So this is how it ends..

It has been nearly two weeks since my last blog post and even so, that one was more of a blurb, and I will tell you why; I have had to self-terminate from my program. It was a hard decision that took a lot of thought but family comes first. i didn't share this information with a lot of people because their reactions were mostly, "Oh no, you can't do that!" But I can and I have. I have been home one week today, in glorious Massachusetts (-where the temperature has been between 60 and 70 degrees for the week-BEAUTIFUL!!!) and am attempting to address some problems with my family and with myself. I might've stuck it out a bit more if I wasn't so worried about my family, but truth be told, this time around unfortunately did not live up to my preceding program. It was hollow at points without my friends from my first program, and my vampire-like hours kept me from even seeing most of my roommates. I attempted to leave in the best way possible so maybe some day I'll go back. I know that I love working there and being there, I guess now just wasn't the right time. So TTFN, ta-ta for now, Disney World, and maybe I'll be lucky enough to see ya real soon!

Bucket list Update

I'm feeling pretty good about my bucket list right now.  My roommates and I destroyed the Kitchen Sink tonight:

Ohana means family...

     You guessed it, my family finally got down here. They arrived last Tuesday the 6th and left about four hours ago today, the 14th. I think we had a blast and it ended up doing really well even though I was super worried about getting the time off. I got most of the time off and the one night I had to work they were nice enough to give me an ER so I could go home with my family that night.
      The day my family arrived, last Tuesday, I woke up at nine o'clock (I would've woken up at that time anyway thanks to the shrieking new arrivals, we get it-you're excited to be here, but it's seven in the morning-can it!) and quickly smashed together an outfit and my heavy-as-all-heck suitcase. I had to take an A-bus to the Wilderness Lodge and then take a boat to Fort Wilderness Campground (where we stayed this past week) and then another internal bus to check-in. I arrived at the front of Fort Wilderness around ten-thirty. Apparently I was a little over eager because my family did not arrive until twelve-thirty. At that point I had moved from my excited perch on an exterior bench in the 100 degree heat, inside. I was very excited to see my family, but after a few hours it felt like we had never been apart. When a small van dropped us off at our cute little cabin, my mum asked our driver, the lovely Franz, the easiest way to get to Magic Kingdom (at this point I still hadn't gotten off all the days I needed for parks so we made the quick decision to go the first day). Franz quickly volunteered to take us right over to Magic Kingdom personally. So that was how it came be that after having been in Florida for less than an hour that my family arrived at the Magic Kingdom. Thank you again Franz, you are the best!! We went to Be Our Guest restauraunt for a quick service lunch (it has some amazing food there) and managed to do a ton of rides all in their very first day. Makayla adored the new Little Mermaid Under the Sea ride and it was really cool to get to show them where I spend almost every day.
        While they were here we got to do some really cool things and try some things we'd never tried before. We tried different restaurants, (some with more success than others) including the Coral Reef and Boma at The Animal Kingdom Lodge. We also sort of wandered into the Whispering Canyon (here's a hint, their theme is the exact opposite of whispering...) which ended up being pretty great. Jenni and I did the Wild Africa Trek together at Animal Kingdom which was really cool. I'll have to upload some of those photos! We saw a small pack of baby raccoons in the road one night that had our bus halted for at least fifteen minutes. We also managed to run into Peter Pan behind the Contemporary one night whilst he was attending to the Pirate Cruises and we were waiting for the boats to Fort Wilderness, similar experience for $54.99 less than those on the boats...
       On our last day in the parks we went to Magic Kingdom all day long. We managed to finally watch the fireworks and the Electrical Parade (though we saw the Electric parade that takes place on Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake several times this week.) and do almost every ride, the ones that mattered, all over again! We also went to Be Our Guest again for lunch and enjoyed the company of Pooh and friends, as is the tradition, at the Crystal Palace. Mum managed to use her last 11 or so snack points on slices of fudge (jealous) and we got out of there by eleven-thirty.  I'm really glad we had such a great time and that we got to do new things together (oh and that my mum finally got to see me draw a Water Mickey, I mean this is a skill that I have had for over a year and a half now at this point!). I really enjoyed seeing my family, they're always a laugh (sometimes I don't know how we don't get yelled at for all our giggling) and I'll be seeing them real soon for my aunts wedding so no tears and no fears!!

MickeyMinnie House!!! There is!!

Jenni did not appreciate our African fare..

