Update on Life

I suck at blogging here lately. >.<

Anyway, I finally heard back about the PI I applied for, and........I didn't get it. :( Oh well. At least I still have my extension, so I can stay here a little bit longer. :) That's definitely an upside.

Speaking of staying here, I go next Tuesday to find out my new housing placement. I know I'm going to be living with one of my co-workers (Kim) who is also extending. We've gotten pretty close during this program, so I'm excited that we'll be living together come January 4 (move-out/move-in date). We don't know who else we're going to be living with. I guess we'll find that out next week. :)

So, I know that my blog has been mostly about the positive experiences I've had while I've been down here. And for the most part, this has been a very positive experience for me. However, there are times when it gets hard being here and away from my family. Like the holidays. I have a pretty big family, and I'm used to spending Thanksgiving and Christmas around them. And I love being around them. So, it does suck that this year, I missed Thanksgiving, and I'm going to miss Christmas. And it makes it hard because I haven't really had a chance to incorporate some of my families traditions down here. However, my parents are coming back to visit me over Christmas weekend, so that will definitely help because I'll be around them on Christmas morning. And I'm also planning to Skype with my brother and his family that morning as we open our gifts. :) It's not going to be the same as actually being around my nieces and nephew when they open their presents, but it will definitely help. :)

And the program does a lot to make sure that we have a good holiday season down here, too. They know that we're all away from our families, so they try to make up for that. They had a Thanksgiving feast for us the week before Thanksgiving, and on December 20, they're putting on a special edition of Grocery Bingo. Which reminds me, go to at least one Grocery Bingo game while you're here. They are so much fun, and if you win, you get a ton of stuff. They definitely treat us well here. :)

Plus, Disney has some amazing holiday traditions to experience and be a part of. The Magic Kingdom has Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party on select nights in November and December. That's probably one of my favorite traditions. I've been to the party 3 times in the past 10 years, and it always amazes me. :) Epcot has Holidays Around the World, which is my favorite thing to do. You get to walk around World Showcase and learn about the holiday traditions in the different countries. It's so cool! :) Hollywood Studios has the Osbourne Spectacle of Lights, which is amazing. I need to get over to the Studios to see those this year. And Animal Kingdom has Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade, which I need to go see as well.

So, even though I'm away from my family this year, there is a lot to do to still get in the holiday spirit. Although, I'm not exactly used to wearing shorts in December, which I was doing up until Wednesday night. Then we actually got a cold front, which meant I could finally wear jeans and a jacket outside. But we're apparently going to be warming back up here today. Our high for the day is 78 degrees. It never stays cold long here in Orlando. I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about that. :p

Well, time to get ready for work! Have a magical day!

Sick. :(

So, I'm officially sick. Ugh. I heard that a lot of CPs get sick within the first 2 weeks of the program, but I didn't think I would be one of them. But I am. And it sucks.

I left work early yesterday, and then I called in today because I'm sick. And I hated doing all of that. But, I can barely talk, I'm coughing, and my body aches. Considering I work in a restaurant, I thought it would be safer for everyone if I just stayed home today.

I did have my weekend Tuesday and Wednesday, and it was very fun! :) Cayla's fiance was in town, so I spent a lot of time with them. Monday night, we went to Downtown Disney to see "The Change-Up" at the AMC. It was a good movie, but I forgot that it was filmed in Atlanta....and it takes place in Atlanta. So I did get a bit homesick after seeing all the places that I loved (especially Turner Field...with a Braves game happening). But, it was nice going to a late movie after work, knowing that I didn't have to get up the next day. :)

Tuesday, we went to Typhoon Lagoon and hung out there for a few hours. We rode a lot of the slides, and spent some time in the wave pool. We even got to see Tiff and Jordan working! That was pretty cool. Then, it started storming, so we were going to wait it out. We got what's called The Sand Pail--a sand bucket full of ice cream and all the toppings you could imagine. The 3 of us ate it, but we didn't finish it. We almost finished it though. :) The storm didn't let up, so we ended up leaving and coming back to the apartment. Cayla and Ryan went and had dinner, and then the 3 of us went to Jellyrolls at the Boardwalk Resort. It's a piano bar, and it was so cool. We spent about 3 hours there listening to the guys play all these songs on the piano. And it was requests only, so we got a wide variety of stuff. :) It was such a cool place. :)

