Stay Curious!

One of the biggest fault I think we all have as humans is falling into a daily routine.  We start to settle without even knowing it.  Days, weeks and years can go by doing the same thing without change. We wake up go to work, run errands, hopefully find time to do something we enjoy, go to sleep and do it all over again. I also find myself falling into a similar routine; I wake up, workout, do things around my house, run some errands, catch up on TV shows, head to work then go to sleep and do it all over again.  

Today, I changed my routine and I was pleasantly surprised!  I wanted to workout but didn't feel like driving across town to go to the gym so I decided to take advantage of one of the last beautiful days to take a walk around my neighborhood.  I thought I knew about all the paths around me as I had explored before on foot and bike but I decided to walk a different way to see different houses.  I came to a path and decided to take it, little did I know that taking that path would change my entire day and outlook.  

I started walking with no intentions of exploring or wandering just with the intention of getting some exercise in for the day.  This path looked like it would lead to no where and I had no faith that it would lead me to something exciting.  But I kept walking on, at first the path was long and boring and didn't seem to go anywhere, then all of a sudden around the corner things changed.  I found myself walking under the interstate on this path that I thought led nowhere.  All of a sudden, like a diamond in the rough, I found a beautiful path, pond and scenery.  I walked for over two hours just exploring and wandering and finding new things.  There were times that I was uncertain where I was but I was never lost.  I took a moment to forget about everything that I needed to do today and I just enjoyed being curious and finding new things.  

Who know this was in my backyard!!

Pictures from my 2-hour 3.5 mile adventure!

What I took away from my walk was life holds a ton of unexpected adventures and you just have to have the courage to pursue them.  You have to stay curious about life to grow.  I challenge anyone who reads this to do one new thing a day.  No matter how big or small do something new and be curious about it.  Don't let yourself fall into a routine for the rest of your life.

Whatever your "path" may be and whatever your "adventure" may be just take it and just do it.  Not all paths lead somewhere great but you will be glad you took the chance.  The first step is always the hardest but from there anything is possible!

XO-Miss Pearl City, Christy Scimeca

Picking up the Pieces

Sometimes there is so much to say that you end up saying nothing at all.  That is what has happened to me since Miss Iowa. I lay in bed each night and run through the day and plan for the next and I often find my mind wondering every which way. It often happens in that time when you are not quite awake and not quite asleep, I wish I could get up and write it all down but I know if I do the thoughts will disappear.  So I just lay there and try to let the thoughts keep rolling and try to remember them all at the same time to jot them down the next day.  But in a moment's notice I drift off to falling asleep and those deep and what I thought were  profound thoughts disappear and they never make it out of my head.  But tonight is different.  I have been wanting to do a blog post for some time now but never could find the perfect words or the perfect thing to write about.  Different topics entered my mind but I always dismissed them with the thought why would anyone care about my opinion.  Then I went on with my day, week or even month searching for the perfect thing to say and write about.  I am not saying I found the perfect thing to write about because there isn't such a thing. But I did realize just that, there never is a perfect thing, it doesn't matter who reads this and it just matters that I am doing what I want to do and I am fighting for it.

To start this blog, I have to go back to June at the end of Miss Iowa week. The time since then has flown and sitting here it does't feel as if Miss Iowa was that far away but it really was and a lot has happened since then.  Here's a quick recap, in no order, that I can elaborate on later; I was able to enjoy almost an entire summer at home with my family, my family bought a condo in Florida, my cousin got married, I totaled my car, my brother has his senior pictures, and I got hired for a job that fits me perfectly working at the University of Iowa. After Miss Iowa I escaped, ignored my feelings and enjoyed life.

