Kicking It Back To The Roots

We've been spending the last week and a half traveling throughout the state of Indiana.  We started out on the west side of the state last week hitting up districts I, IV, VII, and X.  We are now working down the center of the state visiting districts II, V, VIII, and XI.  It has been a blast so far!  It's interesting seeing how different parts of Indiana can be from each other.  For example,  when we were in District X, Ross & I had some extra time on our hands so I wanted to look up the closest McDonald's so I can get some Wi-Fi... I was disappointed to find out that the nearest McDonald's was 30 miles away!  For somebody who craves the city life, I struggled with that fact.  It made me appreciate Warsaw, Indiana a bit more seeing as we have 2 McDonald's - not that I'm a huge McDonald's fan. At all.

As we travel, we visit chapters throughout the day and have District Kick-Offs in the evening.  I LOVE going to chapters!  Our team put together two different visits.  One visit focuses on Self-Awareness. During that visit, we focus on identifying with whom we surround ourselves, understanding the impact we have on others, and applying the positive characteristics we see in role models to ourselves.  The other visit focuses on Goal Setting.  We all set TRAIN goals for ourselves (goals that are Timely, Realistic, Accountable, Important, and Noticeable).  We also include activities that explain obstacles with our goals and the importance of setting small goals to achieve larger goals.

Yesterday, Jake and I visited Warsaw and Wawasee for chapter visits.  It was AMAZING to be back in District II.  It was so good to see my chapter and get to know members from Wawasee.  During the District II Kick-Off, I was on Cloud 9.  The district officers did an awesome job starting out the evening with a dance off (you can never go wrong with quality dance moves) and it just got better from there.  It's always important to remember where your roots are.  FFA members, always remember the advisor(s), members, and other individuals who helped you get to where you are now.