Wine Down: Phi Mu National Convention

I had the honor and privilege of attending Phi Mu's 52nd National Convention this past week. National Convention is held every two years and this was the 2nd time that I have attended. I attended my first convention in 2008 at the Chapter President for our FSU Collegiate Chapter, Alpha Epsilon. This time I attended as the Chapter President of my local Jacksonville Alumnae Chapter. As always, attending National Convention was an amazing experience. My favorite thing about National Convention is that it bridges the gap between collegians and alumnae. Whether it is your first convention or your 28th, everyone is there for the same reason. It reminds you that Phi Mu is for a lifetime, not just for college. It also reminds you that there is so much to Phi Mu as a national organization beyond your own collegiate or local alumnae chapter.

Here are some highlights of my 5 day adventure in Texas with my Phi Mu sisters...

Upon arrival everyone receives a name-tag that shows off all of your current positions with the Fraternity. This year they also gave all convention attendees a Lilly Pulitzer laptop bag!

The first night of convention was the 4th of July. We had a joint celebration with Delta Zeta at Pedrotti's North Wind Ranch. We enjoyed BBQ, line dancing and a real Texas rodeo!

Day 2 involved initiation, a memorial service, Sisterhood Luncheon, workshops, as well as the opening business session of the convention. Having to sit in my white initiation dress all day made me not so in the mood for taking pictures so there aren't any...except for this cool one below.

The photo was taken by our National President so we could see what the convention body (over 650 attendees) looks like from her perspective.

We stayed at the JW Marriott in San Antonio.

This is the view from my hotel room of the TPC Golf Course.

Day 3 consisted of two business sessions, Alumnae Luncheon, awards ceremony and a night out on the town at the San Antonio Riverwalk!

Every collegiate chapter ever founded by Phi Mu has a chapter banner at convention (even chapters that have closed down). At every convention, there is usually a parade of the chapter banners before the opening business session. I had the honor of carrying Alpha Epsilon's chapter banner in the processional of the 2008 National Convention when I was Chapter President. So of course I had to get a photo with my banner :)

With the current Phi Director and Chapter President from Alpha Epsilon

Our Alumnae Chapter won an award for Chapter Reporting!

San Antonio's official symbol is the quatrefoil which is just perfect for all of us Phi Mus!

We enjoyed some of the local Tex-Mex and took a boat cruise along the Riverwalk. It was awesome, especially because they let you bring your margaritas on the boat with you :)

Day 4, the last official day of convention, was pretty much my favorite day. We had the closing business session, an afternoon by the pool, Alumnae Foundation Reception and the Carnation Banquet.

I even got to meet one of my blogging friends, April, in person at convention!

We spent the afternoon floating down the lazy river at the hotel.

The first event of the evening was the Alumnae Reception for Phi Mu Foundation.

All alumnae who are members of Phi Mu Foundation are invited to attend.

It's pretty much the pre-party for Carnation Banquet :)

The final, and probably most anticipated, event for all of National Convention is the Carnation Banquet.

All of the Alpha Epsilons, collegians and alumnae, who attended National Convention this year.

I spent Day 5 of my Texas adventure in airports. Due to inclement weather, my 8:10am flight out of San Antonio (along with all the other flights from San Antonio to Dallas that morning) was cancelled. It took me 14 hours to get home on Sunday. I left my hotel at 6am on the shuttle to the airport. I had to stand in line for 3 hours at American Airlines to get a voucher so that I could get on a different flight through Delta. Then I waited around the San Antonio airport until 1:30 in the afternoon to get on my Delta flight to Atlanta. This was the most turbulent flight I have ever been on. I honestly thought that the plane was going to crash when we were landing in Atlanta. Of course once we got to Atlanta, my flight to Jacksonville was delayed. However, I didn't really mind because after that first flight and the anxiety of my day in general I was in need of a cocktail. Thank goodness that Sweetwater Brewing has a bar in the ATL airport. We finally managed to get to Jacksonville and I have never been happier in my life to see that airport.

Despite my horrendous travel experience coming home, I had a fabulous time in Texas with my sisters! I am so excited to get things started for another amazing year with Phi Mu.