We Change Just As the Seasons Change

For the first time in my life, I have experienced the changing of the seasons. Growing up in South Florida, I never had a real "winter" and never knew what it was like to see the leaves turn to shades of brown as autumn came. And every time I see a big pile of dead leaves, I have to resist the urge to act like this guy:

A little over a month ago, I came to Michigan State for the first time. I was still able to rock a t-shirt and shorts, but now October has really proved one thing: I am completely unprepared for winter. To try to prepare myself, I bought my first REAL winter parka. Filled with glorious layers of fluffy down or geese feathers or something and fleece-lined pockets, this heavy duty coat was made to withstand a frigid Canadian winter (no really, I bought it from a Canada-based store). I also purchased a beanie, which I realize is probably more for fashion than it is warmth. Still on the list are gloves, more boot socks, a pair of snow boots, and a new immune system (I feel like I have been under the weather for the majority of my travel thus far.)

Adorable husky puppies aside, I travel to Tallahassee this Friday for my chapter's alumnae weekend and more importantly: FSU VS NOTRE DAME. I really can't wait to be back in the city that I called home for several amazing, yet confusing years.

Here's some updated stats for you:

• I've visited the O'Hare airport 11 times and never stepped outside the airport.
• I've accumulated miles on 5 different airlines
• I've checked my bags on 19 different flights and they've only gotten lost once
• I've read 6 novels since my travels started 

If I visit the arctic tundras of Syracuse, Cornell, Indiana, Wisconsin (or anywhere similar) this January, I ask you one thing: please pray for me.

Enjoying the fall in Wisconsin earlier this week and sporting my new Kate Spade Saturday bag!

With love from East Lansing, Michigan,

Ilana

So where do you live? And other burning questions...

With every new chapter visit, you meet a new group of women who have never met you before. All curious and wondering, "who is this chick and why is she telling me what to do?" After I make my introductions, there are a few questions that are commonly tossed around during the visit. I decided to clear up a couple of these this blog post.

Consultant FAQs

Q: Where do you live?
A: Well, I live out of my suitcase and when I'm not traveling I live in Brooklyn, New York. Why Brooklyn? Because I want to live in New York when I'm done being a consultant so I moved all of my stuff up north to live with my grandma in Brooklyn. My parents still live in South Florida and I plan on visiting them during Thanksgiving!

Q: So is this your job?
A: Yep!! I work for Sigma Delta Tau and I am an employee of our Headquarters staff. This is my FULL TIME job!

Q: How did you decide to do this?
A: My sophomore year in college I met a consultant and realized "you can do this for a job!?!" As college went on, I become more involved in the sorority. Becoming a chapter president and attending convention opened my eyes to the National organization, where I felt more deeply connected to the sorority. I worked on several recolonizations and chapter revitalizations as a part of a national recruitment team. When it came time to apply for jobs, it was a no brainer for me. I knew that I needed to go for consultant and see what happened. In January 2014, I was interviewed and in February I was hired.

Q: What do you pack for 6 weeks? Are you a nomad?
A: I cannot make this up. I have literally been asked if I feel like a nomad/gypsy/homeless person. I pack very carefully because the 50 lb rule on your luggage is serious and SDT probably wouldn't tolerate a heavy bag fee. I pick simple pieces that I can mix and match as well as layer. For me, the hardest part was cutting down on the amount of shoes I wanted to bring. As it turns out, I don't wear heels nearly as much as I thought I would and I didn't even pack any for this second leg of fall travel. You live and you learn. And you learn to leave your shoes at home...

Q: Do you get paid?
A: Yes. My bosses on the other hand are AMAZING volunteers who not only dedicate countless hours to the organization, but then are our moms/therapists/shoulders to cry on. They also have kids and real lives. But yes, I get paid.

Q: Do you like your job?
A: Absolutely. There is nothing I would rather be doing this year (unless I was still allowed to be an undergrad in college)

Q: Are we your favorite chapter?
A: I don't pick favorites, but...

Q: What do you think about our recruitment?
A: Every single recruitment is so incredibly different. Of course there are similarities, but I can't compare Michigan to Wisconsin to Penn State to Florida State. Do I think some communities are doing amazing things that I wish I had thought of? Absolutely. Do I think some communities could be doing things better? For sure. The bottom line is that I love recruitment because of the outcome at the end of the process, and that is the same at every single school.

Q: Do you want to come to the tailgate/social/frat party/date function with us? Are you sure?
A: As much as I would love to, it's highly unprofessional for me to do so.

Q: Wait, you're only 22?
A: YEP. For some reason everyone thinks "National" and automatically thinks we're old. I'll be 23 in December.

Q: Are you going to do this forever?
A: As of right now, we are all signed up for one year. It's something that is an amazing experience post-grad, but the travel is so exhausting you can't help but want some concrete roots.

Any consultant can relate to these questions commonly asked by chapter members and people you meet on road. I am happy answer these and any other questions about my job, but for now I need to get back to my visit.

With love from Madison, Wisconsin,
Ilana

In 35 days I've learned...

