I am at Las Vegas airport as I type this Blog entry. I realize that I am beginning to dislike this airport, despite having a Starbucks at every corner and plenty of places to shop.

The reason why I am not crazy about Las Vegas airport is because on July 31, when I was changing planes on my way to Portland, Oregon. I tried to find another gate, A11 after landing at D32 and somehow, somewhat, somewhere…managed to find myself leaving the secured area and into the baggage claim!

I was disgusted with myself because I knew I would have to go through the security check point again after leaving the secured area. My NAD Miss Deaf America crown was in a clear plastic box, shining brightly, as I carried it in front of me and approached a security guard. I presented a scribbled notepad him which said: “I am lost. I just landed from Denver. Can you help me find the gate where American West 797 will leave from?!”

Fortunately, he was friendly. With only 20 minutes to spare, he rushed to retrieve a ticket for me because I did not have a ticket for the next flight. I finally got the tickets and managed to arrive at the designated gate on time with five minutes to spare and then boarded the plane. I made it!

After a 6:45 am flight out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Denver to Las Vegas, and then finally arriving at Portland, Oregon at 2:04 pm, I was greeted by Andy Donatich, the assistant director under NAD Youth Leadership Camp Director Jennifer Yost Ortiz.

I enjoyed myself at the NAD YLC campground. I met NAD YLC campers, many who were familiar faces as we attended previous camps together. That evening, I gave a fireside presentation where I talked about my experiences at the pageant; the campers paid rapt attention! (See the NAD YLC blog at http://blogs.nad.org/ylc)

The next day, I gave a workshop on attitude and advocacy. Life is 10% of what happens to you, but 90% how you react to it. I emphasized that being successful in life is all about attitude and making a difference in your own and others’ lives. I explained that advocacy is vital in order to preserve our rights as deaf and hard of hearing citizens. Needless to say, giving my first workshop as NAD Miss Deaf America was a learning experience.

The next morning, I woke up early to get ready to leave for South Dakota. After eating breakfast with the campers and met with Jennifer Yost-Ortiz on the expectations for the NAD Miss Deaf America.

Now, let the journeys begin!

Posted on Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006 at 12:31 pm.