What's Next?!

Hi guys!
     I apologize for being MIA from the blog scene for a bit. I just wanted to take the full time around Miss Florida to prepare, fully enjoy every minute of the actual week, and then to reflect and relax afterwards! I wanted to share a little bit of my experience for those of you who could not be there. Also, I wanted to recognize those of you who have been part of my journey, because it truly does take a village.
     I could not have been more satisfied by my experience at Miss Florida for several reasons.
1.) I had the best team of support I could have ever asked for- Donald, Juan, Elizabeth and the Fechtel family, Mom, Dad, Kara, Justin, "Aunt" Sharon, Aunt Theresa and the girls, Grandma Ruth, Grandpa Harry, Jodi, and Jon thank you for every minute of time you dedicated to to helping me achieve my dream. My dream was to end my career in the Miss America Organization with no regrets. That was achieved even more than I expected. Although I would have loved to be Miss Florida, I know that God has a different job for me, he has another place I am needed even more that in the job of Miss Florida. I am trusting that the universe will show me why this is in its own time. In the mean time, I am having too much fun exploring my new with no plans! I know Kristina will do a beautiful job representing our incredible state.
2.) The girls in the Miss Florida program made my week one full of belly laughs, inside jokes, and a feeling of authentic companionship. I have never felt like I had made so many friends in one week. I had a bond with the Florida girls like I never expected to have. I am so lucky to have connected with so many people that week.
3.) I had absolutely no regrets. No regrets about where I chose to compete, no regrets about the choices I made regarding preparation, no regrets about the way I chose to represent myself, and no regrets about putting my whole heart into believing in my own capabilities. Everything truly fell into place like it should.
4.) I was shocked and honored to win the Miss America Community Service Award. For those of you who don't know, I followed my heart, against all common sense, and changed my platform to eating disorders awareness and prevention. I never thought in a million years I would be recognized for the work I have done. I suppose the lesson in this is that when you choose to do something you're passionate about, the work you can do is limitless. I have no intention to cease my work with the cause now that I am done competing, because for me it has nothing to do with pageants, Miss America, or what I'm supposed to do as a titleholder. To me, it has become a passion for life, and that's truly what this program is about.

I never felt stronger or more sure of myself going into Miss Florida and had the experience of a lifetime. Thank you to every single person in and outside of the Miss America Organization who has given a piece of your heart to me. You know who you are, but just to list a few:
Katherine Cain
Josh and Joe
Barbara Helm
Princess Anna, Kate, and Dede
Princess Emma
Princess Kaitlyn
Kim Silverwood
Princess Leah
Re-ce Rodenberry
All of the Fechtels
Ashley
Stephanie Ziajka
Laura Beard
Leanna Ross
Kelly Hawkins
Kristina Janola
Allison Kreiger Walsh
Laura McKeeman
Chloe Lupo
Darla
Alex Swoyer
Nicole Pollard
Katie Stam
Claire Buffie
Megan Meadors
Michael Nash
Frank and Aren
Jim and Joy
Phil Arthur
the Thomas family
Aunt Kathy
Sharon and Joe McKibben
The Von Derau's
Nathan
Grueme
Casey
(all kids at the pool)
Lynne Dalton
Kathleen McDonald and Johanna Kandel (both inspirations to me everyday)
Laura
Nicole
Sophie
Erika
Rachel
BreAnn
Sable
Lauren
Christa
Dad
Kara
Mom
Justin
Donald and Juan
Every one of my Sweetheart, Miss Indiana, and Miss Florida sisters.

To anyone I haven't mentioned, please know I appreciate every pageant you came to watch, every encouraging word you gave to me, every tear you might have wiped away, and every dream you let me share, even as they kept getting bigger and more ridiculous, you still believed it was possible with me. There is no greater gift than your time.

I love each and every one of you more than I can say. I can only hope that I get to give in each of your lives a fraction of what you have brought to mine.

We both know this is far from the end of my Miss America journey, my involvement is just making a slight shift in the way it looks :)

Here's to the next six months as your Miss Orange County. I'm so excited to see what's next.

In sincerest gratitude,
Brittany

No Place Like Home.

Hey guys!
Hope all has been well since my last blog! I know it has been a while, I have been all over the place- finishing my first year of grad school, traveling to Turkey, and Miss Florida Orientation. I finally have had a little over a week to truly get my life back together and am now gearing up for Miss Florida and a few trips home!

Turkey was INCREDIBLE! Quite honestly, I never expected to like it so much. I just thought of it as the only option to travel abroad in graduate school. Once I got there, however, I realized I had far underestimated this beautiful, hospitable country.

Istanbul was this gorgeous, metropolitan, European city on the European side of Turkey (the country is in both Europe and Asia technically). Although it was a fast-paced city, it certainly didn't have a pushy feel (unless of course someone was trying to sell you Turkish delight, pashmina scarves, or any other of the million goodies we saw over and over again!).

The people there work to live, not live to work, and that was extremely refreshing to be around. My favorite part of the country was the call to prayer. Five times a day, people would stop whatever they were doing, take off their shoes, face Mecca, and pray to Allah. Loudspeakers all throughout the city would sound together in a foreign tongue. Although I had no idea what was being said, you could feel the profoundness of what this meant to the Turks and their lives. There is something slightly unnerving yet moving about hearing this methodically throughout your day. A constant reminder of a higher power and a bigger purpose is something we are not accustomed to, but maybe we should be aiming to.

 There was one day when we were touring Topkapi Palace, the home of the former sultan, which also happened to be the same day that what seemed to be most of the school children in the city were visiting also. There were three of us girls walking along together when all these kids started pointing and whispering. Then, one came up and asked me if I would take a picture with her. Of course, I said yes feeling like a movie star! The other kids took this as a green light to circle around us and bombard us with picture requests and notebooks for autographs! I think I know what it's like to be followed by paparazzi now. :) I swear these kids had never seen an American before in their lives! So awesome to know that we made their day, and that they had a positive view of the US.

My favorite city in Turkey was Cappadocia. It was a lot like the western United States in that it was breathtaking with its valleys, mountains, and red rocks. We even got to visit the Goreme Open Air Museum which was essentially mountains which were hand carved out into churches, homes, and entire civilizations. It was incredible to see how much detail they put into it with the simple tools they had access to. There were ornate church ceilings, pews, and even kitchen tables with benches in these caves. These essentially underground cities were from when the Romans were trying to chase the Christians out of the area hundreds of years ago.

We then headed to Konya which is one of the most conservative cities in Turkey. This is where I flew out to go home early for orientation. The Konya airport is one room, and as I walked in, I've never seen so many curious eyes turn to meet mine and stay there an uncomfortable length of time. I'm not sure if it was the fact that I didn't wear a headscarf or the fact that I looked so different from them with green eyes and blonde hair. It was understandable at first, but after an hour of sitting there and being stared at, I was so ready to get home where I could blend in as one of many Americans. I'd never been so ready to board a plain in my life!

When I got home, though, I had to be ready to go again because a day later, I was heading off to Miss Florida orientation! All day Friday, I was running errands and workin' my little tushy off to get everything ready to go. Although I was exhausted, I was so happy to see Juan and Don the next morning. They were so sweet to meet me at my apartment and do my hair and makeup before the big day! I missed everyone so much!

The weekend was full of meetings, pajama parties, paperwork, and a lot of inspiration. Hearing how the job of Miss Florida and Miss Florida's Outstanding Teen had given Jackie and MK the opportunity to reach out and make an impact on thousands of people gave me chills. The way they were able to articulate what the job gave back to them in return was so beyond their years. I have the upmost respect for the both of them.

Now, I am back to the grind of classes, mock interviews, dancing almost daily, working for eating disorders awareness and prevention, and seeing the people I love! I am traveling back to Indiana four times this summer for showers/wedding stuff and am SO excited to see my family and friends!

Wish me luck on the toughest part of state preparation- the month before!

Love and laughter,
Brittany

Most Common Myths on Eating Disorders!

 Myth #1: Eating disorders are not an illness

Eating disorders are complex medical/psychiatric illnesses. Eating disorders are classified as mental illnesses in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-IV), are considered to often have a biologic basis, and co-occur with other mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Myth #2: Eating disorders are uncommon

They are common. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and subclinical, but very concerning eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors affect many young people in the United States and worldwide. Among U.S. females in their teens and 20s, the prevalence of clinical and dangerous, but not full-blown anorexia may be as high as 15%. Anorexia nervosa ranks as the third-most-common, chronic illness among adolescent U.S. females. Even though it is the rarest, and most severe of eating disorders, it affects approximately 1-in-200 young girls. Recent studies suggest that up to 7% of U.S. females have had bulimia at some time in their lives. At any given time an estimated 5% of the U.S. population has undiagnosed bulimia. Current findings suggest that binge eating disorder affects 0.7% to 4% of the general population.

Myth #3: Eating disorders are a choice

People do not choose to have eating disorders. They develop over time and require appropriate treatment to address the complex medical/psychiatric symptoms and underlying issues.

Myth #4: Eating disorders occur only in females

Eating disorders do occur in males. Few solid statistics are available on the prevalence of eating disorders in males, but the disorders are believed to be more common than currently reflected in statistics because of under-diagnosis. An estimated one-fourth of anorexia diagnoses in children are in males. The National Collegiate Athletic Association carried out studies on the incidence of eating-disordered behavior among athletes in the 1990s, and reported that of those athletes who reported having an eating disorder, 7% were male. For binge eating disorder, preliminary research suggests equal prevalence among males and females.

Incidence in males may be underreported because females are more likely to seek help, and health practitioners are more likely to consider an eating disorder diagnosis in females.

Differences in symptoms exist between males and females: females are more likely to focus on weight loss; males are more likely to focus on muscle mass. Although issues such as altering diet to increase muscle mass, over-exercise, or steroid misuse are not yet criteria for eating disorders, a growing body of research indicates that these factors are associated with many, but not all, males with eating disorders.

Myth #5: Men who suffer from eating disorders tend to be gay

Although gay men are at increased risk for eating disorders compared to other men; straight men get eating disorders too.

Myth #6: Anorexia nervosa is the only serious eating disorder

All eating disorders can have damaging physical and psychological consequences. Although excess weight loss is a feature of anorexia nervosa, effects of other eating disorders can also be serious or life threatening. A person with bulimia can be at high risk for death because of purging and its impact on the heart and electrolyte imbalances. Laxative use and excessive exercise can increase risk of death in individuals who are actively bulimic.

Myth #7: Dieting is normal adolescent behavior

While fad dieting or body image concerns have become “normal” features of adolescent life in Western cultures, dieting or frequent/ extreme dieting can be a risk factor for developing an eating disorder. It is especially a risk factor for young people with family histories of eating disorders and depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. A focus on health, well-being, and healthy body image and acceptance is preferable. Any dieting should be monitored. Ironically, dieting has also been found to predict exces­sive weight gain and obesity in adolescents.

Myth #8: Eating disorders are about appearance and beauty

Eating disorders are a mental illness and have little to do with food, eating, appearance, or beauty. This is indicated by the continuation of the illness long after a person has reached his or her initial ‘target’ weight. Eating disorders are usually related to emotional issues such as control and low self-esteem and often exist as part of a dual diagnosis of major depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Myth #9: Only people of high socioeconomic status get eating disorders

People in all socioeconomic levels have eating disorders. The disorders have been identified across all socioeconomic groups, age groups, both sexes, and in many countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America.

Myth #10: Recovery from eating disorders is rare

Recovery can take months or years, but many people eventually recover after treatment. Recovery rates vary widely among indi­viduals and the different eating disorders. Early intervention with appropriate care can improve the outcome regardless of the eating disorder. Although anorexia nervosa is associated with the highest death rate of all psychiatric disorders, research suggests that about half of people with anorexia nervosa recover, about 20% continue to experience issues with food, and about 20% die in the long term due to medical or psychological complications.

