On the night of September 10th 2011, I got home around 11pm and didn't fall asleep until around 1 am. I mean, how could I? Only a few hours before had I become the new Miss Red River Valley Outstanding Teen 2011! I thought about the early morning of driving an hour and a half and the uncertainty I had the whole way to the Moorhead High School. I thought about the talented and wonderful girls I met and the new memories we made with each other, from learning a new dance routine within the span of two hours to wasting the day away eating and talking about "girl things." I enjoyed every minute of it. And most of all I thought about the crowning moment when they announced my name. "And now your NEW Miss Red River Valley Outstanding Teen 2011...Ellie Bachmann!" What do you do at a time like that, when all your hopes and ambitions for so long all come together and are placed right on the top of your head? There were no words that came to mind at that moment, or if there were, I certainly don't recall. As I took my first walk, with pride and happiness I could not help but smile a little bigger, stand a little taller, and walk a little straighter.
As I fell asleep that night, I knew I would be dreaming about the new tasks and experiences that are only time away. For those, I could not wait.
Ellie Bachmann
