That’s right folks, I’ve posted because I have an important message for you! (Yes it really is important, so important I’m typing with an ugly band-aid on my ring finger because my cat just happened to maul it tonight.)

Ag Chat Collegiate Congress is only FIVE days away!!! I’m very excited (In case you hadn’t noticed). Ag Chat Collegiate Congress will be held at Dow AgroSciences in Indianapolis. I haven’t been to Indy since National FFA Convention in high-school and we all know that was forever ago. I’m feeling really old. I remember it was a huge city and it was very cold in our corduroy jackets. We New Mexicans are really more of the fair weather type to be honest. The opportunity to attend National Convention there was absolutely fantastic and I’m certainly looking forward to being there for not only a second time – but for a second visit to celebrate agriculture.

Preparing for this event has propelled me to accomplish important things that – lets be honest – I probably wouldn’t have gotten too until late February otherwise. Things like designing a logo (I mentioned this in an earlier post) and purchasing business cards. Because well of course you want a logo you’ll be proud to have on a couple hundred business cards that you’ll be satisfied handing out to potential employers and peers.

Also: I got a business card holder for Christmas! A FABULOUS one. I love the fact that it’s bedazzled. But you have to realize I was a 90’s baby and there were way too many commercials about bedazzling your jeans when I was growing up. So you’ll have to cut me some slack.

It even has nifty individual slots!

I just said nifty…Oh goodness help us!

Oh and getting a business wardrobe together that’s not embarrassing! Acquiring a professional wardrobe takes time and you have to realize we just don’t really dress up in Las Cruces most of the time. I’m not saying we dress shlumpy, we’re just part of a community that doesn’t always dress to the nines because there isn’t an opportunity very often. Also with that being said: I’m a student. I’m working on assimilating more professional options together but to be honest most of them are knee length dresses. Because I’m a dress freak. And because I live in dress weather. Not the tundra like the rest of the United States has been recently.

Also putting together some winter clothes because I’m from the desert. It doesn’t snow. It doesn’t really do a whole lot of anything here. But the mountains are awful pretty up against the clear blue sky most of the time. So a lovely pea-coat and a fuzzy scarf to help me stay comfy.

Speaking of winter clothes: look what my honey got me as a Christmas present:) They’re Isotoner gloves. He’s so smart. I asked for something that would help with my upcoming travels this year and two of the trips will probably be pretty chilly plus I’m always on social media (part of being an agvocate) so they were just perfect.

Oh and i’m also bringing favorite thing in the world! My camera;)

Why am I so excited? Well I’m excited because

1. I get to meet other student agvocates! I get to meet people like me (that’s always exciting). Their eyes won’t glaze over when I talk about where food comes from.

2. I get to meet listen to leading agvocates speak like: Carrie Mess and Laura Daniels.

3. I get to tour Fair Oaks Farms to conclude our Congress.

4. I get to navigate DFW airport by myself. (Okay…well actually I’m nervous about that part. But I’ll feel so grown up whenever I get back home:)

and finally

5. I might actually get to experience snow instead of the sad frost we had this winter:)

p.s. Let me take a moment to be a mom: Don’t forget socks and underwear. No offense but I’m not sharing and I don’t exactly know my way around the city being that where I’m from is only 100,000 people roughly and I’m still figuring out how to get around here. I warned you!

As always thanks for reading!

– Lauren