Lessons Learned

The Disney College Program changed my life. Looking back on the past nine months I feel nothing but pride and happiness. These months have flown by and I can't believe that it's really over. I am so proud of how I have grown and changed throughout this experience. I wanted to share just a few of the lessons that I learned.

1) You can do anything that you set your mind to do.

For me, moving to Florida for nine months to work for Disney was a huge step. Honestly, when I left home, I didn't think that I would make it. I was afraid that I would be homesick and have to come back. But really, it was the opposite. I fell in love. Sure, I missed home and the people, but I was never really home sick and I'm so thankful for that.

2) Support is everything.

Sure, I was living on my own. But I wouldn't have made it through a week if I was completely on my own. I was so blessed to have family, friends, and even strangers supporting me. Had it not been for people praying for me, I know I would not have made it. 

3) The inside is all that matters.

I met people from all over the world: China, Puerto Rico, Wisconsin, California, and the list goes on...We don't all look the same, talk the same, or act the same. But that doesn't matter. I learned to be open to new cultures, ideas, and beliefs, and that changed me. 

4) Attitude determines altitude.

I learned that your attitude makes a huge difference. On the days that I had a good attitude, I loved being at work. On the days that I had a bad attitude, it was harder. Thankfully there were always people there to encourage me. I hope that this is a life lesson that I always keep in mind.

5) God has the bigger plan.

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I realized that I really didn't. God has shown me that He always has the bigger plan, and that He can change my heart. But through it all, I've learned to trust Him no matter what. 

I have nothing but good things to say about the Disney College Program and I couldn't have asked for anything better. I have no regrets and I wouldn't change a thing if I could. Each and every person that I met blessed me so much. I will always be thankful for this experience and treasure the memories that I made. 

So what's next? Someone asked me if the program made me even more confused than I already was. My answer was no. Yes, I still don't know what I'm doing with my life. But the program didn't hurt that, it helped it. I believe that I learned more in the past nine months at Disney than I would have if I had been in school. I do know that I will be working at home this summer and hopefully I will be going back to Disney to put in some hours for my seasonal position as custodial at Epcot. As of right now I plan to return to school somewhere in the fall, and as of right now I plan to continue to pursue my degree in early childhood education. I say "as of right now" because those plans could be different tomorrow. Is Disney in my future? Who knows. I hope so. I left part of my heart there and hopefully one day I can return. All I know right now is that God is working and although I can't see the bigger picture, I'm trusting Him.

I'm sad to say that this is my last blog post about this particular experience in my life. I have really enjoyed blogging and sharing my thoughts and memories. Thank you for joining me on this incredible journey and for supporting me! I will leave you with my favorite quote from Walt Disney, "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." I'm so thankful that I had the courage to pursue my dream and believe me, IT CAME TRUE! Until next time...see ya real soon!

The Ending of a Chapter

I have been putting off this post for several days because I know it's going to be hard for me to write. It's so sad to think that this incredible journey that I've been on is over. I could write a book on how this experience has changed my life, but I'm not even going to get into that right now. 

During the two weeks prior to my last week I did a lot of packing. I knew that my last week would be filled with work and playing, so I wanted to get as much done as possible. I also knew there were several things that I wanted to do before I left, so I was sure to do those too. One thing I had really been wanting to try was a Dole Whip Waffle at Epcot. It's a limited time food item for Flower and Garden Festival. It is a sweet potato cinnamon waffle topped with Dole Whip and it is amazing! I'm so glad I tried it. I also knew that I wanted to see Beauty and the Beast one last time, since it's my favorite show at Disney. So I made sure that I saw it. 

Monday night my friend, Jordan, flew in. After I got off work I went to see her and we ended up staying up all night long talking. That was the first time I've stayed up all night in a REALLY long time, and I definitely felt it throughout the day. We had a breakfast reservation at Kona Cafe, which is a full service restaurant at the Polynesian. I had always heard that their Tonga Toast was really good and I wanted to try it. It was definitely yummy! 

