FFA All the Way!!!

So yesterday was CDE day! And for those of you who don't know what that is...I'm not surprised.

I've mentioned it a couple times, but really the main reason that I got involved in agriculture is because of FFA, Future Farmers of America. Hillbilly...I know. But it really wasn't like that. It was one of the greatest and worst things I've done with my life.

Sure the drama was through the roof and no I had no agriculture experience, but man the opportunities, the friends, the teachers, the trips, the jackets, the whole thing...EPIC! I'm telling you, if you don't know the joy of slipping into that blue corduroy jacket you were seriously deprived. 

Even now in my college years I still find people who were in FFA, we usually end up friends. It's not some secret special club, but it is a world all it's own and those who aren't in it will never understand.

So, CDE, Career Development Event, there are three levels of competition for two seasons of events. District, State, National for Mid-Winter and Spring contests. U of A has a long standing tradition of hosting the event and I, of course, was at the farm all day. I got t
o help with horse evaluation for about 30 seconds before I ran into my old FFA advisor.

We talked for a long time about my life and school and everything that has happened since the last time I saw him. And for the first time since I've known him it seemed like he was really excited for me. It was an oddly adult conversation full of good advice and it was kind of awesome. I totally needed that. I eventually got to see my other advisor and had the same talk. I spent the whole day catching up with them and hearing all about how different things are.

After competitions were over, I went to the award ceremony forgetting how many of my college friends were made in FFA too. It's odd when your worlds combine.

For me there are three different versions of my life.
1. My College Cowgirl life.
2. My Sombrehoe life.
3. My P-Town life. 

And those lives should never collide, but when it does happen it's so strange. I forget that I went to high school and college with Katy and Jared. And I don't always remember that people weren't in FFA. And I often don't realize my Sombrero friends know nothing about my life here. So when those lives overlap...mind blown.

It was super awesome to get to see my advisors and see my replacements in my chapter. But it was even better to realize what FFA did for me, it made me more well me.