Blue Lollipop Road

June 17, 2013 In BLR Play it Forward 2012, Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship, People, Photos

this is what the blue lollipop road memorial scholarship does!

As you all know, I awarded the inaugural Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship last year. The scholarship fund was established in 2012 in honor of the spirit and zest for life embodied by two former Mount Anthony Union High School soccer players, Maria Greene and Brandy Brown, who were killed in a car accident in 1994. (My friends- the incredible girls BLR is dedicated to.) The mission of this scholarship is to encourage a commitment to maintaining an active lifestyle, and to support travel for education and self-empowerment. The scholarships were awarded to not one, but two deserving MAU soccer playing students last year because alumni and community members were so generous with donations! These scholarships were a one-time monetary gift, awarded to Hannah Patterson & Raheema Madanay for:

*Participating in a MAU student exchange program;

*Taking a “Gap” Year between graduation and post-secondary education; and/or

*Going on an adventure travel trip intended for personal growth.

Here are Hannah and Raheema below:

Hannah has shared the story of what she used her scholarship funds for, along with some great photos below:

Hi, my name is Hannah Patterson. Last year I won the Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship with my fellow classmate Raheemah Madany. I used some of the money I won as part of the scholarship to travel to Nicaragua with the Rotary Interact club at my school. This is a service trip taken every two years to the Sister City of Bennington Vermont, Somotillo, Nicaragua. I spent nine days in 90+ weather with about 20 other high school students. During these days our group worked with the Social Commission of Somotillo to help the community in any way we could.

This included going to a few local schools and working with the kids as well as handing out dental supplies, painting a church, planting over 100 shrubs at the only hospital in Somotillo, delivering over 65 suitcases full of medical supplies to the hospital, helping to build a roof for the newly constructed kitchen in the Mother’s and Infant’s Center, painting a mural at one of the schools and much more.

Although doing all of the projects was more gratifying than anything I have ever done before, for me the greatest experience was being able to interact with the people and become fully immersed in their culture. The people of Somotillo were some of the happiest people I had ever seen and it was truly inspiring to see that even without the material items of first world countries, they were much more content than many who live here. Every day local children would come to where we were staying and invited us to play soccer (in which they completely put us to shame), or to come be a part of their community. Whether that was eating in the houses of many different families, listening to music, watching cultural dances, or best of all playing games, they were always willing to show us their lives.

As traveling is a big part of my life, I was intrigued by a saying that one of our guides shared with us. In essence, once we have experienced this we are now “perfectly ruined” in the sense that we can no longer ignore the poverty that consumes a majority of the world and even in our first world lives we can not ignore the struggles that others face throughout the world. This trip allowed me to experience another culture without so much of a tourist’s perspective, which I have not been able to do before now. Being immersed in the culture gave me a more complete understanding of what it means to be a citizen of the world. I am grateful that I received this scholarship because it allowed me to further my passion for traveling and grow as a person. I am glad to say that I have been “perfectly ruined”.

How inspiring and memorable are these photos? (And yay for some soccer playing fun too!) Love it all.

I’m so glad Hannah said she is now “perfectly ruined.” I felt the exact same way about myself as soon as I stepped off the plane in Germany during my 1994 student exchange trip. To this day my Mother always jokes that I “never came back the same.” She’s right. Once you jump out of your everyday surroundings, experience other cultures (in the US or abroad), and work side by side with people you’d never otherwise meet in your regular daily life- your eyes open to a bigger world than you ever knew existed and you grow in a way you can’t describe. It’s as if when you’re submersed in any “place” outside your comfort zone, you change in an instant and you’re inspired to do, be, and see more. Your confidence grows, you suddenly “get” what really matters, and a drive is born inside you to really live more each day. I took my trip abroad nearly 20 years before Hannah, but it sounds like she had the same type of rich, unforgettable, life altering time that I did too. I can’t wait to see what she does with her next 20 years. I have a feeling there will be wonderful things to come.

Thanks for sharing Hannah! I’m so proud of you. This is a fantastic example of why creating BLR Play It Forward and the Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship Fund has meant so much to me. I truly believe that travel changes and enriches lives. I’m glad it has changed and enriched yours!