Two Worlds, One Family

     I have recently been attempting to be a bucket list destroyer. I realized that on my last program i left with a lot of things that I wanted to do but didn't get a chance to do or just never got around to. I went to Design a Tee last week with Paige at Downtown Disney, I also bought myself an Eeyore Pillow Pet and we got ice cream at Ghiradelli. This Monday I went to the Boardwalk and to Epcot with some friends from work. Unfortunately heat and stress got to me again and I ended up tucking in early. I think that is the third time that that has happened with that group of people, I need to drink more water and to not stress out so much. Why am I stressed you ask? I work at Disney World, there should be no such thing as stress here!
    Well to start off, I really don't like Custodial at Magic Kingdom as much as I did at WSC. I miss World Showcase and my friends from my last program like I'm missing a liver.. or a spleen... or you know some type of organ that's found in my mid-section.  Also, though I've met some nice guests, I've actually been interacting more with the very angry ones. No one was ever really angry at WSC, drunk-yes, angry-no. And it's tough because half the time I just don't know what to say to them. But I'm trying not to let it get to me, I'm trying to breathe and look at the sky, enjoy the 99 degree heat, and just remember that I work in Disney World.
      My family is coming down next Tuesday and I am freaking out about getting the time off. Right now I have to give away three shifts their first week to get to spend time with them. I'll figure it out. If people don't take them buy tomorrow night, the bribery is coming out. My wonderful roommate Keri was lovely enough to drive me (and get lost with me in Kissimmee) to get my MainGate Pass so I will be able to get my family into the parks! I'm super excited to have a Disney family vacation, Disney family vacations are amazing, they always bring my family together and let us have a lot of fun and laughs together.

So,
In conclusion: My family is coming= excitement, Guests being mean= not excitement but rising above it!

Be...Our... Guest...

       Today I tried to bang out some bucket list items. My original idea was to do the Keys to the Kingdom tour in the morning, then go to Be Our Guest Restauraunt at Magic Kingdom, buy myself a balloon (because I'm a child), then make my own tee- shirt at Design a Tee at Downtown Disney. While I did get a few bucket list items done I will admit that plan shriveled. Nobody really wanted to cough up the cash to get a tour of the place we get paid to be everyday, so Keys to the Kingdom was unfortunately put on hold. Be Our Guest however was not.
       My friend Enaliz (who works MK Custodial with me) went to Be Our Guest at 12.30, waited about 15 minutes to get in for Quick Service Lunch, and were able to eat a lot quicker then we thought. We ate in the ballroom, I really wanted to eat in the West Wing but it was unfortunately packed. It's gorgeous in there. I came home and watched Beauty and the Beast twice in a row (that was actually an accident caused by laziness on my part) just to relive the beauty captured in this restauraunt. I definitely want to take my family for lunch when they come here, its amazing.
       Afterward we walked around Tomorrowland, intent upon riding Space Mountain, but we were unfortunately halted by its two hour wait. We instead rode the PeopleMover, playing spot the custodian, before indulging in some hardcore tenth degree shopping. I ended up buying myself a Dooney and Bourke Disney Sketch backpack, as I just love to spend so much money on myself.  I also bought myself a gorgeous scarf featuring The Little Mermaid. So the void in my life that can only be filled by belongings is stuffed for now.
        I headed home from Magic Kingdom with my friend Anthony around 4.30 because today was Makayla's eleventh birthday!! I got to Facetime my family who are actually on their vacation at the moment in New Hampshire and wish Makayla a happy birthday and watch her unwrap some of the presents I bought her (which my mum was kind enough to wrap and bring to New Hampshire with them). I feel bad because this is the second year in a row that I have been in Florida on her birthday. Hopefully I'll get to make that up to her when she comes down in a few short weeks!
         So bucket list items down:
                 -Went to Be Our Guest
                 -Bought myself a Dooney and Bourke bag
                 -And I actually got to grab a pork shank from Gaston's Tavern the other day while I         was on  my break.
        Also I may need to cross out the silly idea of buying myself a balloon. While it seems fun, they're actually about ten dollars each, and though the happiness it might bring me is great, I'd rather not throw ten dollars away on a puff of air. But Design a Tee is still on the list as is the Keys to the Kingdom tour. I'll see about doing something tomorrow. I have tomorrow off and as of yet haven't made any plans. I figure I'll just stumble into something fun. Or sleep. Sleep is fun.

Time Management: Not So Much

      So I have been slacking on almost everything lately. I am always so tired from work that I usually wake up at twelve in the afternoon. Twelve o'clock. I hate it, I want to go back to where sleeping in was ten o'clock and I still had some daylight to burn. But right now they still have me on vampire hours at Magic Kingdom, I don't get home until three o'clock in the morning with these buses. And you know a girls gotta eat so I don't go to sleep until four or so. I really need to change something, it's effecting my ability to get things done and enjoy being able to work at Disney World.
     But I've finally been trying to do some fun things in my days off. I got to go to Hollywood Studios with a few friends from Magic Kingdom Custodial on Monday. It was grand. We managed to go on almost every ride, even Toy Story Mania (twice!)!! We also got VIP seats at the Beauty and the Beast stage show.  It was glorious. I could see Belle's lip liner, that's how close we were. I tried green cotton candy (which was interesting) and I also bought my first Vinylmation. It was a surprise box of the Beauty and the Beast set and I lucked out with Belle:)

