New Year, New You?

I just came home from a luncheon hosted by my state pageant director for prospective contestants interested in this year's Mrs. Alaska-America pageant. There was a good turnout and I'm impressed at the diverse group of ladies my director always seems to attract to the pageant.

I'm a bit melancholy that I only have 5 months left as the reigning Mrs. Alaska-America (there's still so much I want to do!), but I'm equally excited to pass the torch on to the next lady, whomever she may be.

The most prevalent reasons I've heard for entering this pageant have been to "give me some 'me' time", "to get back in touch with my glamourous side", "to do something I've never done before" and "to make me a better person." Whatever the reasons for entering, this pageant does change a person. It's different for every participant and some more profound than others.

I applaud the brave and confident ladies who have decided to enter this year's pageant and embark on a personal journey of self-improvement and development. This could be the year you find a whole new you.

Elegance with a Purpose

I was honored to be a part of this year's Christmas Tree Elegance Gala and tree raffle to support the Eva Foundation.

The Eva Foundation helps build self-esteem by providing individuals assistance in establishing a new life after abuse.

Nearly a dozen Christmas trees were decorated with specific themes and "prize" ornaments (like spa treatments, fishing trips and vacations for two). The attendees bought raffle tickets for the right to win a tree and its prizes. Each tree had a beautifully styled attendant to explain the tree's prize package.

Also included in the fundraising efforts was a live auction, where I was one lucky lady to be able to model a sheared beaver and silver fox coat! It's a good thing my husband wasn't able to make it to the event... or I'd have had him bid on the coat.

It's wonderful to be able to blend elegance with a worthy purpose, it was a highly successful evening.

Sharpening Your Skills

Pilots rarely hope for an emergency during a flight. But when one happens it is usually a good idea to have an action plan in mind... one that you can implement in a timely fashion (not the time to get the book out and read up on engine failures as you're plummeting to the Earth).

This is precisely why training and simulators are a great idea.

I was lucky enough to be included in a week's worth of Twin Otter simulator time at the Flight Safety International training center in Toronto, Canada this month.

Although not all emergencies can be trained for specifically (like landing in the Hudson River), most emergencies can be duplicated in the environment of the simulator. Yes, the inside of the trainer is identical to the cockpit of the airplane and we can see "outside" as well, depending on what the computer programmer wants us to see.

It's one of the only times when you can screw up and crash in an airplane and live to tell about it. Yes, I crashed at least once during my time in the "hot seat", but I learned from the experience and can handle the emergency for the future.

Sometimes I would love to have a simulator for my real life... just think of being able to test out an idea or action in your life and then see what the results would be BEFORE you actually went ahead and did it! Wow, that would clear up a lot of angst in the future.

Mrs. Alaska goes International!

It's that time of year...

As we approach the end of the year most people will have looked back on what they are thankful for and will look forward to what they can improve on for next year.
I am very thankful for my family, especially my little girl. She is very good company. She makes me attempt to be the best person I can be and I feel that she keeps me "on my game" even when I would rather just let things slide.
I look forward to sharing the wonderful world of the outdoors with my little girl and hope she grows to love it as much as her father, sisters and friends do. That's one of her sisters carrying her in the backpack on a Thanksgiving Day hike with good friends.
I've never had someone following my lead so adamantly before and I can only strive to make the footsteps I leave for her ones that she will want to follow in the future.

Empowering Our Youth

After attending a candlelight vigil to bring awareness about homeless teenagers last week, it was refreshing to be a part of an event for an organization that strives to empower young adults and youth.

YEA, Inc. Youth/Young Adult Empowered Achievers was founded to help underserved youth become more confident, give them an outlet for their talents, help prepare them for the workforce and create a support system for troubled teens.

I was honored to be asked to help MC a fashion show fundraiser for the organization. I am truly amazed at the generosity of the Anchorage community for helping make the event happen and at the wealth of talent brought to the stage this night.

Sobering statistics

Did you know that on any given night, America has 1,000,000 homeless teenagers? Wow. Here in Anchorage, AK there is an organization called Covenant House that serves as a "safe haven" for homeless teenagers.

I was invited to participate in Covenant House's annual candlelight vigil to bring awareness to this section of the homeless population. Homelessness is a dire predicament to be in anywhere, but especially in a state where the temperatures are below freezing for 7 months of the year! Please do what you can to support the stamping out of homelessness nationwide.

I hope to teach my daughter as she gets older to volunteer her time in support of causes and charities she believes in. Right now she's participating by association!

A time for change

The contract I was flying for has come to an end. I am what I call "gainfully unemployed" for the winter. It feels good to be able to devote more of my time to my Mrs. Alaska duties and to my family. I will, of course, be flying my personal airplane as much as possible. Who knows what weird adventure awaits us out there?

Sometimes it takes not being around the ones you love to make you realize how much you missed being around them in the first place.

Family and friends are where it's at.

Enjoy your day!