Thank you to all my fellow MAU alumni who paid registration fees to participate in BLR Play It Forward 2012 and to all the community members who generously donated to help fund this scholarship! Hannah’s story illustrates my dream coming true. It’s always been my goal with Blue Lollipop Road, to provide an avenue, an opportunity, for young people to see that there’s a whole big world out there- and that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. Your support made this happen! Together we can keep the next generation healthy, active in community, and traveling for education and self-empowerment. I can’t wait to award another scholarship this year on July 13th with all your support again, and to see where the next deserving MAU student adventures, to learn and grow.

June 15, 2013 In BLR-Mobile, Honda, Photos, Vermont

ILOVERMONT

It’s amazing how when you grow up here, all that’s on your mind is; UGH- this place is sooooo boring. I can’t wait to get out of here!

…Then when you’re a grown up and spend time here, all you think is; SIGH- this place is sooooo beautiful. Can I stay a bit longer?

Saturday afternoons in the summer wandering around like today will never get old for this Vermont kid.

June 12, 2013 In BLR Play It Forward 2013, Donations

thank you mike cutler!

Lucky me to have perfect strangers like Mike who’ve continued to be generous with their time & talents volunteering 2 years in a row to help make BLR Play It Forward possible.

Mike Cutler of MHC Photography was introduced to me by and old friend early last spring and jumped right in to edit all the video footage from our big event for free. He created a DVD that captured a day of great moments which will always remain precious to me. This year Mike will be the photographer for Play It Forward, so if you’re coming to Howard Park on July 13th- get ready to smile! I couldn’t have a nicer guy to work with.

Thanks Mike! I cannot thank people like you enough for donating all your time and great energy.

June 10, 2013 In BLR Play It Forward 2013, News & Updates

extra! extra!

Days fly by and lots happens before I get a chance to fully share here, so today’s post is a partial list of what’s been shaking in the world of the blue lollipop lately.

(In no particular order)

In BLR Play It Forward news:

1.) I had an interview last week on WBTN to share information about our event.
2.) The Town of Shaftsbury (VT) has generously donated the use of Howard Park once again. They’ve also posted information on their website to support us.
3.) Clear Brook Farm is once again our food sponsor. They will provide fresh organic foods for our event guests. (Yummy! We love fresh and local.)
4.) Price Chopper and Hannaford Supermarkets will again both provide gift cards so we can stock up on all the plates, napkins, bottled water, and other items we need for the big day.
5.) Willies Variety and Bakery in Bennington, VT will again be providing boxes of our beloved Blue Razz Blow Pops. (Get ready for blue tongues everyone! If you are coming to play in the alumni soccer game or watch from the sidelines, we might try to “force” you to eat one at some point during the day:)
6.) One of our Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship 2012 winners, Hannah Patterson will be sharing a guest post and some photos here on Blue Lollipop Road in the next couple weeks about how she used her travel scholarship funds.
7.) Mike Cutler will be volunteering his photography expertise this year to snap all event photos.
8.) Tracy Bushee (alumni/friend/designer of the Play If Forward logo) is whipping up an event poster again that will go up around Southern Vermont this week.

How awesome is it that so many of the sponsoring individuals and companies that helped make BLR Play It Forward 2012 possible, jumped at the chance to support us again this year? VERY. THANK YOU EVERYONE!

In other news:

1.) My work with AGA continues. I will be sharing information as we go. For now, if you are reading this and are a grant writer- we’d love to talk. Drop me a line: Diane(@)bluelollipoproad.com
2.) I’m going to be featured in a series about female entrepreneurs on a blog called Things to Cherish by Alicia Mohr. Check out her gorgeous jewelry designs. Stay tuned for link to my interview.
3.) I’ve been asked by the Women’s Sports Foundation to be on their Travel & Training Fund committee. In partnership with Gatorade, a total of $100,000 will be awarded for their 2013 grant cycle and I get to judge a few of the 94 applicants for this year.

How awesome is all of the above news? VERY.

Put your heart in the right place, work hard, then ask…and you shall receive.

June 10, 2013 In Inspiration

QotD

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

~Mark Twain

June 7, 2013 In De-lish, Food, Oregon, Photos

because today national doughnut day

Because I too believe good things come in pink boxes:

Because I think having to decide on what DE-LISH to pick at a place like VooDoo Doughnuts in Portland, Oregon is nearly impossible, but so much fun:

And finally, because the only thing that could possibly rival my Oreo with Nutella obsession- is an Oreo doughnut drizzled with peanut butter. (With a side of a yet another doughnut rolled in Captain Crunch of course.):

Yeah, that.

