Things change.....

Change is a big part of life. I think the past few years have taught me this more than anything. And this week brought along yet another change.

Before I mention that change, I'll talk about a few other little changes.
1. Where I'm writing this. Usually, I write this blog from the couch in my apartment at Vista Way. I'd be using the black internet cord (because we never figured out how to set up our wifi) and would be scratching my head for hours before finally cranking out what I wanted to say.
2. The food I've eaten today. This gives away a big clue as to the change I will eventually talk about. On a normal day, I'd wake up, have a bowl of Honey-Nut Cheerios and a side of Morning Star Bacon Strips. By now, (if it were a work day) I'd probably be on my first break, and having a small snack consisting of apple juice, Laughing Cow cheese, and saltine crackers. This morning, however, I woke up and went to the kitchen, cracked open a sample box of Trix, and then stopped for a quick bagel from Bruegger's.
3. My weight. Yes, I'm going to be one of "those" girls and discuss my weight. Well, after going to the doctor's office this morning, I discovered that I weigh less than I have in 6 years. AKA since middle school. That's weird.
4. The weather. It's a cool 60-something degrees out right now, and I think it feels WAY better than a blistering 90-something with 80% humidity.
5. The seasons. It's becoming Fall right now, one of my favorite parts of the year for a number of reasons: A) My birthday is coming up soon [which reminds me of another change] B) The leaves change into beautiful colors. C) It's not too hot out anymore. D) Flannel season begins. E) I can eat Fall Foods like soup and mashed potatoes and not feel gross and overheated after. F) Jeans. Boots. Long-sleeve Shirts. Scarves. Hats. Enough said.
6. The change I mentioned with my birthday on it's way. I will no longer be a teenager. It's hard to believe that I will no longer be able to blame moodiness on my teenage years, or say I'm nineteen. I'll be 20. Twenty. The big 2-0. I will have lived two decades. Cars made the year I was born could potentially be viewed as vintage. So strange!

And the biggest change, which you may have guessed already. I'm no longer in Florida on the Disney College Program. Whew, that was a mouthful. Allow me to explain. It was not completely my decision, and it still feels like a dream, or a temporary thing. But as I write this, my roommates are moving out of our apartment in Vista Way and into a new apartment I'll likely never see in Chatham.

About 2 1/2 weeks ago, things all started to change. I started getting sick. First, I was just lightheaded and a bit nauseous, so I called in to work, thinking that I would get better in time for my trip to Chicago on the 27th of September. Then, when I wasn't getting any better, I decided it was in my best interest not to go. I developed a fever, and my body ached and felt swollen. A few days later, I went to a clinic where I was diagnosed with a respiratory infection, given some medication, and sent on my way. A few days later, the fever had not broken, so I went to the ER at Florida Celebration Hospital. They gave me some IV medication, and some other antibiotics to take, and sent me on my way. Two days later, and I was still not any better. I made my way back to the hospital, where I was admitted and kept for a week. This was the strangest week of my life. I was eventually diagnosed with mono, and the doctor said it was better if I went home to New York to recuperate. So, here I am. Back in New York to stay.

Of course, it was hard to leave Florida. I had made so many friends, and I was finally starting to appreciate where I was and what I was doing. However, I think that this might be for the better. It will be much easier for me to recover here. And I would rather not stay sick for another 3 months. I'm going to work on getting better as quickly as possible (without relapsing).

As a result, I'm pretty sure this might be my last blog post. It's been a wonderful experience, and I'd tell people to go for it. If you're independent (you have to be VERY independent and capable) and you're looking for an adventure, try working for Disney. It was the hardest but most rewarding experience of my life thus far. Even though at times I hated it, there were a number of times that I had more fun than I would anywhere else. And the best part? I got college credit for it.

My biggest advice? Don't get sick while you're there. You'll be going home probably a lot earlier than you had expected.

Hmmm. Where to start?
The past few weeks have been the same as the ones before. You don't realize how monotonous things can get until you work 40 hours at the same place all week. But here, it's not necessarily about how well you can deal with monotony. You have to learn to make things interesting. How do you do that, you might ask? Go out for movies, dinner, go walk around a park, go to the mall. Find things to do outside your apartment, and you won't go crazy.

