Hello again!
It has definitely been awhile. I am just getting back into the swing of things, since I had an extended Spring Break vacation. Now its time to hunker down and complete all of the final projects that have been looming all semester. But first, let me tell you about my Spring Break!
I was able to take an early Spring Break, since the Women in Aviation Conference started on the Thursday before Spring Break. Myself, along with two other ladies, drove to Nashville, Tennessee to attend the conference. We ended up driving all throughout the night to get there, but eventually ended up at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville. It is a beautiful resort, and the largest in all of North America. It was incredible. My friend and I actually got lost trying to find an exit to the outdoors!!
Some of us at the Women in Aviation Conference
The conference was great. I had the opportunity to volunteer at the conference, so I spent a lot of time doing that. I also got to talk to a few companies that I was really interested in. It was nice to talk to hiring managers face-to-face, instead of over the phone/email. One of my favorite moments of the conference was getting to hear a flight attendant from the Miracle on the Hudson speak about her experiences that day. It was a very emotional and unimaginable story.
In addition to conference, I spent a few hours exploring Nashville. I had never been there before, and I love country music, so I figured it was the perfect time to see the city. I got to walk up and down Music Row, see the Country Music Hall of Fame, eat at two of the most popular restaurants in Nashville, and see a concert at the Grand Ole Opry!! Originally, I just walked over to the Grand Ole Opry to see it, however, after walking inside the ticket office, I discovered that Dierks Bentley was playing a show there the next night… Needless to say, it didn’t take me long to decide that I was skipping the conference banquet, and going to the concert instead. It had always been a dream of mine to see a concert at the Grand Ole Opry, and I am so glad I took the opportunity when it presented itself. The show was incredible. It was awesome to see the other nine country artists who all had different styles of country music. So, basically, Nashville and the concert were awesome! It was a great way to start off my Spring Break.
Standing in front of the Grand Ole Opry
Inside the Grand Ole Opry
Once I got back from Nashville, I hit the road again to drive down to Fort Myers, Florida. I spent four days in Fort Myers, which was nice because it was my time to relax. We went to Sanibel Island to see the lighthouse, went fishing for an entire day, and went shopping at the outlets. It was a very nice few days, besides the fact that I got very sun burnt, and am still feeling the affects.
After a few days in Fort Myers, I traveled back to Daytona, where I would fly out to New York City on Friday. I got the opportunity to spend my last weekend of Spring Break in New York City and Washington, D.C. with the Admissions team. As you know, I am a Women’s Ambassador, which is why I was able to travel and speak at the Accepted Student’s Receptions in both cities.
We spent Friday night and Saturday in New York City. Surprisingly, we actually had time to tour the city Friday night. We went up the Empire State Building, went to see Ground Zero, saw Broadway, drove through SoHo, saw Madison Square Garden, and saw the Statue of Liberty. Our hotel was right in Times Square, so we also got to see all of the tourist attractions there. We didn’t end up getting back to our hotel until about 12:30am that night, but it was so worth it.
On top of the Empire State Building
Times Square
After the Accepted Students Reception, we went to Penn Station and caught a train to Washington, D.C. I had never been on a train before, plus the fact that we got to see New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and D.C. by train, so I was very excited! The train ride was a lot of fun since we were in Business Class and had a lot of space to ourselves.
We arrived in D.C. late Saturday night, and stayed until Monday morning. After the event on Sunday, we went and toured around D.C. I got to see the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall, the WWII Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the White House. It was an incredible day filled with so much history. The only unfortunate part was that the cherry blossoms were not blooming, and the National Archives closed before we could go to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. All in all, I had an amazing time in our nation’s capitol.
Standing with President Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial
The National Mall
The White House
So, that’s my Spring Break recap. I was able to meet some amazing aviators, families, and future ERAU students. I had a few days to relax and live the island life. Then, I traveled up to the freezing weather to talk with incredible students and sight-see, of course. Overall, I am so grateful for the adventures I got to enjoy during Spring Break 2016.
Until next time,
Lindsey
This past week I had an amazing opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. and spend five days there. The reason I had this opportunity goes back to my freshman year when I decided to join a club on campus called Silver Wings. Silver Wings is a national, co-ed organization that focuses on professional development and community service. The club’s members are both AFROTC cadets and civilians and one of our purposes is to create awareness throughout the community about the military. Over the past three years, I’ve been able to develop more as a leader because of the positions I’ve held in the organization. This year I’m the Silver Wings National Treasurer and the reason I went to Washington D.C. is because we had our Executive Boards. Executive Boards are when the National Staff shares with the eleven Region Presidents what the vision is for the year. Also, our sister organization-Arnold Air Society-meets and we discuss what community service projects we will work together on amongst other things.
My time in D.C. was not just spent in hotel meeting rooms; I did get to go out and see many of the monuments. I saw the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, the White House, the Vietnam Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial. I had never been to Washington D.C. before and to see all these monuments was an amazing experience! Also, we did get to go to one museum-the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. We decided to get a group picture taken in front of the original Wright Flyer, since our school has a replica of the Wright Flyer in front of the library. One day I want to go back, so that I can spend more time exploring the city!
One of the reasons we have our Executive Board Meeting in Washington D.C. is because the Air Force Association invites us to their Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition. When we finished with our meetings each day, we were able to go downstairs in the hotel and attend their conference. Some of the briefings I was able to listen to were from the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Air Force, and many other notable people. On Sunday morning, we were guests at the Air Force Association Wreath Laying Ceremony for fallen Air Force Association members. The ceremony took place at the Air Force Memorial and I was impressed at the size and beauty of the memorial. Also, we were included in the two formal dinners they hosted. One of the dinners was to honor the 12 Outstanding Airmen and the Air Force Band along with the Singing Sergeants put on a performance. To be able to attend the Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition was an experience that I will remember for a long time.