Graduation & The Unforgettable Toast

December 18, 2010 - 10:00 AM


Left... Right... (deep breath) Left... Right... (don't fall) Left... Right... (grabbing diploma from some guy who didn't even come close to pronouncing my name right) Left.... Right... (holy shit) Left... Fist Pump... Right... (I'm graduating).... 

That about sums all my memory from graduation morning. Everything else was pretty much a blur due to the high alcohol consumption from the night before.
                                                                      

            The view from my parents seats.            

After graduation I got to go to a nice brunch with my mother and father at this little mom n' pop restaurant called Brimfield Steak House. All their food is homemade and I must say I have never went wrong with anything on the menu. 

Graduation night consisted of a banquet dinner at Triple Crown with 3 of my good friends and their families. Since I am the "planner" of the group I was the one who was in charge of making all of the arrangements.  Overall it had turned out great! Everyone enjoyed their entries and the service was above and beyond what was expected. There was just one little thing I wish I could have changed, my toast.

Rewinding some... While in the middle of planning this nice dinner I thought to myself, why not surprise everyone with a champagne toast? It's a perfect occasion, I'm with 3 close friends and their families, it will be touching and overall will make the evening that much more special. So I planned for a toast...

I know that I'm not the best at public speaking so I had wrote it out prior to dinner and practiced it (multiple times) before and on the way to dinner. Lets just say, it still did not go according to plan.

Mistake #1: I figured since I had practiced it so many times and I had it down pack in the car I would be able to do it without my piece of paper - wrong.

Mistake #2: In the middle of my "so called toast" I realized I was holding my wine instead of my champagne glass - embarrassing.

Mistake #3: I got so nervous and flustered I started to ramble about who knows what and ended my toast with an "alright I'm done" - Where is the "cheers" Leah?

The unforgettable toast....

So... My toast that I had planned turned into something I, to this day, get made fun of for! AND because I of this disaster I decided I am going to reject any offer to be the maid of honor in any of my friends weddings.

After dinner was over, the pictures were taken and the thank you and good byes were given. It was finally time for us to really celebrate the last 4 1/2 years of our life. We ended up going down town Kent to the usually spots and had one cocktail after another. I must admit - I don't remember much else of the night but when I woke up the next morning still in my graduation dress, I knew I celebrated it right!

So now what you ask? Well, I'll start traveling down a new path, but before that journey starts I have a couple detours to make....

1st Stop: Georgia
2nd Stop: Nashville
3rd Stop: Las Vegas
 

Hitting the Ground Running

Haven't you always wondered what it would be like to walk in someone else's shoes? Well I'm going to provide you with the virtual ability to. I want you to follow me while I make one of the biggest changes in my life: Stepping into the Real World. While graduation is just around the corner and the job search is in full swing, I'm beginning to wonder what reality really has in store for me.

     

So, I guess if your going to start walking with me I should give you a brief background of where I've been. I was born and raised here in Ohio. I would have to admit I'm a 'daddy's girl' but my mom is my best friend. I have an older sister and brother, both who I love dearly. One could say I grew up on a softball field considering I dedicated 13 years of my life, including all 4 years of college to the game. Through softball I have also met my best friends. While talking about my friends I must say they are a wild bunch but I love each and every one of them for who they are. Carrying on with my life, I am proud to admit I currently am interning at a really cool advertising/social media agency. Although it is unpaid, I like it so much and enjoy going every opportunity I get. Along with this I am also employed at a country club. Everyone I work with is awesome and I am secretly in love with one of the chiefs so I don't mind going there either! 

My other interest include:

• Working out (when motivated enough)
• Almost all outdoor activities (in the rain or snow)
• Listening to music (all types)
• Snowboarding/Wakeboarding (both pretty hard in Ohio - no mountains & the weather never cooperates)
• Traveling (have not done a lot outside of softball but plan to do more)
• Reading (I'm a sucker for romance novels)
• Scrapbooking (memories make me happy)
• Cooking (I'm not the best but I keep trying)

Now I would tell you exactly what to expect when walking in my shoes  but  I'm a pretty unpredictable girl. My posts will consist of just about anything from nights on the town to reviews of cooking recipes. I'll just say be prepared for everything and enjoy the adventure.