After Miss Iowa was hard.  There isn't much more to say than that.  In these next few paragraphs I am going to be very candid about my experiences and about how I felt in those moments and how I still feel about it.  For those of you who don't know me that well, I have a fear of failing.  I don't believe this fear is irrational and I believe it is one of the driving factors on why I have achieved so much in my life.  With that being said, going into Miss Iowa I knew it was my first time and I knew there were 15 other beautiful, wonderful, talented and driven ladies that I would be competing against but I tried to focus only on myself and block out all the other noise.  Going into Miss Iowa I had a plan, and like every other contestant my plan was to win. And when I say I had a plan, I am not kidding, ask my board and the ladies at Legacy, I had a full 5 page written business plan titled "Path to Miss Iowa" with a mission statement and all.  This plan kept me focused in preparing and it kept my focus on me.  Like I said I knew there were other contestants and I knew by no means did I think I was a shoe in, but I knew what I needed to do.  Mentally, I needed to plan how I was going to win.  Mentally, I had to go in knowing there was a greater chance of me not winning than there was of me winning, it was pure odds.  And that is what scared me the most, I had a significantly larger chance of "failing" than I did at "winning".  With this I without telling anyone or really realizing it myself started to prepare myself for less lofty goals. My goal started out as winning Miss Iowa 2015 is the only option, then it moved down to making top 5 would be like the gold medal trophy, then as I was in Miss Iowa week I  mentally prepared myself to only make the top ten. With each of these goal adjustments I had an inner fight of confidence, I wanted to so badly believe in myself but I also had to tell myself there's a chance you are not good enough.

After Miss Iowa, I told people close to me, the hardest part of Miss Iowa for me was, I mentally prepared myself in winning Miss Iowa, making just top 5 and only making top 10, but I had never prepared myself to not make the top 10.  And that is what hurt the most, in that moment when all ten names had been called and I realized mine wasn't, was one of, if not, the hardest moments of my life because my biggest fear had come true.  I had "failed" right there on that stage in front of an entire audience that consisted of a lot of people that not only I cared about but who came out of their way to support me.  I will openly admit that I cried the rest of the entire night and I continue to tear up now re-thinking about it.  In that moment and for days and weeks after I thought I had truly failed and I couldn't face that.  I was able to take time to be with my family and really distance myself from pageants and my failure.  I was able to hid from people long enough that when I saw them again they had forgotten about Miss Iowa and I didn't have to admit to my failure again.

But now I am ready to begin again, I was inspired after the wonderful weekend I had attending the "Light the Night" walk supporting Leukemia and Lymphoma and attending the FBLA Fall State Leadership conference talking to students about how I can help them support the March of Dimes in our National Partnership. This time I am starting in an even better place than I did before I won Miss Pearl City.  I have started to do what I know how to do best, and that is to plan.  I have reached out to those who know more than me and have recruited their help, expertise and extra set of eyes.  And I am truly thankful to them, especially the ones I don't personally know. I have purchased many different books to read and study up on, from books on the Miss America system to books that help you reach your goals.  I have immersed myself even further into my platform and started another job that encompasses both of my college degrees.

I now realize that I didn't truly fail because I tried and I gave it my all.  There are 7.125 billion people in this world and I let 5 of them take away my self worth for a period of time that I won't get back.  I learned a lot in my first run at Miss Iowa and I luckily have one more year to compete.  I am going to finish out my year strong as Miss Pearl City and then hopefully start the new year with a new local title and a ticket to Miss Iowa.

It is now close to 2 am and I should be in my second or third REM cycle by now but tonight was different, tonight I chose to catch all my thoughts and feelings on one page.  I am glad I did, but now my plan of going to the gym early before I head to my new job at the Dance Department at the University of Iowa, where I am the head athletic trainer is shot.

Goodnight,
Miss Pearl City
Christy Scimeca

 

I've already won

The Miss America system and organization is centered around the four principles of: Service, Style, Success and Scholarship.  Right on the home page of the Miss America website it states," Miss America empowers, Miss America serves, Miss America educates and Miss America inspires".  No where does it say anything about the crown or winning the title.  Those four important principles are what make up the four points of the crown which many have the chance to wear while being involved in the Miss America system.  With that being said, no matter what happens June 13th, I will still walk away with the crown of Miss Pearl City and I will still embody those four principles.  Of course the ultimate goal is to walk away Miss Iowa but in reality my chance is 1 out of 16 amazing ladies.  I have used the past 6 months to better myself in all aspects of the competition and of the crown and now all I can do is enjoy this next week and stay true to the born performer I am.

