Look for fellow delegates on Facebook

Hey '09 Missouri delegates: Congratulations on winning a spot on the Youth Tour! We've set up a Facebook page — if you've got a Facebook account, search for "2009 Missouri Youth Tour" and join the group. Introduce yourself, tell us where you're from and what you're looking forward to seeing in D.C. The sooner you guys and gals get to know each other the better. Oh come on, don't be shy. You're going to be fast friends soon enough!

It's that time of year! Youth Tour is coming!

All across Missouri, high school juniors are practicing their speeches and boning up on the history of rural electrification in preparation for their local electric cooperative's Youth Tour contest. Some of you may have already been selected as delegates for this year's Youth Tour. 

Chances are, you have no idea what awaits you. Maybe an older brother or sister or an upperclassman has told you a little about the trip. But really, you can't imagine how cool this week will be.

You'll start the week a little shy and maybe just a bit afraid. You're going to be thrust in a room with about 80 other teenagers from all across the state and some adult is going to tell you to start making friends. "Yeah, right!" you say.  Trust me, in a week you won't want to say goodbye and you'll consider most of these other Youth Tour delegates to be lifelong friends. Some of them actually will be.

Yeah, you've seen pictures of the Vietnam Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol. You think you know what they're all about. Think again. There is a feeling that comes over you when you're standing next to that black wall with all those names that you just can't describe. There's definitely a spirit there. 

You're going to do and see so many things in one week you won't believe it. Your dogs are going to bark and you won't sleep a wink the first couple of days. But, man, you're going to have fun. Even stupid stuff like counting off on the bus will make you smile when you think about it later.

Sure, sure. This is just somebody talking. You wait and see. 

If you've been selected as a delegate to the 2009 Missouri Youth Tour you're a very special young man or woman. You've earned a spot on this exclusive trip. Look forward to it. Make the most of it. Cherish it forever.

We'll see you in 71 days!

Pentagon has 5 sides

So, November 2nd almost time for elections. Its been many months since dc but i still think about it. I still think about the Pentagon and just all the people. This is probably my last blog however, because no one else continues to use this site. I was hoping we would all continue to check it. I do wish i could talk to everyone and see everyone again. Our senior years are already almost half way over. December will be halfway..... its crazy time is flying by!

Hey Missouri!!!!

Man now that school is back in full swing i cant help looking back to DC. We had it made going to all of those memorials museums and just all the fun we had. Now, colleges, scholarships, and homework are dominating all of our lives and many of us have jobs on top of that. I can't believe time has flown by so fast that its been 3 months since we stepped into the Truman Hotel. I truly and deeply miss everyone i met on the tour and i hope you all keep in touch. Anyway college applications and all of that is so crazy and overwhelming. I was thinking of applying to several colleges but i was wondering of the people who still check this blog where are you thinking of going to college? If anyone wants or needs to talk to me call or text me at 573-578-0568

Wow

Two months ago tonight we all arrived in Jefferson City nervous and anticipating the greatest trip of our lives. Now its back to school for another journey that will create who we are meant to be and prepare us for our future...... I just cant believe its been two months since i met all the amazing people i met..... i miss you all a lot i hope to keep in touch through the next nine months of school and i also hope to hang out with you all again.... to the sponsers and co-ops one last time i thank you all for the great honor and privledge you have us this summer to go to dc.

Seniors!!!!

Summer is over now........ we have less than a week left for some and others its already over... we are all going back to school and finishing our 12 year commitment to education. Yet as school approaches it makes me think about the trip over a month and a half ago....... we truly had the time of our life and i hope that school does not seperate us and that we all keep in touch. Life is far too short to put off friendships and chances to keep in touch. Anyway this summer for me has been crazy full of planning and thinking about college and my life after high school. I cant believe i am graduating this year..... i just never believed this day would come.......it was always in the distance but now..... We're Seniors! We are the top of the school and we are the preparing for the future! It is going to be a crazy year and i hope you all share my hope that we see each other again and keep in touch because i felt strong connections with you all and even though our houses and schools are far apart i know and hope we will get together again

New Ideas

So the Cardinals game didnt work out.... it was bad timing or something for people but its in the works for a new reunion... if you have any good ideas tell Tom, Branden, or I. Also it has been a long time since anyone has blogged so i thought i would tell about life after dc. After Dc everything else just is more enjoyable... The experiences and lessons learned have made movies more entertaining because i can say i have been there or seen that. Also the friendships are incredible, truly incredible people are picked to go on this tour and they are definately lifelong friends. With school approaching its going to be hard to keep in touch plus its our senior year! I cant believe it has arrived, i still remember way back when thinking it would never be here. Now we graduate this year and move on with our lives but i hope to take with me the Dc mentality we all shared that allowed us to make friends and learn so much.

One Month Ago...

So in case anyone has forgotten...today is one month ago that we boarded the plane for D.C. and had the Trip of a Lifetime. I can't believe that time is going by so fast. Just wanted to remind everyone.

