My Road to THON
I’ve been meaning to start a blog for about, well forever. And my excuse was always that I didn’t know what to write about. Well that has all changed.
A few weeks ago, I was given the honor of being chosen as a dancer for THON 2012 as a representative for the Public Relations Student Society of America. For those of you who don’t know what THON is click here. For the rest of you, I won’t bore you. I am feeling so many emotions with only 18 days left until we dance FOR THE KIDS. So up until THON weekend and possibly during the weekend, I will be chronicling my journey as I attempt to Brighten Every Journey. My hope is that future PRSSA dancers, or any dancer for that matter, can look at this blog and have an idea of how to prepare, what to pack, and what to expect THON weekend.
This past weekend, I opened up my wallet and bought all of my THON gear. I honestly had no idea how much money I’d be spending. In addition to gear that I am purchasing with my organization, I also needed new sneakers, good socks, and comfortable shorts. But I also couldn’t help buying some fun things like matching t-shirts and funky headbands with my dancing partner, Angela. Sneakers are without a doubt the most important purchase you can make for THON weekend. Without the proper footwear, your feet will blister and hurt even more. I recommend going to Rapid Transit downtown for a fitting. They will watch you walk, measure your feet and find the perfect shoe for your specific foot type. They also give a 10% discount for THON and are super friendly!My first obstacle has been giving up caffeine. This may sound simple to some of you. But after developing a habit of drinking coffee every morning and soda several times a day, it has been a rough road. I waited too long to quit, and had to stop cold turkey rather than slowly cutting back. I’ve had headaches almost every day, and I’ve even started drinking decaf because I miss the taste of coffee so much!
Visiting our THON child Emily on Saturday really put everything into perspective for me. Every time I see her big, now toothless, grin I remember why I am doing this. She is truly an inspiration to me, and I will be thinking of her as I prepare and go into THON weekend. Em gives me courage, honesty, wisdom and strength. I dare you to look at this picture and NOT smile. Go on, try it 🙂