Myth #11: Eating disorders are an attempt to seek attention

The causes of eating disorders are complex and typically include socioeconomic, environmental, cultural, and biologic factors. People who experience eating disorders often go to great lengths to conceal it due to feelings of shame or a desire to persist in behavior perceived to afford the sufferer control in life. Eating disorders are often symptomatic of deeper psychological issues such as low self-esteem and the desire to feel in control. The behaviors associated with eating disorders may sometimes be interpreted as “attention seeking;” however, they indicate that the affected person has very serious struggles and needs help.

Myth #12: Purging will help lose weight

Purging does not result in ridding the body of ingested food. Half of what is consumed during a binge typically remains in the body after self-induced vomiting. Laxatives result in weight loss through fluids/water and the effect is temporary. For these reasons, many people with bulimia are average or above-average weight.

Myth #13: You’re not sick until you’re emaciated

Only a small percentage of people with eating disorders reach the state of emaciation often portrayed in the media. The common belief that a person is only truly ill if he or she becomes abnormally thin compounds the affected individuals’ perceptions of body image and of not being good at being “sick enough.” This can interfere with seeking treatment and can trigger intensification of self-destructive eating disorder behaviors.

Myth #14: Kids under age 15 are too young to have eating disorders

Although it is true that the average age at onset for anorexia nervosa is 17 years and bulimia nervosa is usually diagnosed in mid-to-late teens or early 20s, eating disorders have been diagnosed in children as young as seven or eight years of age.

Myth #15: Achieving normal weight means the anorexia is cured

Weight recovery is essential to enabling a person with anorexia to participate meaningfully in further treatment, such as psychological therapy. Recovering to normal weight does not in and of itself signify a cure, because eating disorders are complex medical/psychiatric illnesses.

*All information obtained from ANAD.org and NationalEatingDisorders.org.

Basic Knowledge on Types of Eating Disorders

Hey guys! I want to use this space not only to update you on my year, but also do as much education possible about eating disorders. So, we're going to start with the basics this week- definitions!

So, with so many grey areas pertaining to body type and symptoms, how do you know if someone is truly in the throes of an eating disorder?

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is characterized by emaciation, a relentless pursuit of thinness and unwillingness to maintain a normal or healthy weight, a distortion of body image and intense fear of gaining weight, a lack of menstruation among girls and women, and extremely disturbed eating behavior. Some people with anorexia lose weight by dieting and exercising excessively; others lose weight by self-induced vomiting, or misusing laxatives, diuretics or enemas.

Many people with anorexia see themselves as overweight, even when they are starved or are clearly malnourished. Eating, food and weight control become obsessions. A person with anorexia typically weighs herself or himself repeatedly, portions food carefully, and eats only very small quantities of only certain foods. Some who have anorexia recover with treatment after only one episode. Others get well but have relapses. Still others have a more chronic form of anorexia, in which their health deteriorates over many years as they battle the illness.

Ten Warning Signs

• Deliberate self-starvation with weight loss
• Intense, persistent fear of gaining weight
• Refusal to eat or highly restrictive eating
• Continuous dieting
• Excessive facial/body hair because of inadequate protein in the diet
• Compulsive exercise
• Abnormal weight loss
• Sensitivity to cold
• Absent or irregular menstruation
• Hair loss

Anorexia Nervosa Symptoms Explained

1.  Weight

15% below ideal body weight. Refusing to maintain a normal weight or above-normal weight for height and age.  Not everyone who is of a low weight is anorexic; it is important to recognize that it is the REFUSAL to maintain a normal weight that is the key factor.

It is sometimes difficult to identify anorexia in children because their height appears to be in proportion to their weight. A possible complication of an eating disorder is stunted growth in children. A pediatrician will need to carefully monitor him/her with a growth chart. Also, young children may not talk about weight but rather may describe physical complaints such as nausea or feelings of fullness.

2.  Intense Fear of Gaining Weight or Becoming Fat, Even if Underweight

This intense fear is powerful enough to cause individuals to diet to the point of starvation. While the term anorexia means loss of appetite, this is not true of anorexia nervosa. A person with anorexia is hungry but he or she is afraid to eat because of the fear. Often specific foods are avoided, especially those that are high in fat and calories. Often individuals will become vegetarians and want to eat healthily when indeed the issue is the fear of gaining weight.