 It did unfortunately pour on and off, and I should be lucky that I didn't catch another cold from it. It was nice to be at Hollywood Studios, this was my first time there since my last program. It was also fun to just have people my own age to laugh with and hang out with.
     While I do like hanging out by myself, reading a book all day cozy in the corner, I really came back here to reconnect with people my own age. I have a very limited friend group back home, and those who are in it I love very much, but for a girl who commutes to school its hard to meet new people. Doing this program last time was great because of how many amazing people I got to meet that I never would have otherwise. It stinks that all of those people are so far away from me now, but getting to meet them in the first place was amazing. I'm hoping to meet some more amazing people when the Fall CP group gets down here. I don't feel like I've totally connected with anyone yet. I'm trying to remember that this is a new experience, though it may mirror he old one, and to not compare it with the first time around.
      I've been trying to have more fun at work. I really like just talking to guests, most of the people I get to interact with are pretty cool. They've also saved up and worked their butts off to get here and here I am, not happy at living here.
     SO: Moral of the day, I need to learn how to better manage time (aka write this blog at least once a week, I mean come on girlfriend...) so I can get more fun things done, I need to meet some new people and make more friends. And then, the dreaded F-word... I need to have... fun.
Suggestions for fun things to do in Florida are welcome, since my idea of fun (surfing the internet while wearing the ugliest clothes I own) can be done pretty much anywhere. So thanks for checking in and giving this a read, I really appreciate it. Hopefully I'll have some fun new adventures to write about soon!

Here it is: The Great Disney Adventure Bucket List 2.0

 I've done some of these before (most actually) but why not again??

-Actually go on rides/ go to parks rather than sit on the couch watching subbed Japanese dramas and stuffing your face full of pasta.
-Go on Tours (Wild Africa Trek/ Keys to the Kingdom)
-Eat at Be Our Guest Restauraunt
-VoluntEAR again
-Pin trade (get pins to trade..)
-Go pool hopping in the resorts
-Celebrate my birthday
-See a celebrity
-Go to Universal Studios/The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
-Halloween at Universal
-Go to Cocoa beach (and don't get lost)
-Eat the Kitchen Sink
-Collect as many GSF's as possible
-Meet some random characters
-Get some Ray Bans at Downtown Disney
-Buy myself another Disney Dooney and Bourke
-Watch the fireworks from the Polynesian
-See Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party
-Do all four parks in one day
-Eat at the Sci-Fi Diner
-Talk to Push, the talking trash can
-Design my own t-shirt at Disney's Design a Tee at Downtown Disney
-Visit the Boardwalk
-See DiVine
-Fill my autograph book
-Go to Miami again
-Get a tour of the Haunted Mansion
-Collect Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards
-Buy a Mickey balloon
-Try a pork shank from Gaston's Tavern

Also check out my bucket list from my first program:
http://jilliansdisneyadventure.blogspot.com/2011/11/list-1-disney-bucketlist.html
It was relatively successful, although I may re-add 4, 6, 9, and 14 to this times list!!

Fourth of July Fireworks in the Sky, (also forgetting all my funny stories...)

        I need to remember more funny stories. I don't really have a ton right now. I had a little girl tell me she loved me the other day, pretty much the highlight of my day. I have been called "Sir" more times than I can count. I got to see the inside of the Be Our Guest restaraunt the other day when I closed out their restrooms. I just kind of pretended I was lost (Oh are the restrooms over here... Nope... what about over here..nope.. try again!) I've gotten to see a lot of really cool bits of New Fantasyland that I never saw before. I love the new Little Mermaid section and the Beauty and The Beast section (Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie).
       I'm still getting used to working at Magic Kingdom over Epcot. The buses there are horrible and packed to the brim with people going to work, the buses back are horrible and packed to the brim with people who spent their day having fun in the park. it stinks but I'm getting used to it. I'm also getting used to my vampire-esque hours. The 3rd of July I worked from 8 at night until 4 in the morning. That's an exception for the holiday but I still usually work until 2:30 in the morning. Eh: What are you going to do?
        Actually I did put in a request to possibly work the Food and Wine Festival on the fall to shake it up. The Food and Wine Festival is held at Epcot every year and you can probably tell what its main exports are. If I get selected to work it (I'm really not sure what the chance are for that because I'm a CP) I would be moved to Epcot and work in either Merchandise or Quick Service Food and Beverage. I would love to be Merchandise, imagine how round my resume would be then!!! Librarian/Restaraunt Hostess/ Custodian/ Salesperson. I'd basically have qualifications for anything (unless it involves technology, I am so horrible with technology...). But no, it would be really great to get to go back to Epcot at least. We'll see, I wont find out until the first week in September.
        I'm settling in a lot better, I'm getting to know more people at my work now which is nice. There are some really great people that I work with, I'm just afraid of getting attached to most of them since they're leaving within a month. We'll see, I'm trying to plan more adventures. I definitely have to make that bucket list that I keep talking about.  I'd love to do some of the tours like the Wild Africa Trek and the Keys to the Kingdom tour. Just some things I didn't have a chance to do on my last program. I still really haven't done a whole lot at the parks yet. I've been to three out of four (I haven't been to Hollywood Studios yet), but even at those I haven't gotten a chance to do some of my favorite rides. I still haven't done Expedition Everest or Space Mountain this time around.  I'll have to get on that.
         So the fourth of July was this past week, Happy birthday America, I love you flaws and all (although we'll have to work on some of them..). Magic Kingdom was packed with guests because of its spectacular fireworks. Which I got to watch nearly every night for free. They were amazing, I'll have to find some pictures online. They definitely made me feel American, especially the finale.  'Murica!!!
         My family will be coming down in the beginning of August, I'm hoping to get enough time of to spend with them. It would be grand since I haven't seen them since May.
         Wahoo!! Alright, a lot of excitement on my end, catch up with y'all soon!! (I'll hopefully get better with writing these, especially considering I spend most of my days off watching Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Buffy the Vampire Slayer etc. on Amazon Prime and reading 2+ books per day, I could also do some blogging..)