Wednesday was spent at Hollywood Studios. We did so much--I think we rode almost every ride in the park. We also saw Fanstamic! It was my second time seeing the show, and it was Cayla and Ryan's first time seeing it. They loved it! :) We then proceeded to ride Tower of Terror 4 times in a row. :) Oh! We were waiting in line for Rockin' Roller Coaster, and there was this 8 year old girl in line with her dad and brother, and she was terrified. She tried to run back out of line because she was so scared to ride it. We talked to her and convinced her to ride it. I told her that I rode it for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and that I freaked out the first time too, but now I love that ride. They ended up riding in front of me, and when the ride was over, she turned around, smiled, and gave me a thumbs up. She loved it! That was the coolest moment for me. :)

So that was my weekend. And now I'm sitting here in the apartment in my pjs, sick, and it's storming outside. Perfect sleeping weather, I guess! :)

Have a magical day!

Reasons Why I Love Disney [[Day 30]]

**1 WEEK!!! 1 WEEK!!!!**

Source: Simple Disney Things

This is one of my favorite rides, and when those doors open and you get the view of Hollywood Studios....it's so cool! :)

Reasons Why I Love Disney [[Day 23]]

**2 weeks until check-in!!!! Ahhhhh!!!!!**

Source: Simple Disney Things

I love seeing the earful tower, both the hedge one and the real one. :)

Day 30!

Wow! I can't believe that I'm done with this challenge, too! Ah! Now I just have to find something to do to take up the rest of the days left until I'm at Disney! :)

Day 30: Your favorite theme park show.

I have 3. Pretty much all the major theme park shows. :)

Fastamic! at Hollywood Studios

Illuminations at Epcot

Wishes at Magic Kingdom

Something That Will Be Hard For Me As A Cast Member

Source: Simple Disney Things

Since I've mostly known what is now Hollywood Studios as MGM Studios, it's hard for me to get out of calling it that. I've started training myself to call it Hollywood Studios, because I know that as a CM, that's what I'll have to refer to it as for guests. It's just hard to suddenly have to start calling one of the parks by a new name.

Day 25!

Day 25: A picture of your favorite childhood Disney memory.

It's not my childhood memory, but it's a childhood memory. :p When we went to Disney last month, we got to go with my siblings and their families. My sister and her family had been to Disney several times before, but my brother and his family hadn't. This was their first visit. And it was so awesome to get to be there with them for that, and to see his 3 kids take in everything. They all absolutely loved Disney World, and they can't wait to go back! :)

Day 20!

*11 weeks until check-in!!!!*

Day 20: A picture of the best way to beat the heat at Disney.

Frozen lemonades. :) 

Jeez, I can't believe it's day 20 already. Meg was right, this does make the time go by faster. 

Now to just get through the next 77 days!!! Ahhh!!! :)

Day 10!

Just a warning: Since I couldn't update when I wanted to last night, prepare for several updates from me today. I'm going to start with the photo challenge first, but I'll come back later and get all of the posts that I've been waiting (not so) patiently to post since about 6pm last night. This is your warning. :)

Day 10: A picture of your favorite ride or attraction.

I have 2 favorites, one old and one new. My old favorite (like, from my first trip favorite) is the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (the TTA). It's the first thing I have to ride when we get into Tomorrowland. It's a nice way to get off your feet, and it's a nice way to see Tomorrowland before waiting in line for the attractions. The best part about the TTA? There's hardly ever a line for it! :)

My new favorite is the Tower of Terror. I rode that for the first time last month, and let me tell you, it was awesome! :)  It will definitely be something that I ride every trip from now on. :)

Day 6!

*13 weeks until I'm at Disney!!!!*

Day 6: A picture of something you've never ridden/seen at the parks.

As many times as I've been to Disney, I have yet to ride Rock'n Roller Coaster or Expedition Everest. I know Everest is the newer ride, but I've been to Disney TWICE since it opened. >.< However, I will be riding these two rides at some point during my program. :)