A person with anorexia constantly thinks about food – how many calories, how many fat grams, how much exercise is needed if you eat a cookie? How many times do you check the scale?

There is always the attempt to try to control eating because of the fear of gaining weight. Often meals are avoided or eaten very slowly, pondering each bite, fearing that eating will surely make one fat.

These thoughts begin to control a person’s mind 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A person’s entire life can be centered on this one issue, depriving that person of joy in friends, fun and family.

3. Body Image Problems

When a person with anorexia looks into a mirror he/she does not often see an accurate reflection. A person with anorexia sees him/herself as fat, even if he/she is dangerously thin. This is a very frightening experience and feels very real – driving the person to diet.

Sometimes a person with anorexia can accept that he/she is very thin but cannot accept how dangerous the situation really is. It is difficult for him/her to understand that a very low weight and dangerous dieting habits can actually be fatal. The death rate for anorexia is higher than for any other psychiatric illness.

4. Amenorrhea or Absence of Menstruation

Missing 3 periods is usually the criteria for this state. Of course, these criteria are not applied to males, young females who have not started their periods, or females who are on birth-control pills.

Types of Anorexia

Many individuals with anorexia will severely restrict their calories sometimes taking in only a few hundred calories a day or just water. This is called the RESTRICTING TYPE. Our bodies do not like to starve. Remember, the individual with anorexia has an appetite; he/she just tries to control it. It is very difficult when a person is starving not to want to eat. What happens to many individuals is that they lose control, they eat, or eat something they feel they should not have eaten. For these individuals, this might mean something as simple as a cookie, a normal meal or even a binge. With the fear of gaining weight, they may vomit or exercise. This type of anorexia is called the BINGE-EATING/PURGING TYPE, one of the most dangerous forms of an eating disorder.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is characterized by recurrent and frequent episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food (e.g., binge-eating), and feeling a lack of control over the eating. This binge-eating is followed by a type of behavior that compensates for the binge, such as purging (e.g., vomiting, excessive use of laxatives or diuretics), fasting and/or excessive exercise.

Unlike anorexia, people with bulimia can fall within the normal range for their age and weight. But like people with anorexia, they often fear gaining weight, want desperately to lose weight, and are intensely unhappy with their body size and shape. Usually, bulimic behavior is done secretly, because it is often accompanied by feelings of disgust or shame. The binging and purging cycle usually repeats several times a week. Similar to anorexia, people with bulimia often have coexisting psychological illnesses, such as depression, anxiety and/or substance abuse problems. Many physical conditions result from the purging aspect of the illness, including electrolyte imbalances, gastrointestinal problems, and oral and tooth-related problems.

Seven symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa:

Preoccupation with food
Binge eating, usually in secret
Vomiting after bingeing
Abuse of laxatives, diuretics, diet pills
Denial of hunger or drugs to induce vomiting
Compulsive exercise
Swollen salivary glands
Broken blood vessels in the eyes

Bulimia Nervosa symptoms explained

1. Binge Eating

All of us will overeat now and then; doing so is pretty normal behavior. For instance at Thanksgiving, we all sit down at the dinner table and probably overindulge. Binge eating in bulimia has certain characteristics that make it much different.

A binge is defined by several characteristics, including consuming a larger amount of food than most people would eat during the same time period (potentially thousands of calories) within a short period of time (typically 2 hours or less). It is also characterized by a feeling that one CANNOT STOP or CONTROL one’s eating, accompanied by physical or emotional distress.

2. Purging

Following a binge, an individual may feel consumed with fear, guilt or shame and the need to try to undo his/her behavior. Purging is a way to compensate for binging. Purge behaviors come in many forms: vomiting, taking laxatives or water pills, starving or excessive exercise.

It is important to recognize that purging rarely works well for weight loss. Laxatives and diuretics make a person lose water not weight. Even vomiting seems to be ineffective; it has been reported that 50-75% of the calories have already been absorbed.