Water Mickeys, Sore Throats, and Various Other Adventures

        I love Custodial. Let me start of by saying how much I enjoy the freedom of it, and that I really don't mid the gross stuff. It doesn't bother me. I like getting to talk to guests everyday and find out where they're from and what they're doing. I like being able to suggest to them that their daughter will love the new Little Mermaid ride and telling them to grab a FastPass. I spent almost twenty minutes the other day explaining to a family how to use the FastPass system. I even went with them to get their first one (for the Winnie the Pooh ride!). It was their first time at Disney World and they had never even heard of the FastPass before. It was great watching them realize that this meant they could get in almost twice the fun!
        I've mostly been working in Fantasyland. I've been able to see almost all of New Fantasyland, which I hadn't even seen before coming down for this program. Its definitely fantastic. I can't wait for my sister Makayla to come see it! She loves Ariel, and she'll actually be able to meet Ariel back in her Grotto this time around, fins and all. My family is planning to come down in the beginning of August.  And I actually need to head home the beginning of September for my aunt's wedding!!! I'm going to need a little time off... But hopefully since I work at Magic Kingdom people will want to pick those shifts up. I would actually love to pick up a shift back at WSC at Epcot before this program. Maybe I'll even grab some shifts from other parks while I'm down here. I'm going to have to make another bucket list for this program.
        I have been doing a ton of Water Mickeys and Minnies (you can see me doing a Mickey in some of my older pictures) lately.  There's not a ton of downtime at Magic Kingdom, but when my areas clean and the trash is clear, I love to break out the water. It's fun, it's a perfect way to get people talking to you, and people always seem to find it really impressive. It's also a good way to make people who are sitting out smile. I know I see a lot of people who have to sit outside waiting for the other half of their group to come off of a ride. I used a Water Mickey to begin a conversation with a lovely gentleman and his grandson from West Virginia. Its so cool how people will talk to you and ask you about your life. I love telling kids about the Disney College Program because if that girl in line for the Tower of Terror hadn't taken the time to tell 14 year old me about it, I doubt I would be doing it right now.
          But so I've had yesterday and today off and unfortunately they haven't been going so well. I'm fighting a hardcore cold, one that wouldn't dare to touch me back home in the sanctity of Massachusetts.  I'm also not faring so well with the insanely hot weather, I have been feeling icky and faint outside (which you know, stinks since my job is 98% outside). I'll deal, but for now it stinks because I've had to go home early from my off day festivities. I was supposed to head to Blizzard Beach with Keri and Diane today but when we got there I was so overwhelmed by the heat and my cold that I was considering just laying down on the pavement to die. Instead, my melodramatic self grabbed the bus back to my air conditioned apartment where I've been attempting at home cold remedies and typing away on creative writing prompts and this blog. I always get sick when I'm down here though, Florida really doesn't seem to like me as much as I like it.
        Oh, one more thing!! I got my first Fanatic card for this program the other night for my extensive Water Art and guest interaction as well as my assistance on a large Code-V.  Don't judge me..