Success: My journey in the Miss America system has not been an easy one, but that is what has made my story unique.  I competed in multiple local competitions before becoming a titleholder.  Each time I competed (usually receiving first runner up) it pushed me to better myself and try even harder.  I never want to be known as someone who gave up and I know in my heart I have what it takes to compete at Miss Iowa and one day win.  Success to me is also staying true to yourself and that is what I have done and plan to always do.  If on June 14th I can confidently say I did my best, I have won.

Service: If you don't know by now that my personal platform is the March of Dimes, then I have not done my job.  I have spent the past 6 months jumping head first into the Iowa chapter of the March of Dimes.  I was elected as an Iowa Chapter March of Dimes board member, attended two March for Babies walks, sat on a March for Babies planning committee, started a sorority educational tour, hosted the first annual Cocktails for a Cause benefit raising over $800, became a Circle of Champions member, attended national partner events and was an ambassador for the March of Dimes. Win or lose in a few days I will continue to promote the March of Dimes and expand my involvement.  It would be a dream come true to bring the March of Dimes to the national stage of Miss America to bring more attention to the issue of prematurity.  If one person know more about the March of Dimes because of my effort, I have won. 

Style:  While all points of the crown are personalized, I feel the style has the most freedom.  Style to me is who you are and what uniquely makes you, YOU.  While competing in the Miss America system I have been able to solely identify those unique things about me and embrace them.  If I can embrace my differences then I can encourage others to do so as well.  If I have touched one person through this journey, I have won. 

Scholarship :  Since, I began competing a little over 2 years ago I have gained over $5,000 of scholarships just competing in local pageants.  I am currently working on towards gaining my personal training certificate as well as ultimately going to graduate school to obtain a Masters in Athletic Training or Kinesiology.  If I can successfully use my degrees and one day continue my education , I have won.  

At the end of this process the winner of Miss Iowa comes down to the scoring system and opinions of five wonderful judges.  I will give my 100% to win over the judges and hopefully make it as the last one standing.  With all that being said I will leave this here again,
"Pageantry isn't about being 'the best' in interview, or having 'the best' talent, or having 'the best' clothes, body, makeup, hair or stage presence.  Pageantry isn't even about being well-rounded in each of those categories! Rather pageantry is about making 5 different people (the judges) love you at one time". -The Pageant Junkies

Before I sign off, I want to take this chance to thank each and every person who has supported me and will be cheering me on in person or from a far.  I am humbled by the amount of support I have and it is impossible to thank each and everyone of you so please know that I appreciate all the kind posts, "likes", letters, texts and most importantly kinds words and interactions.  Each and everyone of you will be with be during Miss Iowa week.  You all are my inspiration.  I am not just doing this for myself but I am doing this for everyone.

XOXO Miss Pearl City, Christy Scimeca

Busy, busy, busy!

I want to start by saying that I leave for Miss Iowa in 14 days!!! And the finals are in 20 days!  I will keep saying this but I have no idea where all this time has gone!

With all that being said these next 14 days are going to fly by even faster!  Before I get to these next 14 days I want to recap these past fews days.  Friday was a fun filled day starting with zip lining with the current Miss Iowa and other current Miss Iowa contestants!

I enjoyed spending time and getting to know these ladies even better on a beautiful day.

After zip lining, my Miss Iowa roommate Alison and I drove from Dubuque to Davenport to join Miss Iowa and other contestants at the Boys and Girls club for their Dance for Diversity.  It was great to get out in the community and support these wonderful kids!  While we were there we were able to play various games with the kids, watch performances and then test out our dance moves ourselves!

Saturday I found out that I have finally become a Circle of Champions member! This means I have personally raised $1,000 for the March of Dimes this year!  I am very happy with my accomplishment and couldn't of done it without the support of so many people.

Sunday morning, I was able to spend time with my wonderful ED Ashley, as we picked out all my outfits for the entire Miss Iowa week! We had a blast doing it and my cat Kinnick even helped out a little bit!  It is now Sunday later afternoon and I am sitting at the studio passing out tickets and recital t-shirts during daddy/ daughter rehearsal because tomorrow starts tech week for our recital. This next week is a really busy but very exciting week!  Having a busy schedule all the time and juggling so many things at once is one of my weaknesses but it actually keeps me motivated and on track.  Being busy with recital will make me wake up early and get to the gym and pack all my meals for the day so I can stay on track.  It will keep my focused on preparing for Miss Iowa but it won't let me obsess on getting ready for Miss Iowa.  It will also prepare me on keeping a very positive attitude under stressful situations all while being a role model for all of my students!  Recital is a time to celebrate all of the success of the students hard work throughout the year and this is a big year for us as it is the Nolte Academy's 15th anniversary!

