On July 1st, I woke up early at around seven a.m., willing to get on the road to head into Airdrie, Alberta. With hot rollers in my hair and my crown and sash in tow, I was excited for the long day that lay out ahead of me. Once I reached my destination (After getting lost numerous times along the way) I was happy to see that there was more visiting royalty from Calgary in the form of Miss sun & Salsa, and the Sun Princess. I have done many events with these two girls, so I felt comfortable and content to be in Airdrie on this great day. I was shocked to see that there were people already vying for the best spots on the street at Eight a.m., when the actual parade didn't start until ten! Through all the excitement of being about to participate in what I soon figured out would be the talk of the town, I realized something. Every single other Royalty was on a horse other than Miss Sun & Salsa, The Sun Princess, and I! Now I have taken horseback riding classes in both Bareback and English, so I probably could've gotten hold of a horse in time for the parade if I had been forewarned. But since I love to look on the positive side of situations, I decided that it would be unique to walk without a horse, and figured that I could make some jokes about where my horse was when people asked. (I told them it ran away, which always seemed to make the crown roar with laughter) So I wholeheartedly embraced the opportunity. Since I was walking in the parade, I had no opportunity to take any pictures of the other girls and I in the parade, but I wish I had since there is no way to describe the happiness that radiates from the sea of red and white that was the crowd at the parade.

After the parade, we headed over to the Canada Day rodeo that was being held just outside Airdrie. I caught a ride with the Miss Rodeo Airdrie 2009 delegates who where being crowned at the rodeo later that day. I was surprised by the sheer amount of things that they had to do. One or two challenges a week to decide who should be crowned over the long span of a month! Hearing about all their journeys and adventures inspired me to strive for my best in whatever I do. This was the first rodeo I had ever been to, so I was nervous and unsure of what to expect. But the wonderful competitors and the current reigning Miss Rodeo Airdrie reassured me that the rodeo was all fun and games and that no animals were ever harmed. (Since I am quite an animal rights activist, I wanted to be sure that the rodeo did not contradict any of my morals.) I was still unsure when I reached the Rodeo, but once I saw some of the events, I was excited for what the rest of the rodeo consisted of and I was not let down. It was so amusing to watch young children chase around sheep trying to take off colored pieces of string from the sheep's necks in the Jr. Rodeo, that I found myself to be very comfortable with this new setting. This day held many surprises for me, one coming in the form of Danielle Fink, Miss Teen Airdrie - World from the Alberta pageant I partook in. Danielle and I grew close during the pageant, and it was wonderful to see her again in our sashes and crowns. We decided to take some pictures together, and I then invited her to come into the arena with me and announce our presence at the Rodeo in front of at least 1,000 people.
 It was so cool to see her again, and even better to have her explain all the Rodeo events in detail and re-assure me (repeatedly) that if an animal was hurt there would be severe consequences. We shared many laughs and happy memories together during this Canada Day. 

Another surprise that me and Danielle got to share together was that of dancing the Macarana and the Chicken Dance with the Miss Rodeao Aridrie 2009 Contestants, and the other visiting royalty in front of 1,000 or more people! We were ushered into the arena and told we would be dancing in front of the crowd! At first, i thought they were kidding, but then the realization hit that they were not joking when we were escorted into the ring together. I was wondering whether we would have to each do a dance, but when the chicken dance music started, I really got into it! I looked around and realized that thankfully it was not just the royalty that was dancing, but all the people were too! I laughed out loud and started dancing like no one was watching, which may not have been a good idea when people were obviously watching [= 

As I said previously, I love my country and I am a proud Canadian. I love the diversity of this country and the humanitarianism that clearly exists in the heart of every citizen. Being a public figure for Southern Alberta has given me the amazing opportunities that I used to only ever be able to dream about. I realized when I was dancing at the rodeo, that even the small things that come from this experience make it all worthwhile. The ability to make a difference in my community and the area surrounding my community has truly shaped me positively as an individual, and created new confidence that shines out of me. I love being a representative of the southern half of Alberta, and I am looking forward to participating in many more events.