The Bird Story

       I basically promised this on Facebook after publishing the status "I made a bird fall in love with me today, Snow White-style. Your argument is invalid." so here it is:
         My third day of work by myself I was working in Pinocchio's Village Haus bathrooms. It was nice, a little bit busy, but it kept me busy and I liked it. I was talking to a guest over by the baby change (she was really nice, we were talking about her cool Mad-Hatter (Tim Burton style) hat and her Cirque Du Soleil obsession0 ehen I noticed movement over her right shoulder. It was something small and brown hopping around on the floor. I didn't want to alarm her, as I was pretty sure it was a toad, so after a moment I excused myself and went over to it.
         It ended up being a very small, brown, possibly baby, bird. I tried to shoo it out and the girl I'd been talking to helped, but it came back in after a moment. It had flown out originally but it really seemed to just like hopping on the floor. The guest suggested that I just leave it be and that it would take care of itself. I figured she was right and my bathroom really needed all of my attention that I could spare. So after turning back to the baby change and wiping it down I tried to forget about the bird hopping around mere feet from my shoes. I changed my gloves and set of into the bathroom.
         I had barely gotten a few steps when my bird suddenly decided that it didn't like the floor anymore. It flew itself over to land on a woman's back. The woman was wearing a dress so I assumed the birds claws were ready to dig into her back. I immediately scooped up the bird and pried it gently from her back (I hope I apologized to her but I really don't remember exactly). The way I'd grabbed the bird I had had a towel in my gloved hands so it was cocooned in my hands. I rushed out of the bathroom with the bird asking any Cast Member if they knew of a tree nearby (not a whole lot of trees at the Magic Kingdom). A Custodial man pointed me towards some bushes, to which I hustled. These were not discreet bushes. Everyone saw some strange Custodial girl wearing bright blue gloves and carrying a BIRD scramble into the middle of Fantasyland.
         Satisfied that I had done my duty I opened my hands (which hadn't been very tightly clasped earlier anyway, I promise) and commanded that the birdy fly free. She wanted none of that. Instead she just sat on my hand staring at me for what must have been a good ten minutes. People came up several times, curious of course. It's definitely not something I do everyday. One girl took several pictures, if you see any of them online or anything I would love a copy, because after the first few initial moments of weird it was pretty cool. I asked several nearby children if they'd seen Snow White around because I could have sorely used her help. I mean I can clean but unfrtunately I can't communicate with animals.
        After a while I got kind of antsy (my legs were breaking kneeling into this bush) and I sort of scooted her gently onto the bush. She sat there, bored looking for a while. I got kind of worried after she hadn't moved but once she heard another bird (presumably male (or female, whatever floats your boat)) she perked right up and flew over. I guess she was just lazy. Or liked me, which is what I prefer to think.

      So there it is, the bird story. I've got plenty more tales to come, some not quite as magical and some not even happy, but hopefully I'll be better at recording them this time around.

So Far...

Since my last entry a lot has happened. I've been getting settled back into the rhythm of working here and living at Vista Way. I had my second round of Traditions (I won a critter this time!) and I struggled to get a new Disney ID. Word of advice, do NOT bring your ID home at the end of your program unless you remember to bring it back again. Bad things...

   But so I've gotten settled into my apartment (with about three more Dollar Tree trips) and I've been being trained at Magic Kingdom. It's nice to be working back in the parks again. I miss Epcot, but I know Magic Kingdom is like the hub of Walt Disney World, there are so many guests there and theres always stuff to do.  I like being busy and constantly having things to do and people to talk to. We'll see how it goes. I finished my training on Wednesday so I'm going to start my first shift by myself on Saturday. I'll be more excited when I know more about the areas I'm working in.
     I've had today and yesterday off. It's been sheeting rain though, Hurricane Andrea is hovering over us pouring buckets down which makes for not so much fun. I spent yesterday mostly lying around in the couch in a sweater. But I did manage to go to Epcot for about an hour and see Jay (while getting soaked with rain). It was weird walking around Epcot, where I worked for five months, and feel like a stranger. All my managers have moved around (and if they hadn't I doubt they would remember me) and none of my friends are there. It's probably best then that I'm working at a whole new place; a clean slate with whole new possibilities.
     Hopefully today I'm going to do something fun. With the mixup with my ID I really haven't been able to do much yet. I'm glad I got  to go to Epcot and its been really cool working at Magic Kingdom and getting to see the New Fantasyland expansion (which I formerly hadn't seen until I was doing a trash run around it). I have a pretty cool job and I'm excited to get more settled into it and to make some new friends hopefully (because right now I miss my friends from my first program like crazy).
     Oh! And last night I booked my family's trip to come see me! They'll be coming down in August. I'm ecstatic to finally have a date to count down to. I'm hoping to be able to spend as much time as possible with them. Having them come down is kind of a bright spot on the horizon. It's so dumb to say that its hard being down here (it's hard to live and work in DISNEY WORLD???!!(yes, sometimes)) but it sometimes is. Especially being away from my family and the friends from my first program. Once I get more into my job it'll be easier. Until then ttfn!

First Day/Second Day because I fell asleep while writing about my first day...

   Yesterday was my first day of my second program and the whole (super long day) felt like deja vu. I am working Custodial at Magic Kingdom this time, a little different. I am still living in Vista Way, building 20 this time. I kept walking by buildings and being like "Lori lives there- oh wait.." It is so strange to be here without my crew, its like walking through a skeletal structure with no one around. But I moved in all my stuff successfully, I am living with five lovely ladies and they all seem very nice. I got all my groceries (quote unquote, since I only shop at the Dollar Tree) and my roommates got lost at Walmart for four hours. Lesson of the day: never go to Walmart. The new DORMs system worked pretty well for us, we got what we requested and got through check in ver quickly thanks to it.
     I took a nap for a bit (thankfully) because I got zero sleep thanks to my anxiety/ excitement. When I woke up I got some stuff from Walgreens with my roommate Kaitlyn. And then, when the girls finally returned from their Walmart dis-adventure we decided to go out to Falafel to go dancing.

