No Wallet. No Escape.

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This was months and months and MONTHS ago, but it was pretty dang funny so I figured I should preserve it as a "DC memory" to look back at.

Some close friends had come to DC for a wedding and a baby shower for another set of close friends. For the night of the wedding we got the privilege of watching their wonderful daughter for the evening. They had left to run some errands and see DC sites that they missed and I had set out on a last minute effort to get a baby shower gift. I drove out to Pentagon City mall (yuck- DC malls suck) ran into Nordstrom and efficiently picked out an adorable outfit and blanket. Stepping up to the cash register I reached into my bag and started feeling around.

Like most women I carry a bag large enough that I could pretend to be Mary Poppins without the ruffle collar. It quickly dawned on me, that my bag was much lighter than normal. Low and behold- no wallet.

Panic rose through my body, sweaty hands, racing heart and I mumbled something to the cashier about my wallet being in my car.

But I knew it wasn't.

It was at my apartment. Sitting on my desk.

*face palm emoji*

I took my keys out of my car turned it on and then skidded to an abrupt stop where I uttered some curse words at the realization that I was trapped. I couldn't leave the parking garage! Thanks to DC's shitty parking and overcrowding I guess nowhere thinks letting you have a free 30 minutes in a garage is fair. Short two dollars to escape (I didn't even have enough money in change from my car or bottom of my purse), I called for help.

Meanwhile, our friends had returned back to the apartment and had delivered their child into our hands for the evening, so no way could N come help. Some friends who lived in VA close by offered to come rescue me, but then I still couldn't get the baby gift I had picked out, and I was honestly...embarrassed.

Luckily, I magically had my metro cards on me. So what did I do? I rode 35 minutes back into the city, grabbed my wallet, quickly said "hi" to our babysitting charge and then metroed back out to the mall. To ease the pain, my friends who offered to rescue me went to the mall for their own errands and I got to see them, grab a beer and lament my wasted evening.

Only 257 hours later I got to head home, able to pay for my parking and with a baby gift purchased. Success! Fail.

IBD ADPi Style

I am linking up with other fellow Greek bloggers over at The Unreal Life to talk about some of my personal thoughts and memories spurred by International Badge Day.

For all you greek version of muggles, International Badge Day is a day for Greek women to wear their badge (i.e. pin) with pride to celebrate their sisterhood.

To say what Greek life means to me, or my favorite memory, of even what I learned from my sisters, is something I can hardly start to scrape the surface on. One thing I do know...is my house, my letters, ADPi.... picked me. My four years in 'the house' will probably always stand as four of the most memorable, and life changing years of my life. I made the most amazing friends, who will be "my people" for the rest of my life.

While ADPi was important to me in college, its importance has only grown since graduation. Living on the other side of the country from where I met all of the amazing women I call sisters, and having us spread out all over the country, some getting married, some living in foreign countries, and some not having facebook accounts, the definition of friendship has continued to evolve for me, but has always remained stable in knowing that I can always talk to one of these women, and instantly feel a sense of home.

My sisters, my chapter, the standards the ADPi holds me to, all shaped me, changed me and made me exactly who I am today. I know that going through that experience with the women in my chapter will always bind me to them, and they will always understand where I came from. Talking to my sisters (seeing them is even better!), is always a return to knowing what is true to me.

To borrow from ADPi's creed, some words I take with me wherever I go, and wherever my friends may be (as cliche as some may see them- they have always made me get chills)

I BELIEVE in Alpha Delta Pi. I BELIEVE that my sorority is more than a ritual or a symbol; that it is a way of life.

 

 

Happy International Badge Day Ladies!

First. Finest. Forever.



Memory Monday: Pick-Up Lines Continued

This memory is courtesy of Carly over at Life's Lemons and Limes and her comment on my last post about my crazy elevator adventure the other day.

One of my favorite places to study in college was the University Village Starbucks . It is my understanding that this location is the most heavily trafficked Starbucks location in the world (even over the original location by Pike Place). This could totally be UW urban legends taking form, but I buy it since it was always an adventure to find a table to sit at. When you would go in you would first have to scout for a table by watching people's every move to see if they were about to leave and then staking your claim by unpacking all of your study materials and then go get in line to get your beverage.