I had no trouble eating these both on my visit to VooDoo during the summer of 2010 During my Alaska or Bust adventure. Holy yum-fest. If I were only on the west coast right now…

Happy National Doughnut Day!

June 6, 2013 In North Carolina, Photos, Virginia

one of the many reasons why i love it

Early morning road time after one of the many nights sleeping in my car a few weeks ago. These were taken at random as I drove (safely of course) at around 5:45am, somewhere around the VA/NC border even before a coffee stop:

It’s amazing what a put your iPhone in the air and click, click, click will capture. Nothing like a warm morning on the road alone in quiet watching the sunrise.

Here’s to carpe diem.

What are you waiting for?

June 6, 2013 In BLR Play It Forward 2013, Donations, Maine, Million Mile Joe, People, Photos, Videos

donation!

I’m happy to share that my friends Sharon and Joe (AKA “Million Mile Joe“) LoCicero have donated once again to the BLR Play It Forward Event and Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship Fund! Since meeting Sharon and Joe in the fall of 2011 during my Honda sponsored road trip and fun in Maine, they’ve been incredibly supportive of me and BLR which I am so thankful for. (Fellow road warriors stick together!) Joe and Sharon are tried and true hard working, sweet, generous New Englanders, and a great example of why I have so much pride for the part of the world I came from.

I had to go through the archives to find a few photos from my time in Maine with them. Here I am at their house behind Old BLUE (Joe’s 1990 Accord with 1,000,000 miles on it), giving a thumbs up to Honda:

…and check out Joe with his blue lollipop!

Here are the three of us after the big parade Honda put on to give Joe a new car back in October 2011:

(A bit blurry but I love this one. That was a seriously fun day.)

Joe and Sharon are soon embarking on an adventure of their own that I will write about later this summer. Besides that, they’re coming to BLR Play It Forward on July 13th in Vermont! Yay! That’s right, Joe and Sharon are road tripping from Vacationland to come watch and support my big annual Blue Lollipop Road event. Awesome!

Thanks for the donation and constant support Sharon and Joe! Looking forward to seeing you soon.

June 4, 2013 In News & Updates

it’s radio interview time

Please listen in this morning at 8am Eastern online or on air to my radio interview with WBTN! We will be talking about BLR Play It Forward and the Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship. Our 2nd annual event is July 13th so we are just about a month away.

Thanks to David Lively and WBTN for having me on today and supporting Blue Lollipop Road and our community!

May 31, 2013 In BLR-Mobile, Honda, Photos

a stop in the shop

Holy moses we have a lot to catch up on! I’ve just finished a whirlwind and unplanned (isn’t that always the way) 5 weeks and 5,000 miles on the road. (Yes, five thousand) The results, just to share a few:

1.) A happy girl, because I:
*Found a home base city
*Got to participate in fun activities
*Worked from many interesting places with pretty views
*Saw lots of great people in lots of fun places like Charlotte, Nashville, Columbus, and Chicago
*Ate lots of de-lish food
*Had the moments of quiet I live for; On the road alone, windows down and dreaming big

2.) A very tired BLR-Mobile that ended up on the shop yesterday after my trek from Chicago to Vermont for a bit of an emergency appointment:

(Tear, I know…)

Fret not though! (Ok, so I was freaking out a little because after all- this car is my home.) She’s getting all fixed up as we speak and it was “just” a wheel bearing. When I asked the mechanic in a panicked voice as he and I drove around the block so he could hear the loud rumble I was worried about “What the heck could cause that?!” He looked at my odometer and replied: “185,000 miles causes that!” We both laughed.

Oh yeah- that wear and tear thing. This car really does work hard for me. No wonder she needed some love! I have never put a single penny into my amazing partner in crime other than for regular maintenance. That’s what I’m talking about! (I love you Honda:)

I have a laundry list of things to share, news, updates and exciting things about BLR Play It Forward coming up in just 6 shorts weeks, interviews I’ve been asked to do, the Blue Lollipop Road Memorial Scholarship, and other awesomeness. Catching breath and up on work after a 5,000 speed-racer road trip is a big pile to tackle, so I’ll be back. Right now It’s time to go pick up the mighty Civic. I feel like my left arm is missing without her!