Flashback Friday: Her Royal Highness

Once upon a time I was a princess. No, really, I was. I was the 2006 Minnesota Cherry Blossom Princess. It was quite the honor. No, really, it was. I just kept it on the super-secret down-low because what self-respecting 23-year old parades around town in pastels and kitten heels? Maybe a Hill staffer nominated by a Member of Congress? Maybe a lazy dork who got out of work to visit Embassies, take backstage tours of the Kennedy Center, National Cathedral, the FBI and dine on a riverboat cruise?

Princesses wear a sash.  Princesses do not however have an official taste tester to determine the safety of the culinary offerings.  Half of the girls came down with awful food poisoning.  I was one of them. 

Princesses are escorted by motorcade. Being driven around D.C. in a giant tour bus with Metro Police garnered a lot of attention. We were Z-list celebrities for a week and it was awesome.

Princesses are given a clothing allowance. The Minnesota State Society gave me a couple hundred dollars to buy seven days of outfits in any color but black. Princesses were told that black is disrespectful in the Japanese culture. There were 50 angry princesses when we arrived at the Japanese embassy to find that we were the only ones not wearing black…

Princesses are presented at a ball. I was the only engaged princess and had to wear my ring on a necklace because it interfered with my gloves. That’s what happens when you’re betrothed to marry a King!  But the best part of being a princess is the very diplomatic election of our queen, a spin of the wheel!  The lucky girl got to travel to Japan and represent the U.S. during the Japanese festival a few weeks later.  I wonder what kind of clothing allowance she got...