My late nights at Starbucks usually involved a sorority sister and this particular night I convinced Carly to keep me company while I "studied". I vaguely remember Carly was working on a crossword and I was reading for Philosophy of Dance class (amazing class, by far one of my favorites in the UW dance department) but we were also bitching about men and I was venting my frustrations about my then long distance relationship.

There were two guys sitting next to us and they occasionally offered a word for Carly's crossword puzzle. The night wore on, we bitched, we studied, we worked on that crossword and the hours just ticked on by. The boys next to us decided to leave and one of them comes over, slides a piece of paper with his name and number on it over to me and says a horribly provocative and revolting pick-up line (I would be ashamed to document it here) but use your most gross disgusting imaginations and you might come close to what he said.

Needless to say Carly and I just about had our jaws detach. It was unbelievable! Granted I seem to have a knack for picking up guys in Starbucks (definitely ended up dating a guy I met in Starbucks) and to this day I still tend to find myself making some odd connections in Starbucks. But this might top all of my Starbucks experiences.

International Badge Day- Memory Monday

So today was International Badge Day so naturally I had to rock my ADPi pin to work. So I put on my cute new dress, curled my hair and rocked the pin like my presidency days. So in combination of International Badge Day AND Memory Monday (yes I know, a bit late today) I am going to write about my bid day experience.

Recruitment was awful! No one tells you (well at least no one told me!) that finding a sorority is usually not the most enjoyable experience.

I started out optimistic, thinking that I was bound to end up in my sister or my mom's houses...and quickly discovered that it just wasn't going to be a "mutually beneficial" fit. I called my mom more times than I care to remember crying that I had made the wrong decision to go to school at UW and really made the wrong decision to join a house. Bless my mom and her judgement, but the next thing I know my mom tells me that my sister was driving over from school in Idaho where she was in graduate school at the time to be with through the rest of recruitment.

I remember waking up the morning of bid day and my sister and I went to a Starbucks in UVille and I was so nervous I could hardly eat. Out of my three houses I had left, I knew which one I wanted to be in, and deep down I knew that I wouldn't say yes to the other two. Nicole was so sweet and counselled me through the whole morning.

Standing on the stairs that going down into the big beautiful quad on UW's campus I remember getting handed my bid card. Frantically I ripped open the white envelope when they said "go" and frantically started reading my bid card. There were screams all around me and girl running to their respective houses banners that were set up on the lawn. I read, re-read, and re-re-read my bid card thinking "what the heck! What house am I in?". Unfortunately ADPi didn't have the most straightforward bid cards! My bid card said "Alpha Theta Chapter" which is the chapter of ADPi "invites you...blah blah blah"...well thank goodness I finally figured it out!

My wonderful sister caught the whole experience on camera as I ran to my house and put on my matching t-shirt and joined the girls that I had no idea would end up being some of the best friends I would ever know.

After the run, yes a literal run to the house and all the millions of photos that get taken, my sister helped me go back to the dorm and load up all of my stuff to take back to my sorority. Once I got moved in my sister had to head back to Idaho in time for classes and studying and I said a teary goodbye. (I am the most homesick/sentimental person!).

Later after starting to put away my worldly belongings I found a card tucked inside my purse.

I have kept the card to this day, and now it is in my office to remind me that I am "simply fabulous". But inside the card my sister included the letter she had sent to her sorority recommending me as a sister. To be honest, I am not sure I have ever read that letter to this day and not gotten completely choked up with tears.

After all that drama it is so amazing to see that I ended up joining an amazing chapter, made amazing friends, had a wonderful 4 years living in the chapter house, became president, and still love calling myself an ADPi! And while I love my sisters, I have to say that my real sister made all the difference and I owe it to her that I did end up having such a great sorority experience!

My pin that I rocked today to represent! Like It, Love it Alpha Alpha Delta Pi!