3. Bingeing and Purging occurs more than 2 x a week for at least 3 months

4.Body Image: Self evaluation and self esteem is overly influenced by weight and shape

Many people in our culture are concerned with how they look, what they weigh or how to change the body parts they don’t like. In bulimia, there is an intense connection between self respect and the way the body looks. We can be great in a lot of things, but if our thighs are too big, well then, we are just not good enough.

What about weight in bulimia nervosa?
Weight can be normal, underweight or overweight. Unlike anorexics who can be often identified by their low weight, it is more difficult to identify bulimics. Weight can also dramatically shift, and large swings might be an indicator that someone is developing an eating disorder.

Binge Eating Disorder

Binge-eating disorder is characterized by recurrent binge-eating episodes during which a person feels a loss of control over his or her eating. Unlike bulimia, binge-eating episodes are not followed by purging, excessive exercise or fasting. As a result, people with binge-eating disorder often are overweight or obese. They also experience guilt, shame and/or distress about the binge-eating, which can lead to more binge-eating.

In 1997, binge eating disorder (BED) was included into the DSM-IV as a provisional diagnostic category requiring further study. About 30% of the participants in weight loss programs meet criteria for BED. The prevalence of BED in the general population is 2%; BED is 1.5 times more common in women than men. In treating obese patients with BED there are several potential goals of treatment, including cessation of binge eating and improvement of eating-related psychopathology (e.g. concerns about weight and shape, restraint eating), weight loss or prevention of further weight gain, improvement of physical health, and reduction of psychiatric comorbidity. Contrary to expectations, weight loss programs do not appear to worsen the eating disorder, and successful treatment of binge eating does not automatically promote weight loss. Controlled treatment studies have shown that psychotherapeutic approaches and drug treatment may successfully reduce binge eating episodes in patients with BED. Remission rates are generally high (e.g. 50% and more following cognitive behavioral therapy), and the overall prognosis is better than for patients with bulimia nervosa

*All information above is obtained through the National Association for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.

Spring Pictures!

Photo Shoot with Tyler at Starstudded Photography

Such an incredible night

Starstudded Photography

Ashley Ramsey (Miss Orlando) and Elizabeth Fechtel (Orlando's Teen) Two AMAZING women!!

Children's Miracle Network Radiothon at Shand's Hospital for Children

Add caption

Children's Miracle Network event in Orlando- Photogenic Baby Awards

Project Dance!

National Eating Disorder Association Gala in NYC with the beautiful Allison Kreiger Walsh (Miss Florida 2006)

Now what?

This has taken me a while to get started beacuse I have been running all over the state, wait, make that the nation fueled by caffeine and a mission! I was crowned Miss Orange County in January and ever since, I seem have this fire under my rear! Oh wait, that's always there. :) Really though, I was in complete disbelief when they called my name. I had been texting my mom backstage throughout the pageant, "Man did I mess on-stage question up, or what?!" "Welp, there goes talent..." "Well, at least we got to have a girls' weekend in Orlando!" So, here I am thinking about how if I put my weight on my heel, my shoes wouldn't hurt as much, thinking about what the girl's face was going to look like when she won (always a favorite of mine), and where would be a go to dinner afterwards and they say, "Your new Miss Orange County 2011 is...Brittany Hagan!"

Winning a pageant is like being in that state where you're just waking up or falling asleep. You know there are people out in the audience, but you can't really see their faces. You hear the music, but it doesn't really register as a song you've ever heard before. All you can think is, "Ok, one step at a time...down the stairs now...I think I'm supposed to bend down... ok how long do I take my first walk?" All the while, you can't stop smiling like an idiot. It's a weird and amazing feeling when you work so hard for something, and then it actually happens. It's like you're yearning for so long, every thought, every ounce of your being goes into attaining that goal, then all of a sudden, it's there in front of you. What do you do with it?

