Sorensen Countdown - 2 days

I am packed. Well, mostly. Aside from the things I have to use until Friday night, I am packed. It's pretty daunting to think I have to jam all that crap in my car and haul it into a dorm room that's supposed to be inhabited by not one, but TWO other people. I always do this though - I pack way too much clothing just so I can have a broader choice of what I wear and justify it with the idea of "just in case" there is a black tie event or "just in case" there is a nuclear winter. Maybe in this situation I will go with "just in case" I don't feel like doing laundry for the entire time I'm there. On top of the clothes and (fewer than I'd like) shoes, I have all these little sundries and bedding and home items that I feel the need to take with me. I know it's overkill, and I just hope that I come home with less stuff than I take with me.

Sorensen Countdown - 4 days

Well, in an effort to keep up my initiative, I am making a blog entry so I don't lose momentum. I am taking a break from Sorensen stuff and focusing on work for today since I have a Board meeting and since I'm training Cheryl. It's going to be a long day so depending on how late I get home, I probably won't do any packing this evening. I need to go back through the information packet and see what I need to prepare beforehand, like my resume, and get that done so I only have to worry about gathering the things I want to take with me.

Blah, I'm done.

Sorensen Countdown - 5 days

I will be gone for a month. I will be away from my office from June 1 - June 28th. The program starts on May 29th, but Monday, May 31st is Memorial Day so I get a free day off. It ends June 26th, but I am taking off that extra Monday so I can deal with the necessary business of collecting my inheritance $$$. All that being said, I'm a little freaked out.

I know this is going to be a fabulous experience and well worth it, but because I'm neurotic about everything I know I will be out of it the whole time. I have Cheryl filling in for me at the office and I know she will do well, but I am predisposed to anxiety. It's in my nature. Because I know I will be preoccupied with life while I'm there, I was planning to keep a blog about the experience so I could reflect on it and use the information in the future. I am not good about keeping up with journals, blogs, etc., but I am going to do my best to record all the important highlights of the program so I can share them with people when I'm done.

So far, here are the facts:

I got an email from the Political Science secretary at ODU advertising the Sorensen Institute College Leaders Program for 2010. I checked out the website http://www.sorenseninstitute.org/
and I decided it would be worthwhile to apply for the program since there as a focus on civic engagement and issues facing the state currently. I thought this program would be useful since our County Administrator is leaving on August 1st and no one really has any clue where the new person stands as far as knowledge of current Virginia and Hampton Roads politics. My first thought was for the County, because I'm a weenie. I talked to Doug about applying and what it would entail, and I asked Sandy to send my recommendation letter, which I later wrote. Much to my surprise, considering the caliber of the program, I was contacted for an interview.

I was having mixed feelings about attending since I was uneasy about leaving Scotty for a month and spending over $2,000 out-of-pocket for registration, but I went and I met with the Board members for about 15 minutes. That's right, I drove to NORFOLK on a Thursday afternoon to speak to Mr. Bob Gibson, the Executive Director of the Sorensen Institute, and Rosemary Wilson, a Virginia Beach City Councilwoman, who serves on the Hampton Roads Regional Board for Sorensen. Nervously, I ascended in the elevator to the Kaufman and Canoles office suite and my hands shook a little as I signed in to get my parking validated. I saw another girl, Brittany, enter the lobby and I immediately knew she was interviewing as well. She was an ODU student as well, an International Business student, full of vitality and quick to laugh. I spoke with her briefly before we were summoned for our respective interview, and I never saw her again. After my brief interview, which seemed more to me like a conversation I have with my co-workers on a daily basis about problems with the General Assembly and how localities were struggling, I left the office feeling confident. Now I had sealed it - I had had my chance to decline the interview. If they asked me to attend, I had to go.