Jordan hadn't been to Animal Kingdom much, so we went there after breakfast and when we finished there we went to Hollywood Studios. The wait times were really short so we were able to do several things before it was time for me to go to work.

Jordan likes to take pictures with strangers...and they always ask her to!

I worked a pretty long shift that day and was definitely relying on caffeine to keep me awake, due to the lack of sleep. Wednesday Jordan and I went to Epcot for a little while before I had to go to work. We didn't have much time because I worked earlier than normal.

Wednesday was my last day of work at the Polynesian and it was so bittersweet. We were a much smaller team at the Poly than at Epcot, so I had gotten close to everyone, even part time and full time people. Although I didn't really like the Polynesian itself, I loved my coworkers and it was so hard to say goodbye. 

Sydney had driven down on Wednesday, so that night we all went to CJ and Logan's house to hang out. Meghan was there, too! 

Thursday was my last day to play in the parks. Logan, Jordan, Sydney, and I went to Hollywood Studios. We got a late start but we still got to do a lot. We only waited 25 minutes for Toy Story Mania, which is the shortest I have ever seen it! They were hot and tired so they went back and rested that afternoon. I knew that it was my last day and that I could keep going, so I did. I went to my apartment and finished packing the last of my things and then headed to Magic Kingdom. 

I had been wanting to take a picture in front of the castle with my graduation ears and I knew I needed to do if before the sun went down. I was planning on meeting a friend there, but he was running late so I hung out by myself. I made pictures in front of the castle and met Mickey one last time. I also stopped by Jungle Cruise to see Meghan. I decided to see the 9 o'clock parade so I found an empty spot in Frontierland. At this point I was starting to get very emotional. I was still by myself and I was just so overwhelmed with thoughts of leaving. The parade ended up being cancelled due to technical difficulties, which was probably a blessing in disguise. I think if I had watched the parade, I would have completely lost it right there in Magic Kingdom. I went and got myself a Dole Whip and found a spot on Main Street to see Wishes. Logan, Jordan, and Sydney were on their way to Magic Kingdom and so was Yetziel. He got there first and I was so relieved to see him. We watched Celebrate the Magic (the projection on the castle) and Wishes with his friends. 

After that, I said goodbye to Yetziel which was so hard. He has been here through it all, ever since August. We had so much fun together and I'm really going to miss him! However this isn't goodbye for us. He got a seasonal position at Epcot as well, so hopefully we can work together sometime. 

After that Jordan, Sydney, Logan, and I went and rode several of my favorite rides, including the teacups, carousel, and Pooh. We ended the night with my absolute favorite: Space Mountain. This was my very first roller coaster as a child and I fell in love with it. Space Mountain is in the dark, and I have always wanted to see it with the lights on, just to see what it's like. For some reason, in the last few seconds of the ride that night, the lights suddenly came on and I could have cried! It was the perfect way to end my program. We took lots of pictures in front of the castle and then headed out. 

Last Dole Whip! :(

I am so thankful that Logan has been here with me the past few months. Knowing someone from home makes it so much easier. It was also nice knowing someone who had their own washer and dryer, not a community one! Haha in all seriousness, I can't thank him enough for everything he did for me, just by being there. We've always been friends but we got even closer at Disney. I am truly blessed by our friendship! 

It was so hard to say goodbye to this sweet girl! I'm so glad that I met Meghan and will always treasure the memories we made. I can't wait to visit her in California!

Love these three!

That night I went to eat IHOP with my coworkers from the Poly. This was our last time going out to eat together. We had fun talking and laughing together. It was so hard to say goodbye to them. We had all gotten very close. But hopefully it wasn't goodbye, it was just "see ya real soon!"

Nathan! 

Estefania!

Marisa!

Reiley!

Gabbie!

Friday morning I got up and packed what little was left and told Alicia goodbye. I'm really going to miss her, even though we didn't see each other a whole lot because of our schedules! I went to pick Jordan up and say goodbye to CJ, Logan, and Sydney. CJ was already gone to work so we said our final goodbyes to Sydney and Logan. As soon as we walked out the door I realized that I didn't tell Nala, CJ's dog, bye and ran back in to tell her goodbye! I thought that was kind of funny. I have gotten really attached to Nala, which is odd since I don't really like dogs. 

