Diamond Destination 2009 was in full swing these last few days. After a quick breakfast on Tuesday, all the distributors and corporate team came together for a meeting. Genuine, charismatic and energetic, it’s hard not to be inspired when hearing Dallin speak. Articulating the goals and objectives for the company in the years to come, he helped to focus the efforts of all who were present.
There were 2 highlights of the meeting. One was getting to see Maria Ramirez, who I haven't seen in months. Two was when Katy Holt-Larsen, of the MORE Project, showed us the video from our excursion. Every emotion came flooding back as I saw each memory flash across the screen. It was very exciting to see the footage of Joe and I playing the hand –clapping game made the cut. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Brett (our videographer) and Robb (our photographer and director) did such a wonderful job. The afternoon, Emily and I were off for Hula Lessons. Never have we laughed so hard in out lives as we did during this class. The movements are a mix of merengue and belly-dancing but you have to also add in story telling through the use of your hands, which is not required of the other dances. Shaking our hips we told the story of the “Hukilau.” It’s somewhere where everyone is going and where we like to go fishing because all the fish come to us. You’ll have to watch the video for the full jist.
From amateur hula to professional hula, the luau of Tuesday evening featured a plethora of different hulas, the most interesting being the hula with fire. But none of these compared to the hulas of audience members dragged up onto the stage including...drum roll please….Emily Allongo. Showing off her newly discovered skills, she rocked the stage with her hip shaking. On Wednesday we spent the day by the beach and pool while Faustino went scuba diving. Seeing sea turtles, spiny sea urchins and octopi, he has never been so excited. Chattering non-stop about the experience. Sadly, you can’t dive less than 12 hrs prior to flying due to the nitrogen in your blood, so he won’t get to return to the Pacific waters this trip. However, I’m fairly certain this is far from his last time.
That evening we all gathered for the farewell dinner. It was a joyous occasion where we caught up on the day’s events and vowed to stay in touch until our next meeting. Luckily, I was able to take care of 2 critical pieces of business: 1) letting Maria Ramirez know when I would be in New York, so that she could put me on her calendar; 2) securing housing with Katy Holt-Larsen when we stop in Salt Lake City. Both of which I’m very excited for!
Today we fly home. It was a wonderful trip and something to works towards for next year, but now it’s time to drive around the country. First stop – Arkansas.