Not long after that, I received a call from Mr. Gibson asking me to attend the CLP for 2010. Here is the full list of attendees:

Hassan Abdelhalim, University of Mary Washington
Brittany Anderson, Virginia Tech University
Emily Bowles, University of Virginia
Woodly Claircius, Liberty University
Dylan Colligan, Hampden-Sydney College
Christopher Diming, Christopher Newport University
Nathan Dorfman, George Mason University
Elizabeth Eckert, Lynchburg College
Ramon Gamble, Virginia Commonwealth University
Brittany Gentry, Old Dominion University
Heather Guillot, Radford University
Joshua Hetzler, Liberty University
Ryan Huff, George Mason University
Katherine Hunter, Virginia Tech University
Wei Luo, Hollins University
Elisabeth Maddrell, Mary Baldwin College
Olivia Martin, Liberty University
Lena Morrill, Sweet Briar College
William Pace, Hampden-Sydney College
Chelsea Person, Virginia Commonwealth University
Zachary Quinn, Radford University
Danielle Simms, Randolph College
Matthew Taguding, Shenandoah University
Katelyn Temple Christopher Newport University
Dakota Thomas, The University of Virginia's College at Wise
Sarah Ulmer, University of Virginia
Elizabeth Young, Old Dominion University

I received information about my roommate assignment and completed a number of tedious questionnaires to fuel some statistics engine the program leaders are compiling about the attendees.When I was completing the questionnaires, I was feeling somewhat deficient that I had not been more politically proactive, but I included a disclaimer indicating that due to the nature of my job, I wasn't really able to partake in party-specific activities, such as campaigning, etc. We were asked not to disclose our party affiliations, but thanks to Facebook stalking, I was able to deduce most of the loyalties of the group.

Also thanks to Facebook stalking, I have come to realize: 1) how politically-motivated some of the other attendees are. They want to be President one day, or the like. It's really amazing. 2) how young the other attendees are. I am normally the youngest in whatever group I'm in, since government is full of more "mature" individuals. Now I am going to be hanging out with kids who were probably largely born in the 90s. Granted, there are probably a few '88s out there, but I think I will still feel a little creepy about it. However, I can't worry about that. The board who chose the attendees were able to take my age into consideration, so it's not my place to question their judgment.

At this point, I am still at work training Cheryl and I am packing for my month in Charlottesville. It has been difficult to narrow down what I think I might need for an entire month, and I am trying to keep the constraints of a dorm in mind. I am so used to having my own space and my own stuff surrounding me that I think this may take some diligence. I keep telling myself that it's only a month. I have plenty to keep me busy, so time should fly by. I'm planning to go to fencing practice at CFA if I have free evenings, too, though I should probably spend some time getting to know my group members. Overall, I'm looking forward to the experience and I hope to glean some insight from the whole thing, although I can see my pessimistic side coming out already. I fully expect to have to lecture everyone on how wonderful ideals about how government SHOULD work and SHOULD help people don't happen as often as they should for various reasons.

Anyway, I will continue my entries as appropriate so I don't forget everything I learn once I'm at UVA.

WTF Moments

Ok, almost every time I am at ODU I have one of these moments where something surreal is happening and I just want to send someone a memo.

Like today:

Dear girl-with-too-tall-high-heels: Your heels are too tall if you can't bend your knees or walk up steps without stumbling. It isn't sexy to fall over. kthxbye.

Dear female students: It isn't necessary to leave the restroom covered in pee. It's reasonable to believe that almost all people who use the restroom on the 2nd floor of BAL are physically capable adults and can manage to make it into the toilet.

Dear National Guard guy: Did they make you buy the backpack that matches your camouflage?

Dear pregnant girl who was trying to talk to the guy she went out with last night: Sorry, but you're pregnant with someone else's baby. You might be awesome, but he's probably not going to call you back.

Dear guys with skateboards: Why are there so many of you? Is skateboarding cool now? I can't tell these things.

Dear Spanish class that meets across the hall: Use root words and you won't have to cheat all the time before class.