – March 4, 2013

Statesboro, Georgia, USA

March 4 – 11, 2013

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

March 11 – 18, 2013

Geneva/Versoix, Switzerland

March 18 – 25, 2013

Weinfelden/Frauenfeld, Switzerland

March 25 – April 1, 2013

Neuchatel,/La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland

April 1 – 8, 2013

Vaduz, Liechtenstein

April 8 – 15, 2013

Apeldoorn/Eerbeek, Holland, Netherlands

April 15 – 22, 2013

Mol/Oud-Turnhout, Belgium

April 22 – 29, 2013

TBD, Europe

April 29 – May 6, 2013

TBD, Europe

May 6 – 13, 2013

Mexico City, Mexico

May 13 – 20, 2013

TBD, Mexico

May 20 – 27, 2013

TBD, Mexico

May 27 – June 3, 2013

Aguascalientes, Mexico

June 3 – 11, 2013

End of Tour/Cast Departure

June 11, 2013

PLUS the newly proposed 2 additional week tour to CUBA with members from Cast A 2013 and Cast B 2012! We're still waiting on the details, but here's to hoping I can extend my travels for an additional 2 weeks!