Hey Everyone!

So this is the first of the NS4 Update Journals that I plan to write for all to read and see. I get numerous phone calls, texts, e-mails etc each day from all of my family and friends wanting to know how things are going and how I am doing. I totally appreciate everyone's support and concern! It makes me feel missed and loved which is awesome because I love and miss everyone very much as well! Unfortunately they are keeping us so busy that I hardly have any personal time and therefore don't get to talk to everyone to keep them updated. SO, I decided to keep this update journal so that no one feels left out! So here goes!

Week one (or the part that has already passed) has been amazing and crazy! I arrived in Nashville, Tennessee on Sunday February 19 at around 2:30pm (EST, we are 2 hours ahead of PST). A fellow contestant, Jewels Hanson was on my flight which was great because it kept my mind off of leaving and being uncertain of what ws to come. I was met at the airport by Mark who is one of our cast coordinators. He took me to the Opryland Hotel which is where all 10 contestants are living during the show. I checked in and then was shown around to my room and the common room. The common room is a suite were all 10 of us can hang, relax, play guitar, eat, etc. It is amazing! There is a flat screen tv, PS2 with awesome games, pool table , foosball table, Gibson and Epiphone guitars, banjo and mandolin hanging around the room that we can pick up and play at anytime, food, drinks and snacks gallore, Ms.Pac-Man and Gallaga full size arcade games, and much more! After hanging in the common room for a bit I went back to my room and settled in. Then my good friend Jaysen Hawks (one of the best drummers I have ever seen) came and picked me up and we went to Dave N' Busters for dinner and played some games! It's great knowing that I have someone that I know back here! Jaysen and his wife Brianne are so much fun and I look forward to hanging with them more when I can!

Monday February 20: I finally get to see my roommate, Jewels Hanson! She is so much fun and I know that we are going to have a great time together! All 10 of us, Mark and Perry (cast coordinators), and a few of the producers, directors and crew all met in the common room to go over the tentative schedule for the upcoming week and to get adjusted to everything. Then we all went to start doing som extra footage that helps to fill in dead spots in the show or gives the viewing audience a glimpse at our lives here. We were taken to a parking lot where they wanted to shoot footage of us getting on to the Grand Ol' Opry tour bus. So there we were, all talking and walking towards this bus when in "total extreme makeover fashion", as Jewel's puts it, they moved the Grand Ol' Opry bus and revealed the Nashville Star Tour Bus with our cast photo on the sides! It was so exciting I actually statred crying! Ofcourse they were taping every moment of it! There went my plan not to cry on National Television! We then went and did more interviews and footage.

Tuesday February 21: We had an all day, full spread photo shoot for Chevy Trucks to do. It was lots of fun but freezing! The shoot took place in a barn and outside of the barn. We all looked fantastic and I can't wait to see the spread! It will be in Country Weekly Magazine available on March 6th.

Wednesday February 22: The show is sponsored by several big companies. Among those are Apple, Chevrolet and Gibson/Epiphone Guitars. Because of their participation in sponsoring the series the contestants get to take advantage of certain perks! One of them is that we get to use and play any Gibson/Epiphone guitar that we choose. The president of Gibson and our main point of contact person came to the common room to do a presentation of guitars to all of us! These guitars are stunning and have the most beautiful intonation! I ordered the Epiphone PR-5E in Dark Mahogany which looks black. It's gorgeous! After that we finally got to meet with the stylist of the show and she, as well as a camera crew, came to our rooms and met with us individually to talk about our wardrobe and look for the show! I am really excited about this part because I know she will do a fantastic job with all of us! Jewels and I agreed that she really seemed to get us! Then we were set free for the evening so Jewels and I decided to make a Target run! We had a ton of fun acting like dorks and buying stuff that we had forgotten.

Thursday February 23: We had most of the morning and earlier part of the day off, which was really nice because I actually slept in! WOOOOOO-HOOOOOOO!!!!!! Then I had to get up and get ready for our first "red carpet" event as a cast. We had to make an appearnce at the Gibson/Epiphone & BMI gala and guitar auction. For those of you who don't know, around Nashville there are all of these 10 foot tall guitar statues that have been paitned by diffrent artists. These guitars along with Gibson/Epiphone guitars that had been decorated by some of musics leading artists (Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Tanya Tucker, etc.) were auctioned off for thousands of dollars a piece to help raise money for many good causes such as United Way, Cystic Fibrosis and the Country Music Hall of Fame just to name a few. We had to walk down the red carpet and got stoped by all of the media to pose for pictures and do interviews! It was so surreal! They even knew our names! Vince Gill was on the carpet right infront of us! I got to meet people like Big & Rich and the Music Mafia, Jamie O'Neal, and the best was country music legend Tanya Tucker! There were tons of notable people there like Richard Marks, Chelly Wright and many more! It was a night to remember! Afterwards we all went out to a few local hot spots, sang some Karaoke and went back to John Rich's (Big & Rich) house for a jam session!

Friday February 24: We had a chance to go grocery shopping so I offered to let us all into Sams Club so that we could make our grocery money go further. So we all piled into the van and went to Sams Club and did our shopping. It was actually hillarious at times because there are a couple of pranksters among us and they would hide and scare the other contestants!

Today isn't over yet so I will include it in my next entry. Besides I think this one is ling enough! I want ot say thank you again to everyone who has really been here for me through all of this! You all knowwho you are and believe me so do I and I won't soon forget it! I love you all and hope to hear from and see you all very soon! Make sure to keep spreading the word and keep the Faith! Truly Thankful ~Monique

Don't forget to:
-Pick up Country Weekly magazine out Monday February 27 for the spread about all of us!
-Pick up Country Weekly magazine out Monday March 6 for the spread with Chevy Trucks!
-Frequent www.nashvillestar.usanetwork.com to see all the latest on all of us, including webcasts, video blogs and footage from our regional auditions!
-Watch and vote for ME! Starting on Tuesday March 14 on the USA Network!