MOA :)

MALL OF AMERICA! It's every girls dream to someday go to the biggest mall in the United States. I know when I went there in fifth grade, I felt on top of the world. Not only does it have five levels but it has OVER 500 stores! It's impossible and quite sad to say I haven't visited since then but I am more than overjoyed to tell you I get to go there this weekend and I am PUUUMPED plus I get to compete for my cheerleading team in the very center of the mall on Sunday. This weekend is the Mall Of America Competition in Minnesota. A two day trip up there. Saturday morning we leave and get to the mall at like noon. We get to shop and just hang out for five hours until we have team dinner at Bubba Gump, a place I've never experienced. Then Sunday morning we wake up and head back to the mall to do what we do best: perform. This is our third year attending this competition and we hope to defend our Grand Champ title we've held the past two years. I'm not the least bit concerned that we can rock it, it's just that this year we have newer and better competition and two of our girls are completely hurt and can't perform. It sucks because now we have to revamp half of the routine and we didn't have practice on Wednesday due to the weather. Last practice was satisfying but not as good as it needed to be and I'll admit I'm a bit nervous but nothing we won't push through. Chances are we'll practice a couple times on Saturday in the pool, out in the parking lot, wherever we need to to make sure we're prepared to win it. I can't tell you which one I'm more excited about, it's obvious that almost every girl you know LOVES shopping and what kind of unamerican would I be if I didn't? So of course I'm very excited to go shopping especially since I have over 200 dollars burning a hole in my bank account. I also know, however, that we're going to Florida in two months and I'll be needing a little bit more than 200 dollars to spend down there. So, I should be saving up but who gets the opportunity to go shopping at the biggest mall in the U.S. every day of their lives? I know I certainly don't so I'm of course probably gonna be burning some cash but I'll try and save some of it too. I'm also excited because this is my first year being on Co-Ed and therefore my first year competing at the Mall of America competition. While I know the gists of bigger competitions such as this one, I've never actually been there. This ranks top three in our biggest ones our coach told us, and for me it could be the biggest yet. I'm looking forward to seeing some other newer teams compete also and to figure out what level our team needs to get to in order to win first place down in Florida this year. It's a couple months away, but we've got to start practicing now. Anyways, while down there I hope to find a WPA dress and while we're on that subject who am I going to ask?!?! I know I've told you about Joel, the cute lover boy, whom by the way sang me songs on the phone last night haha but the down side is Joel does have a girlfriend and whether that's permanent or not is still up in the air, the day of WPA seems to be getting closer and hauntingly closer. We'll see what ends up happening. Anyways, I want like a strapless or halter dress I think and perhaps a more tightly fitting one because WPA is more about having fun and less formal than Homecoming. I'm getting sidetracked however, the main reason I'm writing about this competition is because it's potentially one of the last this season. We have approximately three more before Nationals and then I'll only have one year left. I hate thinking I'm going to be a senior next year but excited to see what awaits me in life. I guess being a competitive cheerleader is the one thing that has kept me young throughout all these years. Without that, I feel my youth is just up and gone away. Cheerleading is what makes me happy and something I intend to continue to do as long as I can, no matter where or how old I am in life. It's something that truly identifies me as a person and something I've become passionate about. It's not just about the uniforms, or the curled hair, or the white shoes, or the big bows, it's about the feeling I get when I walk into a cheerleading competition. The smell of hairspray, the mats, the competitive spirit, everything makes me wish that everyday was a competition. And it doesn't hurt to be undefeated champs. I just know it'll suck if something were to happen this weekend and we didn't place as well as we know we can, but I'm not going to even think about the negatives. Instead, I'm going to embrace and enjoy my weekend for all it's worth and be passionate about the one thing I love: Cheerleading!!

For information on joining IOWA ELITE:) visit our website:

www.iowaelitecheer.com