I had to go to casting to fill out some paperwork for my transfer to seasonal custodial, so Jordan and I finally hit the road around1 o'clock. Jordan rode back with me so that I wouldn't be alone. We made excellent time and there was hardly any traffic. When we got to Tifton, I saw a car that looked just like my friend Kaytlyn's. When we got closer, I realized it was her. She was one of my best friends in high school and I haven't seen her in at least nine months. We got off at the Chick Fil A in Cordele and ate together, and said hello to MeriBeth, a friend from home who owns that particular Chick Fil A. I finally got home around 10 o'clock and my family had a sign and balloons for me. Pulling into my driveway was such a bittersweet feeling. 

Going not Knowing

"Going not Knowing." That was the title of the message today at First Baptist Orlando. It was about Abraham and how he didn't know where he was going when God called him to a foreign land. 

This post isn't really an update with lots of fun memories and pictures. It's just something that I wanted to share, and something that I want to remember in the days and years to come. 

Today was my last Sunday at First Baptist here in Orlando and I was so blessed by this message. Like so many others, I am "going not knowing." The number one question I received last weekend when I was home was, "What are you doing when you move back home??" I wish that after almost nine months of living here at Disney, trying to figure everything out, that I had an answer to that question. But I don't. For months I, along with many others, have prayed for direction and for God to tell me what I'm supposed to do with my life. To this day I still don't have an answer, and as of today, I am okay with that. I know that God does have a plan for my life and He will reveal it to me in HIS time. So I'm stepping out on faith. One of the quotes that the pastor shared today was this: "Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led." -Oswald Chambers

My prayer is that in the next few days, weeks, and months as I face decisions that I will remember these four things: 
1) Our going is about obedience.
2) Our going is not based on what, but on Whom.
3) Our going is not about where, but Whose we are.
4) Our going never ends.

Like I said earlier, this post is just a reminder for me. The words I heard this morning were exactly what I needed to hear and I want to remember that. I am so blessed to have been able to have been able to worship at First Baptist during my time here, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. 

The End is Near

A week from tomorrow I will be in my car headed back to Georgia for good. Wow. I can't believe it's almost over. I don't want to even get into how I feel right now because I could write an entire book about it.

I do want to quickly write about several things I have done in the past few weeks. Several weeks ago, Logan, Meghan, and I ate dinner at Ohana. Ohana is a full service restaurant at the Polyensian and for months I have had guests tell me how good their meal was there. We made the reservations back in February so I had been looking forward to eating there for a while. It was worth the wait! The food was delicious and, as always, we shared lots of laughs. 

I feel like all I do down here is eat! Haha I also went to Beaches and Cream with my coworkers from the Polynesian a few weeks ago. We ordered a kitchen sink and ate so much ice cream! They are such a fun group and I'm really going to miss them!

Meghan and I decided to go to the beach a couple of weeks ago. I had been wanting to go ever since I moved down here and had just never gotten around to it. We went to Clearwater, which is about an hour and a half away. Even though I love being at Disney, it was so nice to get away and relax. We also went to the Clearwater aquarium and saw Winter, the dolphin from the movie Dolphin Tale.

Easter was a little different this year, and it was the first holiday that my family hadn't been here. We had the opportunity to sign up to make Easter baskets at work. It was so much fun and it was nice to do something other than stand behind a register. Guests could choose a pre-made basket or create their own. The Saturday before Easter I had a day shift making baskets. Once I got off, I went straight to First Baptist Orlando for their Saturday night service.  It was such a blessing. My roommate, Alicia, went to that service too so we took an Easter picture together! Sunday morning I had to be at work at 5am to help out the Easter Bunny. It was early, but it was fun. The best part about it was that I got off at 11am.