Miss Iowa week and finals will be here before I know it and that makes me both very excited and very nervous.  I was put at ease when I was reading the Pageant Junkie Newsletter.  Here is the excerpt that resonated with me:

"Pageantry isn’t about being ‘the best’ in interview, or having ‘the best’ talent, or having ‘the best’ body, or offering ‘the best’ stage presence. Pageantry isn’t even about being well-rounded in each of these categories! Rather, pageantry is about making 5 different people (the judges) love you."

It resonated with me because it reminded me that I will never be the best contestant in every category but I can be my best self.  As long as I stay true to myself all week and compete as myself I will be happy with my results.  

I will sign off today with these two quotes that encompass the same thought.  If I can be a role model to anyone, specifically to my students, I want them to get these messages.  I will compete for the title of Miss Iowa 2015 as Christy Scimeca and for everything I stand for and believe in and that will be enough.  

XOXO, and enjoy the rest of your Sunday evening!

Christy Scimeca, Miss Pearl City 2015 

"I am not telling you it is going to be easy, but I am telling you it is going to be worth it"

Art Williams, the man who spoke this quote, was a very smart man when he said this.  This quote applies to a lot in life and specifically to my past, current and future Miss Iowa prep.  Preparing for Miss Iowa is not all sunshine and rainbows like it may appear to be.  Now when I say that I don't mean it is all bad but getting down to the wire it is definitely hard.  

There are only 38 days until a new Miss Iowa is crowned.  I don't know whether I want to look at 38 days as a half full or half empty situation.  For my mental stability I will force myself to look at it half full.  There ARE 38 wonderful days (and 912 hours) until Miss Iowa and a lot can still be done in those 38 days.  Some of those things on my list that are just for Miss Iowa will be; intense workouts, meticulous nutrition, multiple interview conference calls and mock interviews per week, talent rehearsals, rhine stoning my talent costume, packing for the week, a few March of Dimes events and appearances and several fittings. That is just to prep for Miss Iowa, that doesn't even include the craziness of recital that always finishes up May. The weeks to come at the Nolte Academy will include a full week of pictures, the last week of classes, tech week and then three full days of shows.  After recital, I will have a week to catch up on sleep and mental stability to then get ready to embark on a full week of Miss Iowa activities in Davenport.  Looking now at my calendar at the next 38 days, there isn't a single day that is blank.  I am both thankful and stressing out about that.  I will just keep repeating " I can and I will do this".

No matter what happens in 38 days, I know I have gained an immense amount of life skills and experiences through this process.  Yes, it may be hard.  Yes, people may think I am crazy.  Yes, there are moments that I question why I do this.  And yes, I would do it all again in a heartbeat.  No part of me wants to quit or give up, and these are the moments that make us stronger and keep us chasing our dreams.

As I said before, preparing for Miss Iowa is not all sunshine and rainbows, but neither is life.  We learn to embrace the storms that get thrown at us so we can appreciate the sun when it does shine or cherish the rainbow when we catch a glimpse of it.  Those are the moments that make life special.


I absolutely can not wait to shine on that stage June 11th, 12th and 13th and give it everything I have.  I can only control myself, my preparation and my performance.  From there it is out of my hands, it is out of my control, but again that is life.  There is only so much we can do. But on that stage, in that moment it will absolutely be worth it.

Until next time,
Miss Pearl City 2015
Christy Scimeca

Where does time go?

