My Phenomenal Alaska Trip: Part Four: A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

Since getting back home to San Diego, the memories of my great trip to Alaska keep getting replayed in my mind. This blog has allowed me the opportunity to share with you, my readers, my passion for politics and writing. This blog also has helped me to record my memories in a diary of sorts. Yes, I can proudly say this blog has become my diary. Since my last entry, I have had the chance to say “goodbye” to many of the seniors at the high school I work at. While many of the kids in today’s society are labeled as “lazy,” I can tell you that for every “lazy” kid, there are five or more kids who work hard. I know it because I have witnessed it this year. I saw many ups and quite a few down this year at the school I work at, but more often than not, the kids I have gotten to know have persevered. A week ago, many of them graduated. I can safely say that, yes, this girl shed a lot of tears (I’m a sap for happy endings). The tears I shed were all happy tears because I know these kids, I mean young men and women, will embark on a world that is ever-changing. To the young men and women of the Class of 2010, I salute you, and I know you will make me proud.

While I have tons of memories about my time in Alaska, it is the memories that I shared with Tracey Porreca that I will remember the most. As the former President of the Valley Republican Women’s club, Tracey is no stranger to politics. She is an amazing woman, wife and mother who, like Sarah, cared about the direction her country was headed and decided to do something about it. Many of you know that I have blogged about Tracey before. I was delighted to finally meet Tracey face-to-face when I traveled to Alaska. Tracey was generous and kind enough to chauffeur us around Alaska during a large part of our trip. We went to a variety of cool places, including souvenir shops and yummy restaurants. Yes, she was even patient enough to go with us to Walmart and “hang out” while my sister and I picked up everything we needed when we first arrived in Alaska. I don’t think she was aware of just how much my sister and I love Walmart- wink, wink. If I had to name my favorite part of my time with Tracey, I would have to say it was our trip to the Matanuska Glacier, about 2 miles North of Wasilla. The drive in itself was gorgeous, and we couldn’t ask for a better day to witness Alaska in all its beauty. It was so much fun to hike to the glacier. I especially enjoyed the “crunch, crunch” sounds from our shoes hitting the ice. And the glacier itself- ahhhh… what can I say, other than it was truly breathtaking and awe inspiring.

I have had the pleasure of getting to know so many amazing people via Twitter and Facebook. One such person I have had the joy of befriending is a girl about my age named Amanda. I got to know Amanda from Twitter because she was a fan of my blog, and we immediately hit it off with our love for pop culture and shopping. It was cool to learn that her dad is Alaska Lieutenant Governor Craig Campbell, who is a pretty cool guy. Amanda was nice enough to set up a lunch date with her, her dad and her wonderful his mom, Anne Marie at Sullivan’s Steak House in downtown Anchorage. Remember how I blog in the last entry that my campaign partner in crime, Camille Friend, was going to meet up with us in Alaska? Well, she arrived in Alaska a couple days before our scheduled lunch, so she was able to attend along with Krisha, Kristina and me. We had a wonderful lunch with the Campbells. Amanda and her parents are the most kind, generous people, and we all had a great time. As a pop culture, political-loving girl, I will take any opportunity I can to talk about these areas. Lt. Gov. Campbell gave me some great insight and awesome advice that I will take with me as I continue down my political journey. When Eddie Burke asked me to help out with his campaign for lieutenant governor, I knew Eddie was running for the right reasons. Like Craig, Eddie is a conservative who will put Alaskans interests above his own. Please visit Eddie’s campaign website and make a donation. His campaign is truly a grassroots effort. I hope each and every one of my readers will visit and donate $5 to the conservative cause. Alaska is so lucky to have a lieutenant governor who truly cares for the people of his state. He truly is the REAL DEAL! He may have decided against running for lieutenant governor, but I know God has big plans for him.

As my phenomenal trip began to wind down to a close, it was fun to end my trip on a high note. How else would you want to spend your final day in Alaska other than by spending the day participating in a local Alaskan parade? Krisha, Camille, Kristina and I had the pleasure of walking with Eddie Burke and some members of his amazing family in the Colony Days Parade in Palmer, AK. It was so much fun getting out and talking to people. Eddie had a great time talking to the people and listening to their concerns. Eddie really has a way with people, and people really seem to enjoy the ideas he has on how help Alaska. You wouldn’t believe how many people I repeatedly said how grateful they were to Eddie for running and spreading the common sense conservative message. I also had the chance to see Sarah’s mom, Sally, again while walking down the parade route. I went over, said “hello” and gave her a great, big hug. We chatted with her and another great woman, Carol Ryan, for a little bit before heading back out to wrap up the parade route.

Krisha and my flight was not until later that evening, so before we said goodbye to Eddie and his family, Eddie and his awesome wife, Linda, treated us to lunch. The Burke family did so much for us during our stay in Alaska, and they have become “family” to Krisha and me. Whether or not you agree with Eddie politically, you have to at least admit that he and his family are some of the nicest people that you will ever meet. Right now, I call him a great friend, but I hope very soon to be calling him Lieutenant Governor Burke. You can help this happen by donating to his campaign today!!!