 

It was fun. It was really nice to bond so quickly with them and I am eternally grateful that they are so fantastic because its making this transition (and missing my old roommates) an little easier. But actually Paige and Lauren will be down on Monday, so I wont have to miss them for too long!
      At Falafel I actually ran into Jay (he had told me he was going to be there, it wasn't actually like a really cool coincidence). I got to meet his friends and dance with them and then they invited me to IHOP after. It was fun. If I closed my eyes it was almost like last time. Not a bad first day if I do say so myself!
   Today I tidied up, finished perfecting the unpacking process, did another Dollar Tree run for all the things I forgot (it was a lot of things..like a LOT), and did inventory of our apartment.  Now I get to go the 3 o'clock housing meeting (alone, of course(my roommates all have earlier meetings)) and then I have tomorrow off. Not really sure what I'm gonna do with it, already did all the things that need doing and I can't get in the parks yet. But I mean spending a day doing whatever I want sounds pretty awesome...
Especially in Florida.

Up Where They Walk: Adventure Time!!

    My flight is in less than twelve hours. Anxious is not even close to describing how I feel right now. Thankfully I'm a realistic enough person to realize that tomorrows not going to be like last time, it's not going to be a fairy-tale or perfect either. Somethings will most definitely go wrong (ask my nightmares), but so is life. My life is an adventure that I am ready to renew. I'm definitely excited to go and to be there, it's just the getting there that's scary. I'm very lucky to actually know plenty of people that are down there or are going to be down there. I'm excited to get down there and start a new job (sort of), meet new friends, and enjoy the beauty of the opportunities I have been handed in life. I'm really lucky in the things I've gotten to do in life. I'm also lucky to have met some amazing people along the way. Well then, here's to another adventure!!!

A Whole New World: Getting out of School and Back to Disney World

    Only nineteen days. Crazy. I'm halfway through my final papers, the end is so close I can smell it. Not taste it yet. May 14th is the last day of classes. My last shift at PF Chang's is supposedly the 15th but I haven't had a shift there in weeks so who knows? Oh, and I didn't tell you guys last week, I found a roommate and she seems fantastic. That's pretty awesome, takes a weight off of my chest. Now I just get to do some mini-adventures before I leave and pack. I'm hopefully going to the beach next Tuesday with Sam and Maria from school (get a tan on my pale legs if you please) after our final day.  Then white water rafting and general happiness.
  I am definitely excited to get to go but I'm someone who severely stresses out of everything. So while I'm thrilled to go down there and see some old friends and exhubarate in the Disney-ness again, I am scared of what I'm leaving behind. Thus far I have been unsuccessful in my search for possible credits for the program, so I may just drop out of school. Kidding, kidding, I kid. Maybe.
   I got to see my friend Shawn this weekend. He is the one who also worked at WSC and was in my last day story, and is one of the best friends a gal could have. Besides Jesus, Audrey, Andrew, Anna, Todd, Julia, Renae, Jess, Chelsea, Stephanie, Lauren, Paige, Jillian, Stephanie, Philaire, oh gosh it's actually a really long list.
  But so Shawn came up to Boston for the weekend for his friends party and I got to see him for a little bit. It was fun, I think he actually may understand the Boston T system better then I do. I met him at his hotel and went all Aladdin on him: I showed him my world. We went in town to Park Street and walked around the Freedom Trail. Then we went up to Faneuil Hall and ate some supper. It was nice. And we walked around the city. I was glad to see him and it was fun. I think he liked the city even though he'd formerly promised me he wouldn't. I like Boston, but maybe thats because I live in suburbia. I want to move in town someday. That would be great. But yes, it was great to see him. I actually also got to see my friend Chelsea when she came to Boston back in November/ December, which was great. Maybe one of my last blog entries was wrong (the one in which I proclaimed I'd never get to see my friends again). I was actually looking into going to Ohio this summer before I got accepted into the DCP again, to see Andrew and Audrey. But hopefully now they'll be able to come visit me in Florida. And my roommate Stephanie is going to try and visit me this summer as well, which is grand and I'm very excited to see her again.
    Alright, well I'll leave you with the nausea and excitement building, ta-ta for now!

Still Waiting, Might As Well Tell You A Story...