July 4th

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July and it is a day of cookouts, fireworks, and of course bottle rockets and family fun. To me however, i look at it in a different way since our tour of Washinton. I enjoy all the fun with explosives and watching the fireworks shows but to me this holiday is more than that. Seeing Arlington, seeing George Washington's house and tomb, seeing the WWII, Vietnam, and Korea Memorials, and seeing our national documents in the archives i was struck with just how much this country has been through to bring us to this point. Wars, terrorist attacks, depression, tyranny, sacrafice, natural disasters, and many many other events occured on our soil. July 4th to me is not just a day to honor our freedom but to respect and revere the dead that made it possible. The men who brought us freedom back in 1776 were technically traitors to the tyranny of Britain and were risking their lives and families lives to bring us the framework of our country. Today we face inflation and recession and extremely high debt and gas prices. Yet i am not worried about it, this country has faced worse and has perservered so far. All it will take is a reduction in focus on differences and unification of our country for the greater good. Sounds easy but i know it isnt. I do believe though if we keep our focus on God and the betterment of each other we can reclaim this country's strength and stabiliy. Anyway i just felt like blogging this because the trip of a lifetime was amazing fun but it also made me think more on national issues. I am more aware of things in this country and i have more of a desire to keep this country going. I thank the co-ops for their financial support to send all of us because it gave us memories, confidence, awareness, and so much more that words cannot describe. I loved every second of the tour and every single activity we did.

J

Happy July 4th

Tomorrow is July 4th the day this country was officially declared independent and the day our country was formed. Two weeks after our tour where we saw our first president's house and walked the halls of the capital i still feel the emotions of what we saw there. I learned a greater respect and a greater understanding of what it truly means to be independent and what it took for this country to grow. Tomorrow is no longer just a day to shoot of fireworks and be silly to me. Tomorrow is a day that i will look at as a chance to honor this great country for the struggles its had and the people who made it possible. Of course i will still blow stuff up with firecrackers and fireworks but i will do only as a side thing. As i said in my earlier blog..i realized a lot about our freedom which came from men giving their lives for a cause they werent sure would work. Yet here we are today by their sacrafice living and breathing and shooting fireworks in a country that may be in recession economically but we will bounce back from it because we have a unity and a strong care for our fellow countrymen. Sounds crazy when i say it but i believe when we face the troubles ahead all of our petty differences will vanish and we will push this country back up.

Mo Yt 2 Dc 08

Good Afternoon Missouri! I just got up like an hour ago and i was thinking this blog needed a new post. The thought that has been on my mind the last day or so is just how much change and growth we all got on this tour. We didnt just have fun and meet new people. We all learned things about ourselves and I do believe almost everyone gained a new confidence and strength with themselves. We were constantly doing things and meeting new people. Meeting so many new people while trying to get little pins from other states allowed us to break ice barriers that normally would have stopped us. The tour helped us develop so many social and emotional skills. We faced things on this tour that made us all bond together such as a member or two getting sick, storms halting our plans, and many many blonde ditzy moments that we just turned into inside jokes. The part of the tour that probably really changed me is pictured above. Mike Schlappi and his keynote speech really touched me. All the points and analogies he made were exactly what i needed to hear. He truly was an amazing guy and talked on changing the way we think to becoming better members of society. He talked on helping people and facing our inner "bullets" and not passing blame. I really look up to Mike and i got lucky to have a picture with such and amazing individual. Oh yeah Missouri our mascot is in the picture!! Anyway I know for myself personally i grew up and matured on this trip. I saw many people who had rough lives and strange circumstances and it made me see just how blessed i was and how blessed others were. I realized this world is full of people who face trials everyday so that others dont have to. Going to Arlington Cemetary showed me all i say and do is not free and was born from the blood of so many patriots. I know that this trip was the most fun i have had but it also was the most inspiring and life changing trip i have been on. I thank all who made it possible and i pray that we all see each other again someday.

It's all good!

I wanted to say thank you for a fantastic trip to Washington, D.C. It was an honor to go as a chaperone for such a great group of young adults. When we went to Capitol Hill, our group met with Ike Skelton and he said, "If you want to be a success, make your parent's proud." I would have to say that each delegate did just that. These young adults showed respect, responsibility and wonderful character. What a treat to be able to spend time with them!

To the other chaperones, what a ride! I'm so glad to have made such great new friends and truly enjoyed our time together. Mike, Christian and Nikki--you did a great job putting this together. Mike, you have a gift for these young people. The Pentagon has a whole new meaning for me! It was just a wonderful experience all around. As Mr. D would say, "It's all GOOD!"

Time of our Lives

So i blogged only 2 days ago but still this trip meant the world to me.... i cant help talking about it! I have to say some of the most fun i ever had was at the Orioles game or maybe possibly just chilling in the hotel because my favorite part of the whole tour was the people i met and the lifelong friends created! I dont know about the each member but i felt a bond with almost everyone the second i met them or hung out with them. I may not have been great with names but i tried my hardest to make everyones trip a little brighter... I loved the cruise, the dance, Wednesday night, Orioles game and just about everything on this trip. There never was a dull moment....well maybe a couple but the trip was so full of things to do we never had time to really dwell on things or think. We constantly went from amazing tour and hilarious moment to the another. The picture above is from Wednesday night dance during "Can you Feel The Love Tonight?" when we all joined hands and danced in massive circle singing at the top of our lungs heh and as you can see Buddy Bear was right there with us just like he was everywhere else

Orioles or Dance? Orioles or Dance?

Well...they told us to blog and vote in the poll for our favorite moment, and for me it was a toss up between to of the choices. The Orioles game was awesome. We all had a great time. We cheered, we laughed, some of us even cried (Alex!). It was so much fun. Now if we could just get all 94 of us shuttled up to Busch Stadium and cheer for the Cards the same way.

The second thing was the Wednesday night dance. That was so much fun. No one was shy or reserved in showing off their dance moves. It was a time to get to know everyone even better than we already did.

So these were my favorite experiences on "The Trip of a Lifetime". What was yours?