After saying goodbye to Eddie and his family, we stopped by Chuck and Sally’s (Sarah’s parents) house to say goodbye. I know many of you have seen their house on TV during the election, but that does not give it the justice it deserves. Their house has to be one of the coolest houses I have ever been to, and I could sense just how much fun the grandkids must have when they come over. It is like a museum- scratch that. It is even cooler than a museum, and it doesn't hurt that they have the cutest puppy you will ever lay your eyes upon. Now, the first time I visited them during my stay, Chuck was nice enough to give us an amazing tour. As he showed us around, he took the time to show us the various artifacts he and the family had collected over the years. He also showed a lot of cool family photos and maps of different parts of Alaska that he and the family had been lucky enough to visit. As I listened to him tell us about his travels and the different things he had collected, I could see why he was such an awesome science teacher, and I made the point to tell him this. It was a privilege to get to spend time with both him and Sally. They are truly great people. It makes me sick whenever I hear the media attack Sarah and her family. How dare anyone personally attack such a great group of people? How dare anyone attack a group of people who they have not taken the time to get to know? I must say, that, after visiting and spending time with members of Sarah’s family, my time spent with them makes me want to stick up for Sarah and her family even more. These are great people, real people who value honesty and integrity- two traits that those who attack them could learn a thing or two about. I even got a keepsake memento from the Heaths that took back with me to San Diego, and I will cherish it forever. What great people!!! In fact, all of those I met while in Alaska were great people. I believe many of us in the lower 48 could learn a thing or two from Alaskans. There is just something so refreshing and so authentic about our neighbors to the North.

Thank you, Alaska, and thank you, God, for giving this Conservative Girl with a Voice an unforgettable trip to the Last Frontier, and for leaving me wanting more!!!

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Thankful for my Beautiful Mommy!!! A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice!!!

Happy Mother's Day to Sarah and Bristol Palin, as well as all of the other moms out there. I love my mom. If that old notion is true that a girl's mom is her best friend, then my mom is definitely mine. For my entire life, my mom has always put her kids first, making sure that we were always provided for. While my dad is awesome, and I love him to death, there is just something special about a girl's relationship with her mother. There are so many "girl moments" that I can recall having with my mom while growing up. I can recall a ton of funny moments and those moments that I had when all I wanted to do was be held and cry on her shoulder. I know I am lucky when I can truly say that my mom has ALWAYS been there for this Conservative Girl with a Voice.


I definitely know there were times when my mom probably wanted to pull all of her hair out over the antics of her three children, but she never quit believing in my brother, sister and me. She has always taught me to dream big and set big goals for myself. I can still remember the little things like her helping to run the PTA and always being there to pick me up after school and being the team mom for my softball teams. She has been there through think and thin- from consoling me in middle school over my "boy troubles" to taking me in her arms and telling me how proud she was of me even after I screwed up that puzzle during my appearance on Wheel of Fortune. I am so blessed and thankful God gave me a mom who has never given up on me even during the times I wanted to give up on myself.

I had a great childhood, full of so many ups and few downs, and mom made that possible. My mom was the individual who's responsible for the personal relationship I have with Jesus Christ. I will never forget sitting on the swing set, mom was on the swing beside me, when I was about five years old and accepting Jesus into my heart. I will forever be thankful to her and dad for bringing my brother, sister and I up in a loving, Christian home.

My mom has taught me so much, and I cannot wait to have a daughter whom I can teach the same lessons. One of the best lessons my mom has taught me is to always believe in myself and know that I can achieve whatever I set my eyes upon. This whole "world is my oyster" philosophy sticks with me to this day. I will never forget what mom told me recently as I sat in the car, on our way home from my Wheel of Fortune taping. I kept telling my family that I couldn't stop kicking myself for having screwed up that puzzle. I would have won about $17,000 and two trips- one to Britain and another to Cabo. I kept going on about the "what ifs" when mom told me to look her in the eye; now, for all you out there, you know good and well that when mama says to look her in the eye, you better listen and do it pronto! When I looked over at her, here is what mom told me:

"Rachelle, you were so blessed to be chosen to be on America's number one game show. Out of the millions who try out each year, you were selected. I know God has big plans for your life, and being on Wheel of Fortune is going to look like a small fete when you look back on your life. It is something to add to your bucket list. You are a beautiful, smart, intelligent young woman, and I know you will continue to succeed and do great things."

At that moment, with tears in my eyes, I knew my mom was right. I knew I had been blessed with the opportunity to do something so many people will never get the chance to do. With this said, I realize that I have so much to be thankful for and so much that I still want to do and achieve. It is because of the values and work ethic that mom has instilled in me that I know I can do it as long as I continue to work hard and rely on God in my life. Thank you, mom, for always helping me to believe in myself and NEVER giving up on me. I am so blessed and honored to be able to call you "mom." Although I may not tell you this everyday, I love you!!!