    Not much new here, still waiting. I'm trying to get myself back into the habit of writing a blog entry once a week. I still have two and a half weeks left of school then I have some very large final papers due (two 10 pagers and 2 12-15 pagers) but once those are done I well be all set. I am also actually going on a pre-adventure adventure with my friend and fellow Hostess ala P.F. Chang's, Jess.  We are going to go up to Maine to go white water rafting. I have gone two times previously with my youth group and it was an absolutely mind blowing experience. I'm going to be doing that on the 17th-18th of May so I'm trying to decide if I should finish my papers before then because I don't want to waste my time if I'm just going to die before I get to hand them in. Joking. Kind of.
    So sadly not a whole lot of new things to share with you. I have to go get my license renewed before I leave (because I'll be turning 21 while I'm in Florida) and pack (which you know will be a disaster). I'm also in talks with some of the departments at school in hopes that I can get some sort of credit this time (I didn't last time so I've got three semesters and nine credits to go). 
   But I realized the other day that I never told you guys about my last day working at World Showcase. I feel like this blog also helps remind me of all the cool things I got to do (except the super secret ones that you'll never know). Therefore without further ado, and before I myself forget, I present my last day at Epcot:

    My last day at WSC I was assigned to Germany/Italy streets. A nice medium section, not too hard but definitely not boring (see:China/African Outpost). Although I will tell you I was hoping that on my last day I would finally get to do Morocco/ France streets. Never got to do Morocco/France, depressing.  I applied for an ER early in the day so I could leave at the same time as my friend Shawn (who was going to drive me to the airport the next morning, the beautiful soul that he is). He also ended up working Germany bussing and taking care of the eatery-style shops. My ER actually kicked in at 6:00 instead of 10:00 so I was sent home early. I don't think that any of the managers even knew it was my last day. But it was a great last day because I was cut before my trash run and I spent 90% of my day doing water Mickeys on every available surface (a little girl helped me fill one in so he looked more "Mickey-like") and trading pins with people, including this amazing couple that showed me all of their Haunted Mansion pins. Pin trading really helped me meet a lot of amazing people. There was one couple that was actually from Western Massachusetts and I got to talk with them about how their trip was going. I'll never forget some of the magical surprises that I got to pull off. I met a lot of kids from ESPN that last day too, because for some reason they wanted them to get to spend their last day at Epcot.
   When I received word over my radio of my super-extra early ER I panicked. But Shawn told me to get gone. One of the other women had actually volunteered earlier to help me with my trash run so she gladly took it over. And I walked my slow sad walk back out to the office. Just outside the office I was met by my trainer Carmelita who had two trainees for the upcoming program in tow. I was nearing blubberyness at this time so I couldn't tell her much except goodbye. With the two girls she was training though I felt some pull to impart some infinite wisdom or something to them. Not so much. But I knew that because they were coming and I was going they would be instrumental in my remaining friends lives. Needles to say (because I am a psychic) they were, and I actually got to re-meet the two girls when I went back down in July.  Heading into the office there was no one to accept my pan and broom (I will tell you some of the full timers were eyeing my pretty pan and broom those last few days) so I had to track down one of my managers and inform him, without squeaking out my tears, that I was leaving. He printed off some certificates for me, which I now have pinned to a bulletin board, and I said goodbye, leaving my pin trading lanyard with one of the other custodial women and my pan and broom dejected in a corner. I cleaned out my locker and headed back to my apartment where I immediately painted my fingernails black (Disney forbids black) and my roommate Jillian helped me dye some of my hair purple. Ah, rebellion.
    Then I went over to Jay's apartment ( Jay is seriously a god send and no that is not a play on the fact that his name is actually Jesus, I'm pretty lucky to have him and all of my Disney friends in my life) where I stayed the night and Shawn drove me to the airport in the morning.
   My family met me back at the Providence airport with a big welcome home banner and it felt like something out of a movie, especially because of the set up at T.F. Green where I was actually coming down an elevator which I almost got tackled to. Then I grabbed my luggage and headed home. My parents were kind of mad because I actually spent my first few days home cleaning out my room (if I didn't use it for five months I obviously really don't need it).
  When I got home I resigned myself back to school work and real life, picking up the job at P.F. Chang's. I never would have thought that I'd be in this position again, only a year after my nearly-tearly goodbye. But I am, and I am ready to rock.  

We Will Not Live In Fear

   I figured I should write this entry after the events of Monday. I'm really not sure how much this blog shows but I am from Norwood Massachusetts and go to UMass Boston. I will trust you with the secret that I spent Monday in bed trying not to throw up, with tears streaming onto my laptop.  I love Boston and it's people. Boston is historic and beautiful. It's been here a very long time. And: It's. Not. Going. Anywhere.
   I wasn't scared for myself on Monday, my tears were for the hundreds of people that were there when the explosions happened. But sadly, and luckily, the events of September 11th have primed our response time. I freaked out when I saw the news at the fire (as of yet linked) at the JFK Library . For those of you who don't know, UMass Boston is right next to the JFK on the same peninsula. I know some lovely and amazing people there and my heart burst for them.
    But if I know anything about Boston and Massachusetts in general, I know that we are strong. I always personified us as a group of bears. We're friendly and cuddly like Winnie the Pooh, until you make us mad.
    My love goes out to all those affected by this horrible event and I hope you are able to find some comfort in the love that Massachusetts and the rest of the world has for you. Stay strong.

