South Dakota

After weeks of flying, I finally get the chance to drive! As Zach and I left his house, each headed to our different conventions, I got behind the wheels of my shiny rental car and headed off from Des Moines, Iowa to Brookings, South Dakota!
This Florida boy doesn't see snow very much at home, so I may have been a little overly cautious driving through what I considered a blizzard ( I was later informed they were only flurries). Driving through this part of America helped me to really appreciate the American farmer- miles and miles of corn, cattle, and our nation's backbone- agriculture. That afternoon I arrived in Brookings and was met by Crissa Zink, past state officer and the best driver a boy could ask for! We got to the arena just as preparations were winding down. I was able to experience the imitations of Erin and Sara as they introduced me to TRUE Scandanavian accents. Lauren, Noelle, Brett and Matt joined me in rolling with laughter at their ridiculousness! One of the coolest parts about South Dakota is how much time you get to spend with candidates, pretty much a few hours every night. This is a fun crew! On Sunday, convention officially kicked off and the arena transformed into a convention hall full of laughter, cheers, and excitement for the state officer team! Before every session and in the candidate room, members attempted to teach me how to jitterbug- a daunting task for someone with two left feet! The week flew by and before I knew it Tuesday morning had arrived which meant one thing- new officers! Having spent the past three days with all the candidates, it was hard to say goodbye but exciting to watch as three new people took the next step in their lives by committing to a year of service. I have no doubt that Maria, Brian, Shane, Wyatt, Josh and Shad will do a great job! After a quick luncheon I headed out with Ms. Linda Peterson, ag teacher from West Central, and my new friend, Noelle to see the world famous Mount Rushmore! We drove all afternoon and night and nine hours later arrived in Keystone, South Dakota to see the mount lit up in all its glory. Words can't even describe the beauty and magnitude of one of our nation's greatest monuments. I could hardly sleep that night as the next morning we spent hiking around the mount. I kept stopping every ten feet to take pictures. After Mount Rushmore the true whirlwind tour began, driving through Custer State park to see buffalo (I felt a little like Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves!) and through the Needles Highway-called so because driving through the tunnels is like threading a needle! On the drive back east we stopped briefly in the Badlands, which are, well, BAD! Sunset on these rock formations is a must see if you're every in this neck of the woods. Late Wednesday night I said goodbye to Mrs. Petersen and Noelle, both of whom I am grateful to for making this trip possible. I had a chance to visit with former National Secretary Jessie Geib's family as her dad took me on a tour of some area farms. I've never seen so many cattle in all my life! Thank you to the Geib family for a great morning and making sure I made it to the airport on time. Now as I write I am settled in for a trip to the Golden State- CALIFORNIA!