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Catch My National TV Debut!!! A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

Last March, I received an email from America's most popular game show, Wheel of Fortune, inviting me up to Los Angeles for an audition. Since I studied English and Journalism in college and grad school, I have always enjoyed watching Wheel of Fortune and playing along. In my wildest dreams, I NEVER thought that I'd actually be picked as a contestant. That is the same thing I thought when I filled out the online application for fun last February. After reading the information on the application, I knew that filling out an application did not automatically ensure that I would get an audition, but I thought, "What the heck; I'll give it a shot anyway." One of my fondest memories comes when I was a child and my family and I traveled to Los Angeles for a chance to be in the Wheel of Fortune audience. Now, I have to admit, I was a very spunky child, and I had many ornery moments that I look back now and chuckle about. One such moment came during the taping of the episode we attended. The employees are very meticulous with keeping the audience quiet, but being the spunky child I was then (I always loved the spotlight), I saw Vanna White approach backstage to the left of where my family and I were sitting, and I quietly yelled out, "Vanna" hoping she would hear me. Sure enough, Vanna heard me, and she waved and smiled at me. I was so stoked and excited, and I could tell that, although my parents thought that had to be the coolest thing ever, they had to be a little embarrassed too. The young employee wasn't too happy with my little stunt and glared at me, and I just smiled right back at her. Come on, I was a 14-year-old kid.

When I showed up at the audition, I learned that I would be attending the second audition of the day. The audition was held at a hotel ballroom near the studio where Wheel is taped. I quickly learned that I would be trying out with about 120-150 other people, and I learned that about five of us would be picked to appear on the show. I knew it was going to be a huge long shot for me to actually be picked, but being the competitive girl I am, I knew I would give it my all and pray that I would be lucky enough to be picked.

The audition process took about two hours. The first part was a written test, and I learned that there would be a first cut and that over half of the people would be sent packing. After I took the written test, I prayed that I did enough to stick around. When the four contestant coordinators started to name those who would be staying, I almost fainted right then and there when I heard my name called about 10 names in. I knew that I had passed the first test, but I knew it was about to get a lot tougher as I was going to be playing a mock game with the remaining auditioners. After we said our goodbyes to those who left us, we got to take a small break before being put into groups to play the mock game. I had already had an exhilarating time and made met so many great people. I have always been an outgoing, bubbly person, so it was easy to connect with them. We got to talk a little about ourselves, and the judges told us that if we got a letter in the mail within the next two weeks that meant we had been been picked to be a contestant. If we didn't get a letter that meant we didn't and would have to wait an entire year to be try out again. (I met many people that day in which this had been their second and even third tryout.) I just kept praying that God would lead me and that I would trust him and the plans he has for my life. This is one of the things I really admire about Sarah Palin. Like fellow believers in Jesus Christ, she knows that God is in control, and God will direct her on the right path. We just have to listen to Him. One of my fondest memories of Sarah's interview with Greta, that appeared right after the election, was her telling Greta that if God opens a door, she is going to plow through it. This is exactly what I am doing, and I thank God for giving me this opportunity. The contestant coordinators made it clear that being picked as a contestant was a fete in itself. Each year, six million people send in applications and audition, and out of that six million, fewer than 600 people are chosen as contestants. I heard that you have a greater chance of being struck by lightning that appearing on the show. Talk about pressure, huh?

At the end of the audition, the contestant coordinators took each of our pictures and put them with our paperwork, wished us luck and we were free to leave. The contestant coordinators were really friendly, and I thank them so much for being so great and welcoming. I knew it was going to be a long two weeks, and I kind of came to the realization that it would be a long shot, but I thanked God for giving me the opportunity to audition. After that twelfth day of waiting, I began to assume that the letter would not be coming to my door, but on the thirteenth day, I almost passed out when I saw that white envelope with the Wheel of Fortune label on the return address, and I knew what the meant- I didn't even have to open the letter, for I knew what it said: I had just been chosen as a contestant for Wheel of Fortune. I couldn't control my excitement, and I immediately began screaming and jumping up and down. My mom was outside in the driveway, and I ran out to her waving the envelope in the air, screaming that I had made the show. I was walking, or should I say running, on cloud nine. As I read the information inside, I learned that I would be appearing within 18 months. I knew it was going to be a while before I would appear, but I didn't care because I just felt so blessed to have been chosen out of all those who try out each year.

Well, fellow readers, 10 months have gone by, and I am happy to report that I received a call from Wheel this past Tuesday informing me that I will be taping my appearance this Friday. I am so excited and studying all things Wheel of Fortune. I don't know how much I will win, but I know that I feel so blessed just to be given this chance of a lifetime. I have no doubt that this experience will be an experience of a lifetime. I plan to just get out there and have fun; after all, that is what life is about. Life is a funny thing sometimes, right? As a young girl, I dreamed of one day spinning that famous wheel and now, 14 years later, I get the chance too. How cool is that? My advice to all of you out there is to just go for it, whatever that "it" may be for you. I am living proof that dreams do come true! After all, if you don't go for it, you'll never know what may have been! I wanted to share with you, my blog family, this amazing news and to also let you know that this is why I will not be blogging as regularly for the next week as I prepare for my appearance. Don't worry, I will keep you posted on when my show airs. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers and for the kind words of encouragement I have already received. You all are true blessings!!!

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