Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan home of Ferris State University has recently been experiencing a cold front. While visiting this lovely school in the northern part of the state, I was shocked at the 50 degree weather and icy wind chill. I was not expecting to have to sleep in a sweatshirt or a borrowed pair of sweatpants, but it worked out and I made it out alive.

While at Ferris State I got to work with a small chapter that had just finished with recruitment. They had some great new members but still had room for growth. After doing a presentation on being a "dynamic conversationalist" we kicked off a big campaign to expand even further and get ten additional new members. I'm looking forward to hearing about their success in the upcoming week.

Additionally, I had my first experience at a Bob Evan's Restaurant. For those of you, like me, who have never heard of this fine establishment before, think Waffle House meets Cracker Barrel. What an experience. After enjoying blue berry pancakes, we went to pay at the register and the cashier, Jan, motioned for us to hold on as she checked out the mailman who had just walked into the restaurant. She stood there for a moment and as he left she said, "That just made my day, what a great piece of eye candy." Instantly I thought to myself.... No Jan, you just made my day!

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas.... what can I say it's beautiful. Since I had never been to Texas I really did not know what to expect while visiting West Texas A&M University. I assumed people there would be a lot like me: saying y'all was just a normal thing, flip flops could be worn all year around, and coke was the soft drink of choice. All of those things were true, but what I was not expecting was how amazingly gorgeous the landscape would be. From the flat farmlands to the wondrous canyons, Texas was amazing and can only be described through pictures. Palo Duro Canyon

It was truly amazing to see the Palo Duro Canyon. I was lucky to have 3 amazing tour guides to take me through the canyon so I could take pictures. It was a part of my traveling adventure that I will never forget!

What was really interesting about Texas was how people there say "Everything is Bigger in Texas!" This is so true. From meal portions to their spiders Texas does things bigger and better than ever. Upon seeing my first Tarantella I wanted to scream, run, and throw up all at the same time. It was crazy and needless to say I had a hard time walking outside in the dark after being so close to "dying!" And yes I did scream and freak out like I was dying when I saw this....

Bowling Green State University

News Flash!!! Ohio has the most amazing weather! The entire week I visited BGSU it was gorgeous. On a typical day the high was 75 degrees. Needless to say I got in some quality running time every morning.

BGSU is currently celebrating its 100th Anniversary. Founded in 1910 as a land grant college, it currently has around 18,000 students and is predominately a commuter school. It has a beautiful and spacious campus with many walking trails and bike paths perfect for running.

While in Bowling Green I celebrated my 23rd birthday. I had the absolute best time celebrating with these women. Not only did they make me birthday signs, but they took me to eat Mexican as well. I even got to wear a sombrero!

Although it was one of my more challenging visits, I had a wonderful time and can't wait to visit two more schools in this wonderful state!

Purdue

In another life I definitely went to Purdue! I'm pretty sure if I had the chance I would go to school here and love every minute of it. Surprisingly, West Lafayette, Indiana is a lot like Auburn. Here are some unique similarities:

• Best Schools: Pharmacy, Vet, Interior Design, Engineering, and Aviation



• Small Town: Without Purdue, West Lafayette has nothing.



• Pedestrians: Get hit by cars because they think they ALWAYS have the right of way.



• Call Outs: Nope, Auburn isn't the only school with that tradition.



• Athletics: Although football may not be the biggest sport going at Purdue, they all have their athletic gear on.



• Battle Cry: BOILER UP!!!

All the similarities made me feel right at home. I loved being at Purdue and enjoyed the small town feel with a big school atmosphere. On the other hand though, Purdue had some really neat traditions of their own, which I got to experience first hand.

One of which being DEN POPS!! It is hard to explain, but a Den Pop is simply a "suicide" of coke products that you can make yourself. They had different kinds that you could try my favorite being "The Sorostitute." This consisted of Diet Coke, Cherry Coke, and Cream Soda. Sounds different but its amazing, I had one almost every day.

Another neat thing about Purdue was that they had their very own diner that was visited by Guy Fieri on Food Network's: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Triple X is a small diner that serves a little bit of everything but is known for their "Peanut Butter Hamburger." I wasn't too sure about that so I stuck with a breakfast omelet. Either way, it was neat to see a Purdue local hot spot with a unique touch.

My visit here was extremely enjoyable and unique. I had the best time and even purchased my very own Purdue sweatshirt. I will never forget my visit here and hope to come back in the future. Boiler Up and War Eagle!!

USC Upstate

USC Upstate, in Spartanburg, SC was a small, quiet campus located in the middle of nowhere. This school had a student body of only about 4,000 people and an even smaller Greek Life.

During my visit to Upstate, I got to work with a group of 19 women to prepare for formal recruitment. They were all very sincere and genuinely excited to meet me, so although I was worried, I had the best time.

The funniest thing happened during my visit to Upstate. One night after recruitment, a group of us went to a Waffle House for a late night snack. The manager ended up knowing some of the girls in the group and took pictures of us eating at the restaurant. After we were done, we all got a 25% discount and a high-five. So, if you are ever in Spartanburg, SC, look for my picture in the local Waffle House!

Florida State University

My next stop on my traveling adventure was to Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL! Here, I had a unique experience to say the least!

One of my favorite parts of this trip was when I visited a local Cuban Dinner called GORDO'S! I had the best Cuban Sandwich I have ever eaten, plus got to take a picture of the sign. For those of you who don't know... I call my little sister Jordan "Little Gordo," so this was really special.

I also got to visit the Florida State University Football Stadium. It was HUGE on the outside, covered completely in brick, but surprisingly smaller on the inside. I was very surprised that I was actually able to walk right into the stadium and stand on the field. The girls told me that they have a hard time filling up the stadium on game days, but hopefully with their new coach that will all change. As we were leaving we ended up running into the football team, and got to talk with them about the upcoming season. GO NOLES!