This is the age old question. When I won my first title in Indiana, we went out to Steak n' Shake afterwards. Bob Knight was there, of the infamous Bob and Wilma. He looked right at me and said, "Ok, you won! Now what?" I looked at him, terrified. This is the man that had completely stumped me in interview as a judge two pageants before at Miss Duneland. I will always know the state flower because of Bob. I said..."Ummm... gosh....Work on my platform?" I knew that was a weak answer, but it wasn't until I actually had been through the ups and downs of a titleholder that I knew what value I wanted to add where. Yet, it seems to be evolving all the time. The first year, after visiting Riley Hospital for Children, I knew I had to do everything in my power to help those precious kiddos, and they were my inspiration that year. The second year, I knew I wanted to be Miss Indiana to spread my message, so I did everything in my power to grow into a woman capable of that job learning who I was and becoming fearless enough to put it out there. This year, it's everything. Absolutely everything. I feel my heart outstretched in so many different directions, sometimes I feel like I'm just going to burst. So this year, how do I embody this theme I've found to pop up in my life time after time. What's next? Now what?

1.) My platform. I absolutely loved the work I did with autism. I loved the children and families I met along the way and will continue to be a champion for the cause. However, I believe that we can affect people most when we make ourselves vulnerable. So, because of my personal experience with an eating disorder for several of my teen years, I know that after 11 years of silence, it is time to speak out. But this is not about me, about my story. I've told my story, I've healed, and my family has healed. This is about the 11 million people and everyone that loves them. It's for those who are still in that dark place, still struggling everyday with this illness. This fight is for them. My platform is called "Redefining Reality: The Awareness and Prevention of Eating Disorders." In a world full of unrealistic expectations, my message is simple: Be real. Be healthy. Redefine the Reality that we have created that perfection is beautiful. You are imperfectly perfect right now, just as you are. Throughout the year I will be posting pictures of events I do through this crusade, information about the prevention and awareness of eating disorders, and tons of other stuff, so keep checking back to see how YOU can help! It's closer to home than you think.

2.) Embracing this organization. I have gotten the rare opportunity to fall in love with the Miss America Organization (MAO) in Indiana with my first two years in the system I got to see them crown their first Miss America the year I started competing. I have had the opportunity to compete on a national level meeting amazing women from almost every state of the country. Now, I get to end my journey as a contestant in my new beautiful, hospitable, warm :) home of Florida. I have always loved the MAO, but not until this year have I gotten emotional months before just thinking about my last closing statement at my last pageant interview ever (which will be Miss Florida in July). I have never had such amazing sister queens to learn from and grow with. I have been blessed with fantastic directors before, and still, Don and Juan never cease to amaze me. I always leave their house with a gigantic smile. I always come away from our meetings with an inside joke. I always end up feeling as if I have found two friends in Florida who totally and completely "get me." They have enhanced my MAO experience when I thought it couldn't be better.

3.) Prepare to become Miss Florida. "That which we focus on grows." This is a quote that I live by. I have no control over who the judges see fit to become Miss Florida, but I do have control over how much I prepare to become my most capable self. And so far, it has been every day, all day, but not in an exhausting way, in an exhilarating way. My mom is constantly checking in on me. "Aren't you tired yet?" "Have you gotten sick from all the running around you do yet?" My answer to her is, "When you love what you do, it's energizing, not exhausting." I am constantly meeting new to people, listening to people's stories, going to every appearnce and event humanly possible, speaking out to schools, getting in top physical shape (my mornings keep getting earlier and earlier thanks to Chris Kelly at Peak Fitness :), going to multiple dance classes every week to tighten my talent, and learning every day a little more about what I am capable of. It has all been baby steps, but I am confident that if my preparation gets to meet opportunity, I will be ready.


Through all of this year, I will keep you updated with pictures, words, information, and LOVE for anyone who takes their time to read this.

There's one thing I haven't been able to stop thinking about since the night of Orange County, and that is, "How weird is it that every local title I've won has been a brand new program with nobody coming before me?" I imagine God looking down and laughing, and saying in his big, booming God-like voice, "Now Brittany, you know you're not really one to follow in someone else's footsteps, don't you?"

Here's to love and laughter,
Britt