11:45 PM on a Tuesday

11:45 PM on a Tuesday

In Arizona…

Day 1 recap

It is kind of hard to call this a ‘recap’ because I don’t think I will be able to do this day justice in a blog… but I will try.  Starting off where my last update left off this morning, we all boarded a bus to Chase Field.  The bus ride was neat because it was the first time we were all together in one place.  There was good camaraderie immediately.  There was a lot of excited energy in the bus that continued to carry with all of us through out the day.  When we got to Chase Field, we were introduced to the MLB Fancave team.  They welcomed us to Arizona and gave a very inspiring speech about this experience and the process of getting to this point in the competition.

It was a very upbeat way to start the day.  It made me feel very proud of myself and proud of all my peers around me for making it this far.  It made me feel like there really is nothing I can’t achieve if I put my mind to it.  After this, we ate lunch and mingled with the Fancave Staff.  Everyone was so welcoming and down to earth.  I immediately felt comfortable with the surroundings and was thus able to truly be myself, which is what they encouraged us to do.  I then had an interview with about 15 of the staff.  It seemed intimidating walking into the room with them all sitting around in a horseshoe… my seat in the middle.  However, they were so laid back and just wanted to have a conversation with me.  I felt good about it!

Then we had our 60 second elevator pitch which involved the entire Fancave team again in a room that resembled the Price is Right.  I walked down the isle to the front where I stood in front of a microphone and a ‘gong’.  Gong would sound at one minute, and it was ‘go time’.  I was not as nervous as I thought I would be as I do like public speaking and I had just had my interview so felt loose and ready.  I tried my best to not sound rehearsed and be myself, which I think will show.   While other people did their interviews, the rest of us waited in a room together and bonded.  We did some talent show stunts, listened to music, chatted baseball, told some fun baseball memories, etc. 

We then got some more food and worked on shooting a fun skit around the park.  It was neat to go through the process of shooting a ‘commercial like skit’.  After this, we had dinner in the park, and then a fun game of trivia, and karaoke.  I mean… we were doing karaoke inside Chase Field.  Really?  It is just kind of unbelievable when you think about it.  Karaoke turned into a massive dance party with the finalists and a lot of bonding.  Afterwards, we took the bus back to the hotel and hung out for a while by the hot tub chatting. 

Something that strikes me about today is how much more comfortable I feel tonight than I did 24 hours ago.  Everyone here has so much to offer and I have learned something from every single cave dweller here.  I am also so impressed with how thorough and organized the Fancave team has been.  They are on their game and it feels like a compliment that they have put this much time and effort into this process and me.  Getting to know me, caring about why I am here, referencing things that I did during my campaign, etc.  It is evident that they care about all of us and are extremely dedicated to the Fancave and the process of filling it with great peeps. 

I am very tired but feel very fulfilled going to bed tonight.  I had a great time today and feel accomplished and proud of myself for all the effort I put in today.  Can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store.  Thanks for following my Fancave experience!