DCP 2.0

   You'd think that me having done the program before would make this second time around super easy. Not so much. Although I will say everyone's pretty supportive about me doing it again.  I, on the other hand, am freaking out. First time around I had nearly four months to prepare; now I have just over a month. I'm hoping to work with UMass in an attempt to get credit this time (or at least take some online classes or something) in order to keep up because I am going to be a year behind now. Give or take a few spare credits for my former aspirations of Nurse-hood.  But this time around it's also a longer sent- I mean term. During the red hot Floridian summer. I'm really a fall girl myself.
    I've started some serious To-Do lists, planning pretty much every day from now until May 27th. That's my departure date. A little earlier than I'd expected. I have to renew my license before I leave because I turn 21 while I'm down there.  I need to finish school strong (which is looking like a scarier and scarier prospect every day). And I need to get there. But the flights booked, the date is set. Ready set go, right?
     I've started working on packing. I definitely overpacked last time, but I'm now going double the time so what is double packing? I'm actually coming home in September for my aunt's wedding so I can switch out some stuff then. But at least I know not to pack an absolute ton of business clothes.  I rarely wore them and they took up so much space in my suitcase. I need them for Traditions and for class (which I'm for some reason not eligible to sign up for during the summer. Hmmm..). I figure I'll just pack my P.F. Chang's blazer and pants and a few plain blouses that I can also wear on the off days. I also now know where to buy almost everything down there. I can also use the ship to store option to pick up my comforter and bedding at Walmart. Plus (because I really want to live at Vista Way again), I can grab soap and shampoo from Walgreens and The Dollar Tree right around the corner.
       The only real dilemma I'm facing now is whether or not to pick my roommate before I go down.  I absolutely loved my roommate Stephanie from my last program, we got along splendidly, and we had fun together even if we didn't get to see each other all the time. That being said, my roommates definitely helped me grow as a person and changed my perspective on living alone. It was tough at points but now looking back on it I love them all. I've joined a few groups on Facebook (which is how I met Steph last time) but without success. If you remember Steph and I were going to live at a one bedroom in Chatham but when we arrived the only options were the 4 bedroom in Patterson or the 3 bedroom at Vista. It actually worked at great and I would love to get another 3 bedroom at Vista. When I say that in the groups though, I think it scares people. Vista Way (aka "Vista Lay") has a pretty scary reputation as party central, which I know scared me away from the place too. But in reality it has the cheapest rent, it's close to my favorite place in the world (THE DOLLAR TREE. I'm rich at the Dollar Tree), and it's really not that bad. I personally thought it felt "homier" than the other complexes which appear to be bleached clean versions of hotels. If that floats your boat.  I'm considering possibly going down by myself and just requesting placement in a 3 bedroom at Vista. But I would at least like to know the person I'm going to share my bedroom with.  My ace in the hole though is my 21st birthday. I don't actually drink, but on my birthday I will be offered the ability to move into a new Non-wellness apartment, so if it doesn't work out then I will be able to move into a new place. And I might fanagle it to somehow live with one of my former roommates from last program. I don't know how I'll manage that, most likely by framing one of their roommates in some spectacular scandal. Kidding. I don't have the time for that. Possibly bribery...
   But yes, that is what I'm up to. I also shared this blog in the Custodial Fall/Fall Advantage 2013 group, so if any of you have any questions feel free to post them on here.  I'd love to offer help without sounding like a pain: *pompous accent* "Well on my program..."

Forgot about my awesome Water Mickeys.
Although they cannot compare to Andrew's!

Here We Go Again

     So, I have been back in school now for nearly a year following my Great Disney Adventure. Everything's been going swell, all the ups and downs and all arounds of life have been upon me. When I got home I got a second job at P.F. Chang's in Dedham because Disney had me so used to working 40+ hours a week that coming home and working 3-6 hours was a real difference. I've been very blessed in that I have met so many amazing beautiful people in the last year and been given so many new opportunities. I have kept in touch with my friends from Disney who live everywhere from New York, to New Jersey, Virginia, Iowa, Ohio, Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia and beyond.
      At the beginning of this semester I was given the opportunity to apply for a two week study abroad program in Italy through my school. I, unfortunately, did not get in. About an hour after receiving my "nice try" email, I put in my Disney College Program application for the second time, because as a friend of mine said: I was always good enough for Epcot's Italy. Also I have a lot of friends going back down at this time as well (e.g. jealousy). This application was a lot less planned then the last one, but I am now the proud owner of a second acceptance letter and a second chance. May I present myself as a Custodial Cast Member (again!) for Fall Advantage 2013:)

So hold on to your hats ladies and gentlemen, buckle your seatbelts, and please keep your hands and feet inside because we are going for a ride!