I have to start out by saying every morning when I wake up I know exactly how many days it is until Miss Iowa Finals because I have a countdown on my phone.. I mean who doesn't?!  With that being said, where do those days go?  Where does that time go? It's too deep of a question for me to ponder for too long but it really does make you think.  I have to hope that that time is spent doing things you love and things you want to do.  Yes, some days are more stressful than others but that's all a part of life.  These past two weeks since I have blogged have been just that, busy and some days more stressful than others.  I kept trying to find a time to sit down a blog but there was always something else that needed to be done first.   As we all know the list of things to get done is never ending and as soon as you cross one thing off you add at least two more to the list.  My list these past two weeks has ranged from daily activities of cleaning, taking care of my cat and grocery shopping to packing for the next dance competition or heading to work, to finishing up all the Miss Iowa paperwork, putting together my scholarship scrapbook or putting the final touches on my wardrobe to gathering and finalizing all the details of my benefit coming up!  These activities are all apart of my daily life and to me they are all equally important.  Even though my days may be long an stressful and scheduled to the minute, I wouldn't change any part of my life.

With all this being said there are only 51 days until Miss Iowa Finals… with each day that passes the amount of anxiety, nervousness and excitement grows and it starts to be real that in 51 days one of the sixteen girls in the Miss Iowa class will be crowned Miss Iowa 2015.  From here to there the only thing I can control is myself and what I do to better myself. I am back off to work now and I will keep this blog short and sweet even though there is a ton to catch up on.  Here's to another crazy weekend and finding time to just enjoy the ride!

XOXO- Christy
Miss Pearl City 2015

March for Babies: Iowa City!

Today was the day!! It was finally the day of the March for Babies in Iowa City for the March of Dimes.  The day started out bright at early at 5 AM to get myself ready to get to lower city park for 6 AM for set up! Set up went so smooth thanks to our great planning committee and our wonderful volunteers who dedicated their Saturday morning to helping babies! Once everything was set up it was 8 AM and time for registration and for the teams and participants to arrive!! Once this started we also had a super special guest.. HERKY!!  It's always great to have HAWKEYE spirit at any event!!

Herky and I supporting the March of Dimes!

My brother Steve and I snapped a quick photo with Herky.

Once the teams and participants started to arrive there were a few announcements about the event and what we were all doing.  I was able to share my story and speak with the crowd about why I chose the March of Dimes as my platform.

Sharing my story before the walk started. 

Then it was time for the walk!!  The walk started at 9 AM and took us from Lower City Park in Iowa City up Dubuque street into downtown Iowa City. It was a great route to walk and it ended up being a wonderful day to march around Iowa City for babies!  The amount of people who came to the event was absolutely amazing and to hear other peoples stories and reasons they support the March of Dimes was humbling.

My family came out to support me in the walk and the March of Dimes.

At the starting line of the walk.

We were able to walk right past the beautiful Pentacrest.

Trivia facts were dispersed around th 

The large group of walkers!!

It was a great day for the walk and I don't think it could of gone smoother!! I am happy to say the first walk I helped to plan is in the books!! This walk wouldn't of been possible with out the planning committee, the volunteers,  the sponsors and Andrea Skow. Thank you so much for not only planning this event, for all you do for the March of Dimes but for also accepting me into this wonderful organization.  I am very proud everyday but especially today to call the March of Dimes my platform!

I DID IT!!

With Jenny Waddilove fellow committee member and Andrea Skow the Hawkeye Division Representative for the March of Dimes.

Thank you for walking!

With Chris Garrett, the Iowa State director for the March of Dimes. 

Thank you to a personal team sponsor, Dr. Lori Wenzel of OBGYN of Iowa City and Coralville for her generous donation. 

Thank you to the National Sponsors of the March of Dimes.

             

Rest, relaxation and some vitamin D!

For those of you that know my family and I know we are avid travelers and whenever there is a "break" we try to get in a vacation!! This year was different because I am no longer in school and my spring break at the dance studio didn't match up with my dad and brother's spring break for school.  Because of this I was lucky to finagle TWO spring breaks.  One a few weeks back to just spend at home and with family and then these past fews days in florida with my family!

This past Wednesday I was able to jump on a plane and meet my family in Tampa, Florida.  In just a few short days we have had a lot of fun AND I have been able to keep up on my Miss Iowa prep!  The first day on the beach I ended up carrying my brother around 200 yards on the beach and after a day of traveling I counted that as part of my work out! While we had plenty of time for fun we also had plenty of down time to work on Miss Iowa paperwork and work out details for my upcoming benefit and doing some shopping where I found a key piece of my Miss Iowa wardrobe!  With only 69 days til Miss Iowa there is no time for a break but this break for warm weather was gladly welcomed!

