Two Months Down...

Saturday marked two months since I began this incredible journey...and those two months have flown by! So much has happened since the last time I blogged, so I apologize in advance for the lengthiness of this post. 

I absolutely love it here. I have made so many friends, and continue to meet new people daily. I feel as though I have grown so much over the past two months and become so independent. When I got down here in August, I swore that I would never drive or go anywhere by myself. Obviously that was an unrealistic statement. I slowly started going places alone, like McDonald's and the grocery store. Then I took the brave step and went to the outlet mall alone. Last week I took the biggest step and went to church alone, and I'm so glad that I did! I was so far out of my comfort zone, but I was also so blessed. I have also noticed that I'm beginning to talk more and be a little more outgoing. It doesn't bother me to be around new people anymore, because I'm around new people daily. I'm changing so much and even though it scares me, I know that change is good. 

I've gotten to see so many friends from home recently. Stephanie, Alice, Brody, and Bryce came down at the beginning of fall break. Stephanie teaches with Mama, and our families have been friends forever. They took me out to supper one night at Downtown Disney, and I met up with them in the parks one morning. We had so much fun!!

Sweet boys!

They brought me goodies!

So glad I got to see them! First baby I've held in two months. :)

I also got to see Margaret, who teaches with Mama as well. She came by and saw me working. We didn't get a picture together, but she snagged a picture of me for Mama.

Our neighbors, the Hoells, came to visit me at work, too. I was so happy to see them and talk to them!

My cousin, Nancy, and her husband, Todd came down that same week for their anniversary. I got to spend some time in the parks with them and be Nancy's riding buddy, and they took me out to supper!

The next week, Heather and Ted and their girls, Mackenna, Karson, and Bristol came down. They go to church with us. Jack and I met them in the parks one day and then they took us out to supper! They also came to visit me at work one afternoon. 

Sweet girls!

That same week, Lisa, Michael, Life, and Willow came to visit as well. I got to spend some time with them and Lisa's cousin, Megan, and her family as well. Megan and her husband, Jim, both did the college program and now are full time cast members at Disney. I enjoyed getting to talk to them about their work and experiences! They also visited me at work, and enjoyed seeing my in action. 

Sweet Willow waiting on the parade!

Michael was excited about having his picture made with a cast member!

Riding Small World!

This past weekend Allen, Bill, and Josh, Jack's friends from Georgia Tech, came to visit. Allen is my cousin. I met up with them in the parks for a little while Saturday morning before work. Sunday, Lauren and I both worked morning shifts so when we got home we were exhausted. The guys were at Magic Kingdom, and it stayed open until 1am but it was super crowded. They had FastPasses for Big Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain and weren't really sure if they would stay after they rode those attractions. However, Lauren and I decided to be spontaneous and head to Magic Kingdom around 9:00...YOLO (I really don't like this phrase but it just fit perfectly). When we got there they had already been on Big Thunder and were headed to Space Mountain. Lauren and I didn't have a FastPass so we were debating on whether we should just wait outside or try to act like we lost our FastPasses...Desperate times call for desperate measures. When we got to the entrance, I saw a girl working who is in my Marketing You class. I went up to her and asked her if she remembered me. She did and she let me and Lauren ride with the guys! I was so glad that she was working, and very proud of myself for talking to her. I definitely owe her big time! It was 2:30am when Lauren and I got home and we were beat, but had so much fun!

Allen and I at Hollywood Studios!

Had to get a picture of our spontaneous night...ignore our demon eyes.

The past few weeks have been great and I have really enjoyed spending time with friends from home. I love hanging out with my new friends, but it's always good to see someone that I've known for more than two months. 

I have a few random experiences. One is getting to see where all the 3D glasses for all the parks are cleaned. I was checking cast restrooms and didn't know where one of them was. When I asked my coordinator, he said it was one where the glasses were cleaned and asked if I had ever been. I hadn't, so he showed me. I thought that was pretty neat. Also, October 2nd was Custodial Appreciation Day. I didn't even know that this day existed. They had snacks for us at work, and gave us thank you notes and "I'm Celebrating" buttons to wear. All the other areas (attractions, merchandise, etc.) had signed posters thanking us for what we do. It was really sweet. Guests often see me cleaning and simply say, "thank you," and those two simple words make my day so much better.

I love the sunny weather down here, but I am definitely missing fall. The leaves on the palm trees don't change like the leaves on the trees back home. ;) It's starting to get cool here in the mornings and at night, but it's still pretty hot during the day. 

Thank you again for your continued prayers and support. Like I've said before, I'm having the time of my life but I really miss everyone back home! The time to make decisions about next semester is approaching quickly. Please continue to pray that God will give me wisdom and that I will make the right choices!