With only a few weeks left until the first leg of my travels is complete, it's hard to believe how time has flown by. In 35 days I have:

• Taken 12 flights 
• Traveled over 2,883 miles
• Visited O'Hare 6 times 
• Visited 5 completely new cities 
• Connected with over 500 SDT Sisters across the country
• Missed BOTH FSU football games because of sorority recruitments! 

In my first 35 days on the job, I have learned more than I ever imagined. Here are some of the little life lessons that come to mind when I think about the last 5 weeks, interpreted through pictures so you can all see where I've been!

Being flexible is key. From door holder, to therapist, to water girl (see above!), to ICS specialist- this job requires you to be whatever the chapter needs.

Coffee fixes everything. My caffeine consumption has increased drastically in the last few weeks, but I truly don't know how I would survive without it. In every city I've been to, I visit local coffee shops. Champaign-Urbana is home to Espresso, one of my favorites! 

In every chapter and every new city, you will find people you have mutual friends with. It has been so comforting to walk into chapters and meet over women from my hometown (Hi Sydney and Shelby!) or women with friends who met me at other schools. Traveling to new places every day is hard, but these instant connections make the world seem so much smaller. 

The life of a sorority consultant is all girls, all the time. This statue of a spartan is the most interaction I've had with a boy in nearly 5 weeks.

You have to laugh and Heads Up is the best game for laughter. Through every challenge you face, staying positive goes such a long way. This night in Wisconsin will probably go down in history as one of the best nights of my year! 

Traveling is the ultimate game of patience. I have had more flight troubles than any of the other consultants (this is for an entirely separate blog post), but when you experience missed connections, canceled flights, and emergency landings...you have to keep your cool. Also, 51.9 lbs of a suitcase is really cutting it close. 

EVERY COLLEGE TOWN HAS GOOD FOOD. Special shout out to the spring rolls (and cheese curds, and ice cream, and tapas) in Madison, the Coney dogs in East Lansing, the sushi in Athens, and the SDT brunch in Illinois. You have all made the world a better place.

You need to have friends you can lean on. Thank you to everyone who has called, texted, and reached out to me during my travels! I love hearing from my Gamma Lambda sisters and friends who just want to see how I'm doing. 

There is no job that I would rather be doing. Through the crazy late nights, the happiness, the disappointments, the conference calls, the endless coffee runs, and the laughs...there is no job like this in the entire world. I couldn't be more grateful to make the transition out of college with a job like this one. It truly does not feel like I am working, and that really says something! Now, I am sitting in a hotel room in State College, PA and in a few days I'm off to Ann Arbor. I think it's safe to say I'm a professional jet setter now.

My first break will be for a few days starting September 24th. I will be in Brooklyn during this time and hope I get to see all of my NY friends! 

Something as simple as this

When I tell people I work for a national sorority, the opinions are very mixed. Some are intrigued, asking about my day to day life and my responsibilities as a traveling consultant. Some are supportive, they have probably had an experience with a Greek Life consultant in the past. Others are downright confused- "Is it like a sorority in the movies? Why would you work for one of those?" Currently, I am on my 3rd recruitment visit in a leg of 6 in a row. I left on August 6 and I will not return home until September 24. And yes, my entire life and wardrobe is packed in the suitcase that got lost on my way to Champaign, Illinois (since recovered, thank goodness).

Some women from this chapter are in the next room watching "Sydney White", the popular movie starring pre-rehab Amanda Bynes that puts Greek life in a less than-attractive light. A college freshman joins the same house her mother was a part of and classic sorority girl cliches ensue. Full of unflattering renditions of the college Greek system, you are taken through Sydney's time as a pledge (new member these days...) and her quest to bring down the Greek life hierarchy. This plot line is something the average member has come to accept, because the average member doesn't realize the perception non-Greeks have because of movies like Sydney White. Through the paper thin sorority house walls I hear one member say, "This doesn't make Greek Life look good."

About 20 minutes before they started this movie, one of their sisters came in crying because she lost her job at a local restaurant. As soon as they saw the look on her face, they instantly sprang up to console her. Through the tears she explained how everything had happened, barely getting the words out because she was so flustered. One sister hugged her and they all told her everything would be okay, saying how sorry they were this happened, how she was unhappy at that place anyway, and how now she could spend more time with the chapter for work week (pre-recruitment workshops). Something like losing your part time college job can feel like the end of the world, but in a matter of minutes these girls wiped away their sister's tears and her entire attitude turned around. They even offered to drive her to get pizza or whatever guilty pleasure food she wanted after a horrible night.

This is what Greek life is really about and this is why I truly love my job. Brought together by this common bond of sisterhood, you are guaranteed someone will always have your back. People may think they know what Greek life means (shoot, I sure thought I did before I joined), but they cannot even begin to understand it if we continue to show them exactly what they think we are.  Sorority is more than just parties and fraternity boys, it is (as I like to quote) a room full of girls who can call each other sister and mean it.

And after you lose your job, someone may even offer to get you pizza at 11pm on a Thursday.