I had a great time at the WAI 2009 conference - it was late February in Atlanta. A little chilly, but nothing like the cold weather I had in Missouri... and then a rapid moving cold front came through.
The cold front whipped through the south and Atlanta overnight after the closing banquet, and go home day was graced with the presence of snow. It was only a dusting, maybe a few inches, but it was enough to shut down the metro and Atlanta Airport. Without proper snow removal equipment and the lack of salt/trucks, the south is at a huge disadvantage in combating snow/ice.
Anyhow, every flight in Atlanta on the Sunday after the conference was cancelled. There was another winter storm up in the northeast too, so 90% of the flights on Monday got cancelled too. It was a mess all over the country. I was going to be stuck in Atlanta till at least Tuesday.
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| Snowmageddon 2009, Atlanta |
Luckily, some friends from other schools heading back to the Midwest got stuck in the same boat as me and we hung out Sunday night - but they had a van and got out on Monday when the roads were cleared. I was alone on Monday, but I had made a friend at the conference that went to Georgia Tech. After her classes we went out for some southern food (fried green tomatoes anyone?) and she ended up taking me on a tour of her campus. We went to her Phi Mu house where she said I could spend the night to save on hotel money... then I mentioned the fact that I was an Alpha Gam. Turns out, she was good friends with the AGD president at the time so she took me over to the AGD house.
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| My Phi Mu & Women in Aviation Friend & I, someone show me how to do my makeup.. |
At the GA Tech AGD house I ended up meeting so many other sisters - it was my first time really getting to see a ton of sisters outside of my chapter and neighboring chapters that helped out at recruitment, etc. They were all excited to hear about what my chapter did, and I was excited to hear about their chapter. We even traded t-shirts! We were having so much fun that it quickly became midnight - and they invited me to spend the night at The Alpha Gamma Delta House - they took me in as one of their sisters for the night. I was kind of shy about sisterhood up until then, but when one of the senior girls at GA Tech told me "sisters are sisters, no matter where you were initiated or what chapter house you live in" it really clicked. These girls took me under their wings because we wear the same letters on our chests. These girls sheltered me, fed me, and took care of me till my departure flight because we believe in the same values.
Words could not describe how grateful I was for those sisters at Georgia Tech. Not only did they save me a night in a hotel, but they provided me with memories that I will cherish. It really showed me that sisterhood goes beyond your chapter housing, and a sister is no stranger. We share letters, beliefs, and a purpose that all bonds us together no matter where initiation occurred. It may sound cheesy, but it's the truth.
Oh, and here's an even BETTER twist to the plot - I recently have gotten involved in the Alpha Gamma Delta Alumnae Group here in Dallas (Junior Circle) and one of the girls in the Junior Circle here was in the house at GA Tech when I was a guest! While we didn't remember each other exactly, it's kind of crazy how the odd twist of fate brought us both to Dallas. She even works in the aviation industry! Talk about a funny story. It's a small world when you combine aviation and Greek Life.
Many of my friends know I speak very highly of Greek Life, and this is just one of the many examples why. I'm proud to be a female pilot, and I'm proud to wear my Alpha Gamma Delta Letters.
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| Everything was cleared up on Tuesday, like nothing happened. |
Blue Skies!
XOXO
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