Final Rehearsal and Final Night

In only a few hours, we will crown a new Mrs. United States, and I can't believe how quickly the time has flown both preparing for this event and during the last few days. Our choreographer consistently reminded us today that the odds of winning are against us. Sure, it sounds negative at first, but it certainly is true. Each delegate has a 1 in 54 chance of winning. And as I have heard a brilliant emcee say each year at Miss LA USA, only one woman will leave with the title, so find something else to get out of this experience. I can say without hesitation that I DID get something other than a national title out of this experience, so far. Today, I learned that not only are these women amazing, but so are their families. My roommate, Mrs. New Hampshire, introduced a few of us to her daughter, Eva, who will be in the 2nd grade this year. Eva is making a film about "What is Beauty?" and requested that a few of us help her. And yes, you read that correctly, she is 7 years old, going into the 2nd grade, and she is making a film for an art project. She was absolutely adorable! She started the camera and did a fantastic introduction before asking each of us to let her know what we think beauty is. I have to admit that when it was my turn to answer the question, I was still mesmerized by this very mature and incredibly articulate young lady...so much so, that I nearly forgot what we were supposed to be doing, and my jaw may still have been dropped! It's wonderful to see these wonderful ladies passing along their talents, passions, and love of life to their children. All of the ladies seem to have a great attitude about competing, and it appears that each delegate understands that we are all lucky to be here, we all leave with a title, and it's a pageant, so if we don't win, we can be disappointed, but we can't be devastated!

Here are a few pictures from our final rehearsal: