As I finish reflecting on the past six weeks of my internship for my monthly intern report, I can't help but think about where I was a year ago. For those of you who don't know, a year ago, I had planted my roots in Wichita, KS as a Koch intern alongside some incredible people who I am blessed to still call incredible friends. We made lives for ourselves in "dubtown" as we bonded through our intern challenges, wine wednesdays, and discretely nursing our hangovers from thirsty Thursdays on Friday mornings in the kocheteria.
Today, many of these interns have become full time employees for Koch, and a few, select others have the opportunity to continue as interns this summer. While we were interns, we were told that sick days were closely monitored around an event called "Country Stampede," so I never really did any exploring as to what it truly was, but my understanding was that it was a four-day, country concert with a pretty incredible country artist lineup. So, when the pre-sale tickets were available, I checked out the lineup for this year's concert and immediately committed to making it happen this year - that was about nine months ago. Well, this weekend the 'Pede hit Manhattan, KS at Tuttle Creek State Park, and I had my ticket ready to go.
Exactly a year ago, I joined a group of my intern friends and helped pack up the
car to head out to Manhattan, KS where Kansas State is located to
celebrate the one and only Nick Moeder's 21st birthday in Aggieville,
the bar district of Manhattan. It. Was. Epic. In similar fashion, I headed back to Manhattan for Country Stampede 2012, but before I headed out, I had to see my friends. So, after Atlanta held me up with a couple of delays last Thursday night, I jumped on a plane to Wichita to meet up with my Koch intern friends! Words can't describe the excitement bubbling inside me as I tried to stay contained in my little airplane seat. I nearly ran off the plane to meet Nick who had graciously postponed his Thursday night plans to pick me up at the airport; however, while I got to see him, I also got to deal with the inevitable nonsense that accompanies flying through the Wichita airport.
If you ever have the opportunity to fly into ICT: don't. Save your time, money, and energy and fly into Kansas City and just drive where you need to go. Since I wasn't able to fit my new tent and sleeping bag into my carry on, I had to check a bag and thus, had to wait approximately 30 minutes for my bag to be transported the 30 yards from our plane to the baggage claim (the airport is tiny and our plane was the only one that had landed recently). In that time, I received countless calls and texts from my friends who were already indulging in our Thursday night traditions at Larry Bud's. If I had an award for my favorite bar - they would receive it. Thirsty Thursdays were a tradition last year as Larry Bud's as they host a classy karaoke scene every Thursday, have incredible drinks, and is central to where we all live.
Well, Nick and I headed straight to Larry Bud's to meet up with everyone, and I sprinted through the door (even the bouncer didn't try to stop me), and immediately started bear-hugging my friends!!!
Paige and Me!!!
One of the best roomies ever...fact.
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| Parker before I arrived. |
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| Parker after he saw my shining face. |
Larry Bud's in Dubtown!
From left to right: Cameron, Me, Chris
Married Couple Award
Mary Kate *Photo Bomb: Parker* and Alex
Paige rockin' out
@kchinterns 2011 reunion in 2012
From left to right: Nick, Alex, Chris, Mary Kate, Clare, Parker, Me, Cameron, Paige
Larry Bud's
From left to right: Cameron, new hire, Chris, intern/new hire?
Parker and Nick
Words can't describe how much I miss these characters
Katy taking the ice like the champ she is!!!
It was a little present exchange: a disposable camera for a Smirnoff Ice!
The crew!!!
From left to right: Katy, Claire, Parker, Paige, Mary Kate, Alex
While it definitely wasn’t a typical Thirsty Thursday as the
majority of my dear friends take their full-time responsibilities of adding
value more seriously than when we were interns, it didn’t stop Paige from
getting after the karaoke. As the night
continued and bedtimes called to some of my friends, Chris, Cameron and I
stayed. I met some new friends, and
we briefly bonded over our passion for futbol (on the right is a fan of Real
Madrid and the other two are fans of futbol Americana).
Before I knew it, in typical fashion, Cameron
and I were on the mic and singing “Something Like That.” When I say Cameron and I, I really just mean
Cameron, but I stood up there with a mic in my hand and swayed back and forth
to show my support for his growing stardom.
After a standing ovation from the nine other people in the bar, we
decided it was close to time to go home, so Chris drove me back to Paige’s
where I indulged in my couch-crashing obsession.
My new friends and me at Larry Bud's
Before I fell asleep, I went to set my alarm on my phone, and
realized quickly it was not to be found.
After stealing Paige’s phone from her nightstand and repeatedly calling
it, I contacted Larry Bud’s to see if they had found it: no luck. I called Chris and asked him to check his
car: no luck. I went out in the dark
where I had gotten out of Chris’ car: no luck.
The weekend plans were not going to be executable without a phone, so it
wasn’t a choice: I had to find it. Before
Cameron and I left for Country Stampede at noon on Friday, there was going to
be an epic reconnaissance mission. No phone + No car = Adventure. Sometimes people call Kansas bland, and I
would argue that you just have to spice it up sometimes!
With the whole morning's plans opened up, I decided to continue on a new adventure and go find some decorations to put up in Paige's house as she, her roomies, and a majority of the Wichita crew were celebrating her birthday over the weekend. I walked about two miles to Dillon's (for my GA readers that is what Kroger is called out here) and picked up a birthday card, some streamers, and without thinking the situation through clearly, a watermelon, too. Needless to say, the two mile walk back was slightly more rolling and so when I came across the liquor store it sounded tempting, and as my party-planning mode kicked in I decided to make them vodka gummy bears for the evening! I hope your picturing me walking down the road at this point. I'm sure I provided some Friday-morning entertainment to the drivers passing me by. At least they have sidewalks in Wichita!
I got back to Paige's and got to work. I now have a new appreciation for people who deal with streamers, or at least cheap streamers: they have a mind of their own. Well, after those ran out and the clock neared noon, I jumped in the shower as I didn't know how long it would be until I got another as we headed out to Country Stampede.
So, I have mentioned "Country Stampede" a couple of times, and it is now time that I describe to you just what that is. Had you asked me what it was before I went, my answer would have been a simple: a country concert with a pretty solid artist lineup (The Zac Brown Band, The Band Perry, Brantley Gilbert, Toby Keith, etc.). Now I know: it is so much more.
Country Stampede has replaced Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson as my favorite people-watching location of all time. I wish I had snapped away more pictures for your enjoyment but cell phone batteries don't last too long without being recharged...but wait: I had my disposable camera!!!! YAY!
G-rated Country Stampeders
Typical Campsite Scene at Country Stampede...at 3 PM
The Redneck Motel
So, around noon, Cameron picked me up and after grabbing a bite to eat at Chipotle, we hit the road and started our two-hour journey to Manhattan, KS which is the college town for K-State. At Tuttle Creek State Park, my eyes were opened to some of the most hysterical, Midwestern hick tendencies that were exacerbated by in fathomable amounts of alcohol. It was an adventure for sure.
Cameron and I met up with his friend, Rachel, who is currently interning at Koch. Apparently, this spectacle is practically a high school reunion for her, so we parked near her campsite and found an 18-wherever base with a tailgating area enclosed by it and four tents. It was ridiculous. We quickly joined in the festivities and here are some pictures that can explain better than words:
PG13-rated Country Stampeders
Rachel and her two high school friends.
Cameron playing catch up on Funnel #1
Most Creative Funnel Award
Me and our patriotic campsite neighbors
Making friends is one of the main past times of the 'pede
Rachel on Funnel #2
Tony the Tiger's Doppelganger on a Random 'Peder
Thank you, Rachel, for posing so I could capture yet another unique outfit.
Caterpillar's KS Dealer, Foley Equipment, reppin' it at 2012 Country Stampede
What would the weekend be without a friendly reminder of the career choice I have to make?!?
The Zac Brown Band at 2012 Country Stampede
At this point, I am definitely sober and the only one in a 10-mile radius who is, and it was awesome! As Rachel and I made our way back to Cameron, we found ourselves going in circles because of her resoluteness in her directional capabilities. Finally, I decided I was tired of walking in the same loop and led her back to her campsite where I dropped her off and headed back to Nick's campsite. People had already starting crashing, so I hopped into the corner of the huge tent and snuggled up with my new sleeping bag. Little did I know at the time that I had the best spot in the tent because around 4 AM (or what I can only guess was 4 AM due to a dead phone and no watch), the first raindrop fell and woke me from my deep, rocks-in-the-back slumber. Quickly, I maneuvered my way around the other seven bodies in the tent and grabbed my suitcase from outside to bring inside the shelter of the tent. Thank goodness I did because with the help of another tent mate, we brought in everyone's bags just in time for the torrential downpour to truly begin.
Back in my sleeping bag I snuggled up again and slept wonderfully...until my tent mates started squirming. I woke up to someone saying "are you soaking wet?" and quickly I felt around my corner of the tent and was relieved to find it dry, but my tent mates were not as lucky.
So, modern camping technology does a great job of waterproofing tents, and I was extremely surprised to find an inch-deep puddle of water sitting in the middle of our tent. I was surprised up until everyone was up and out of the tent and I took a closer look at the tent. In setting up the tent, the group found that the center portion didn't have a bottom, but in all of their camping brilliance, decided that's what the separate tarp was for. It wasn't too hard to realize the center portion was designed to be an open air area put in the tent to exclude critters but definitely was not meant to be slept in. Oh well: hind-sight is 20/20, and as our tent was the only one alive and kicking at 6 AM, we were pulling out of the park by 7 AM to go into town to dry off all of the soaked blankets, take showers, nap, and grab a bite to eat before Country Stampede Round 2 began. We went to Delta Sig where Nick and his K-state friends are brothers, and after a solid couch crashing session, I felt so rejuvenated that I passed up the opportunity to take a shower because I wanted to rough it like all of the other country stampeders! In retrospect, this was a bad decision, but you win some and you lose some.
