July 24, 2008
Melissa DiGiulian's Miss USA diary: April 17
Wednesday, April 12: Finally a day for relaxation -- shopping in
beautiful St. Michaels. I know the ladies really enjoyed their first taste
of Maryland's famous crabcakes, and to top it off, the desserts were
amazing.
Following lunch, we all got on a ferry to Ed Hale's estate. Here we
took photos and enjoyed a wonderful evening eating barbecue and meeting
many city officials. We eventually crowded around a television to watch the
special taping of "Deal or No Deal" on NBC with 26 of the Miss USA
contestants as suitcase models.
The ladies all looked fabulous, and I think that some could easily be
regulars on the show. I enjoyed cheering the ladies on, and I will be doing
the same for Chelsea Cooley, Miss USA, as she competes on NBC's "Celebrity Cooking
Showdown," which premiers today.
Thursday, April 13: We spent a good amount of time rehearsing today
for the big preliminary show on Friday, April 14. This was our first time
setting foot onto the actual stage at the 1st Mariner Arena, and I must say
I was absolutely speechless. Rehearsals went well, and later that night we
attended a pool party at the Merritt Athletic Club. The food was wonderful
and many of the contestants spent the night mingling or
dancing. (It's a great way to burn calories!)
Friday, April 14: Finally, it was time for the day of preliminaries!
This was the first round of the competition. We woke up early and started
the day with a preview in front of the judges in our evening gowns,
followed by swimsuits. I gave it my all and worked the stage as the audience
cheered me on. This was a night I will always remember.
Saturday, April 15: Today was the last stage of the presentation show.
I was interviewed in front of two separate panels of judges. Surprisingly,
the entire process flew by and we were back at the arena for more
rehearsals. Later that evening we dressed for our formal event held at the
Lyric Opera House. We were escorted and introduced while walking down a
grand staircase on the arm of members of the military. The rest of the
night we spoke with some of the sponsors and thanked them.
Sunday, April 16: Well one thing is for sure -- this has been the most
exhilarating Easter I have ever experienced. We had the evening free and
spent the holiday with our families. It was a wonderful end to a fantastic
week!
Most of the ladies competing can hardly believe we are just days away
from the live telecast on NBC at 9 p.m. on Friday. We are
all waiting anxiously for the results. We are heading to New York City for
a whirlwind media tour and a very special evening hosted by Donald Trump. The
first ever official Miss Universe Organization book, "Universal Beauty: The
Miss Universe Guide to Beauty" will be released. It should be a magical
evening.
Until next time.
-Melissa
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