About a week and a half ago, I ventured out of Disney and went to Universal with Logan, Meghan, Bridget, and Amelia. Even though I've vacationed at Disney fifteen times and have lived in Orlando for eight months, I had never been to Universal. It was different than Disney World but it was fun!

On Friday I flew home for the weekend to see Nathan in the high school's production of Grease. I decided that it would be easier for me to drive myself to the airport and just park my car there, since it was a roundtrip. I definitely felt grown up and proud for doing it all on my own. It was my first time flying during the day and I was so amazed. I enjoyed being home for a few days and I'm glad that I got to see Nathan perform. They all did a great job. Monday afternoon I flew back to Orlando.

When I got home Monday, I went out to eat at Downtown Disney with my coworkers from the Polynesian. We had a great time!

I had the opportunity to see Blue Man Group with Meghan, Logan, and Amelia, and I couldn't resist. I had no idea what I was getting into but it was an amazing show!

I am trying to make the last week of my program amazing. I've already packed up a lot of my things so that next week I can just spend time playing in the parks and working. I know that it is going to be extremely hard to leave and say goodbye to all the amazing people that I've met, so I could definitely use some thoughts and prayers next week!

Last Family Visit

Last Tuesday the drama group from FCHS came down and Mama and Nathan came with them. I was able to give my Tuesday shift away, and that night they had their workshop. They learned the choreography for Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and performed it. They did a great job. I wasn't able to give my Wednesday and Thursday shifts away but luckily they weren't until 5:30p and 6p, so I had the day to spend with them. I did get Friday off so that was good. 

This was Mama and Nathan's last trip for a while. Mama and I really enjoyed just relaxing and doing things that we hadn't done in a while and some of our favorite things. The whole group was so much fun. Mama and Nathan are going to have Disney withdrawals too, because they've been almost every month since I've been down here!

Stopped on Peter Pan and hoping for an evacuation...

Had to get a few pictures with my favorite skipper! 

Wednesday night I was really bummed about having to work. I was standing at the register and a man walked in with three girls and said, "You look bored. We're gonna give you something to do." I just laughed and asked them what I could help them with. The oldest girl, who looked to be in about fourth or fifth grade, was looking for flip flops. While I was helping her find some, the dad immediately struck up a conversation. He asked me questions about the parks, where I was from, the internship, etc. They were from Georgia too. I probably interacted with them for thirty minutes. During that time, an older lady joined them, and they called her Ms. Judy. However there was never talk of a mom. By the time I rang them up, it was like we had been friends forever. I told them I would be working the next night if they wanted to come in and say hello, and they said they would. I got the girls stickers and the dad hugged me and thanked me for helping them. I'm not a very emotional person, but when they walked out of the store I almost lost it.  

When I got to work Thursday they had already been in and I wasn't there. They came back after my shift started to purchase something before going to the parks. The girls were so excited to tell me about their day at the water park. They told me they would come in and say goodnight, and they did. They asked if I was working Friday. I wasn't, and they were leaving Saturday morning. They hugged me and wished me the best. 

Friday afternoon Mama and I were sitting on Main Street waiting for the parade to start. I looked over and saw three girls and a man having their picture taken. When they turned to walk away I realized that it was them. I got up and talked to them, and they met mama. We found out that Ms. Judy was his stepmom. Mama asked him what he did for a living and he said that he owned an electric company and raised his three girls. That night they went into the store and told one of my coworkers how excited they were to see me at Magic Kingdom. 

Before they left Saturday they came in and asked someone if they could give me something. Since we don't do applausograms (positive guest letters) in resorts, they wrote me a fanatic card. To say that this family blessed me is an understatement. Not only were they all so friendly and sweet, but it was also humbling to see the love that this dad had for his girls. I never found out the situation with their mom, but I do know that he did everything for those girls to make them happy. It's funny how a complete stranger can have such an impact on your life. 

I only have a month left and it seems like time is flying. I have such mixed emotions about going home. I miss everyone and everything, but I also know that I'm going to miss being able to go to the parks every day. I still don't have a plan for the fall so, as always, prayers are appreciated!