The water-soaked center portion of the tent after the perfect storm...at 6 AM
Our beautiful model, Brett, showing off their champion tent setup
Nick and I
Drunk munchies on water-logged Cheetohs...yummm?
What's better than water-logged Cheetohs?!? Water-logged Trolli's...a breakfast of champions.
Nick Moeder in the near-fetal position recovering from Day 1 at Delta Sig
Six-person tent made into a ten-person tent
Check out the center...
My tent!!!
Lunch in Aggieville before Round 2!
Polish Horseshoes
You and your teammate throw a frisbee and try to knock the beer can off the PVC pipe while the other team has to catch the frisbee and the beer can to stop you from getting points! Ben and I won 2-1 no thanks to my lack of talent at first!
Lucy the Dinosaur
Bubba Keg has a new drinking vessel buddy!
Amerrrrrica!
One of the better shirts in my opinion
Brett and Nick
Brett and Nick
Gangstassss: Delta Sig style.
Amy and Alton
These two graciously offered to model the look that was all too commonly spotted at Country Stampede - people would literally walk around with their zippers completely undone, and it confounded me.
Nick dominating the funnel:
New Favorite License Plate
Cameron and Rachel
Me and Nick
K-State Friends!!!
The outfit...
K-state Friends!!!
Nick and Me
Notice the Red Solo Cup Arm Tat
Brantley Gilbert's Set
Making friends with the intimidating security man...I think that is his hat.
Well, compared to Day 1, I slept in. I slept all the way until 8:30 AM. At that time, the sun was shining so bright and the tents were getting so hot, that everyone was up and at it as they were taking down their campsites because it was the last day. So, I joined suit with everyone at our campsite, and after a serious cleaning effort and packing two cars to the brim, a group of us headed back to Delta Sig to take some seriously-needed showers. After scrubbing for what felt like an hour, I felt confident that I had significantly lessened the layer of disease I am sure surrounded me from this concert. About this time, I had the opportunity to go to lunch with two brothers at the one and only: the PITA PIT!!! Now, for those of you who don't know: hummus is one of my main food groups, and I am eagerly awaiting the day that USDA makes this the main portion of the food pyramid. I am so sure it should be part of the food pyramid that I want to open up a Pita Pit franchise of my own. Peoria seems like it could use a little Mediterranean magic, and I could definitely help make that happen. But my franchise dreams are neither here nor there at this point: it was awesome and the best way I could imagine ending the great weekend!
Best ad ever.
Manhattan's superb Pita Pit!
I would like to recap a few things at this point:
- Saw some of my best friends in Wichita on Thursday night
- Lost AND found my iPhone and it still works
- Got to see The Zac Brown Band
- Hung out with some incredible people at Country Stampede
- Got to see Brantley Gilbert
- Ate Pita Pit
Shortly into the trip, my shower that morning is for naught because I am sweating so much. I come to find out from my driver that the van was in the shop yesterday for an alternator problem...and the other vans in the fleet are experiencing trouble with the air conditioning. I can't say I am all that surprised but the driver acted as if he was. The air conditioning failure has me slightly suspicious. It just so happens to be a coincidence that he packed a cooler full of frozen water bottles. Now, I know I am a business major and a nerd because I sat in the back sweating my ass off and thinking of the top 50 ways this company could become profitable. In the end, I resigned myself to having the true surprise be if this company stays in business long enough to see the end if the summer.
My favorite part about the three-hour drive was the updates my driver would give us (there were two other lucky passengers picked up along the way):
"101 on the dashboard"
"102 on the dashboard"
Was the sauna shuttle ride worth it? Absolutely. The shuttle got me to KCI airport in time for me to hop on a plane to MSP and then on home to Peoria...just enough time to unpack and repack for my flight that left at 6 AM on Monday morning for work. It is weekends such as this that really make work weeks fly - especially when I take three-day weekends, but even more so when you share such great memories with such great friends.
Beautiful end to a crazy, fantastic weekend!
After this weekend, I can't help but feel a strong pull back to Wichita to join my friends in the incredible lives they continue to make for themselves there, but in terms of my job at Caterpillar, I am loving the work so much more than that I found at Koch. Life is what we make it, and I am so blessed to be faced with optionality. In times like these, I can't help but think of the quote found on a Mary Englebreit calendar my mom gave me years ago: "There is a choice in every thing we do, and remember, the choice you make, makes you."