The highlight, by far in the trip, was on our last full day!! We rented a boat for two hours out on Tampa Bay and just drove around the bay.  While we were boating I spotted something in the distant that was jumping and splashing around and to my excitement it was a small pod of DOLPHINS!! I have seen and been around dolphins before in my life but there is something utterly breathtaking of seeing dolphins out of no where in the ocean!  We just floated on our boat for about 20 minutes just watching the dolphins play!

It was wonderful to get away and take time for myself, this journey is not easy and it does take a toll on you.  Luckily, I know myself very well and know when I need time to chill and recharge! With that being said this break doesn't last forever, tomorrow I will get in a quick talent costume fitting, hopefully a visit to 8one8 and then back to work at the studio!  It is always great to have a break and get some vitamin D especially after winter but it is even better to get back to a schedule.

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter and stay tuned for the next few weeks are a little busy and filled with a ton of exciting things!!

XOXO
Miss Pearl City 2015, Christy Scimeca

It takes a village

It takes a village and boy am I thankful that I have an amazing village! I haven't had much time to blog lately because I have been busy do all sorts of things! Last week, which I can not believe it was already last week, was spring break and I took this time to really lay back and embrace not having a schedule.  I was able to spend the week at home with my family who is my true support system and I have no idea where I would be without them.  I used this week to revive my sanity and reboot my system, getting ready for these last 78 days before the Miss Iowa Finals. I did everything from sleep in, to eat my favorite meals at my favorite restaurants to spend a day shopping with my mom and brother to working on the details of the event I am working on.  (More about that later!)  I am thankful that I was able to spend this week at home and to get things done that get pushed aside in everyday life.  One of the big tasks I had while home was finding the perfect clothing and jewelry for head shots which we have tomorrow!!  This was fun and frustrating at the same time and I am pretty sure my brother never wants to do another pageant shopping trip with me again!

With head shots tomorrow, this is where I am thankful for my village!! For anyone that thinks getting to Miss Iowa is a solo journey is a fool.  I have grown so much in the past few months since winning Miss Pearl City and I still have plenty of time and drive to improve myself before hopefully fitting in the shoes of Miss Iowa.  The Miss Muscatine Scholarship program has AMAZINGLY, WONDERFUL, GIVING and SELFLESS sponsors that will do anything to help us out!  I always enjoy working with our sponsors and I am pretty sure I have seen almost all of them in the past 72 hours!  I have had a workout with Jon at 8One8 and boy did my arms feel that the next day and I even had a nutrition check in with Jennifer Lintz, to make sure I am right on track for these next 78 days AND a lovely and very helpful conference call with Michelle and Jessica at Legacy pageant consulting!  I was also able to fit in a hair cut and color touch up at ANewU Salon in Muscatine, which was relaxing and fun as always.  Then I was able to get some color from a spray tan from the fabulous Nicki Boyd who owns Jet De Soleil in Iowa City.  Nicki is one of my dance mom at the studio but more importantly she is an impeccable spray tanner!  Then tomorrow when we get our head shots taken I will be in the company of the wonderful photographer Michale who owns Mississippi Pearl Photography.  Michale did my last head shots as well as other things for me in the past and it is always a pleasure working with Michale and I can't wait to work with her again tomorrow to get the perfect Miss Iowa head shot!  Then lastly, I will be heading to a very familiar place on my journey to Miss Iowa, which is 8One8 studio.  For the first time I will NOT be working out or walking aways sore because we are grateful to use the studio space as the place for our head shots! This is what I mean about how wonderful our sponsors are.  They help out in as many ways as they possibly can!  Once I am done with head shots I will head down the street to the Adler Theater where we will have our second Affect competition of the season.  I am excited for this competition because there will be a lot of familiar faces in the audience and competing, including the adorable ladies of River City All Stars, whom I was able to guest choreograph for!

Then, I can not forget the phenomenal board of Miss Muscatine.  Our head shots and these sponsors wouldn't be around with the fabulous help of Ashley and Kindra. I can't wait to see them tomorrow as well because it has been too long!

I can't wait to share my new head shots with you all and can't wait to share some more exciting news soon!! Until next time-
XOXO Miss Pearl City, Christy Scimeca