But a problem that comes with going out all the time? MONEY. It just disappears! You'll get paid on Thursday, but if Thursday and Friday are your days off, your paycheck (or at least the amount of it that you can spend in the upcoming week.. for example, I try to put $100 a week in an account to save for a new computer) is gone. After groceries and one night out, it's possible that your spending money is all out!

I'm planning on going to Chicago on the 27th. Pretty exciting stuff! I'll write a blog about it when I get back.

That's all for now, guys. Not much to say this week.

Ohhhh we're halfway there, woa-oh, been living on a prayer....

Yeah, I know. Bon Jovi isn't my favorite either, but I thought that quote was appropriate. Why? Because I'm halfway through my program! I'm proud of myself for making it this far, when honestly I didn't know if I was going to make it through the first month. It's a big adjustment, and I thought I wanted to go home. At this point, I'm glad I didn't go home. I've learned a lot here.

What exactly have I learned? Well, for starters, I'm not quite as messy as I thought I was. Actually, as it turns out, I'm quite clean! It bothers me when the apartment is gross, and embarrasses me when my friends come over and the apartment isn't spotless. Another thing I have learned is that people can be REALLY rude. Before, I knew people could be horrible to others, but I didn't know how often it really happened. It makes me want to grow up and never flip out on an employee.

I've learned how much money it takes to live the way I want to live. I know that to earn the money I need to keep up the lifestyle I like, I have to go to school and make something of myself. And school? I don't hate it. I actually really enjoy learning and being able to discuss subjects intelligently. And I want to keep doing that for as long as possible.

Other than the things I've learned, I've experienced some pretty cool things here as well. Along with all the rude and annoying people in the world are some pretty awesome people. You don't even have to look far to find someone interesting. When I was closing the other night, I met these two little Asian boys who were absolutely adorable. They must have been 3 or 4, and learning English, because they'd speak another language to their parents, and their parents would coach them in English phrases. The first boy walked up to me, saying "Trade pins?" Of course, I held out my pin lanyard and allowed each of the boys to look at the pins I had. After trading, they walked away, blowing kisses to me!

Among the cute things kids do is their belief that the characters actually live. A number of times, I have been asked by little girls if I was Ariel. I guess I could pass for her, with my blue eyes and reddish hair, but every time, my answer to them is this: "No, I'm not Ariel. I have feet!" I love that the kids all truly believe that these characters are alive.

In two weeks, I'm going to be visiting Chicago for the first time in my life. Pretty exciting, right? I'm going with three of my friends who are ICP's (International College Program participants): Jess, Amy and Wendy. I'll keep you updated!

As for right now, I think it's time to relax. It is, after all, my day off! And, even better, PAY DAY!

So. I miss New York. A lot.

This week, like any other week, has had its ups and downs.

Some of the ups? Well, for one, I made a cake today. It's pretty delicious, no lie. It's vanilla cake with strawberry Jell-o poured inside. Pretty good, if you ask me. Another up? I got a comforter for only $15! It's pink with colorful stars, and since our thermostat has a mind of its own, the comforter was definitely necessary Not to mention the fact that it keeps me warm and cozy at night!

Oh yeah. Did I mention that one of my best friends, Deanna, started her program the other day??? I'm very excited to have her here; it hasn't quite sunk in yet. For the past 3 months, I've been texting her, getting updates from home and filling her in on my life. Now, we can walk over to one another's apartment anytime! Well, provided that we're home....

Some of the downs. School has officially started. I miss Cortland SO MUCH. It's more my style; Florida is WAY too hot for me. I've been seeing all sorts of updates from people on Facebook, and I'm itching to go back! Not saying that I'd go home early or anything, it's just a bit hard. I can't wait to be back there in January. Every time a guest asks me if I like Florida, I say "Well, it's ok. I just LOVE the snow. Honestly, the moment I get home, I think I'll jump in the snow!"

Another down? One of my friends decided he no longer wanted to be in the program, so he left. Things are so strange without him. That's the hardest thing about being here, the fact that everyone's in a different place. Some people are on their way in, some are leaving.

I miss being home. Is it too early to start the countdown to Cortland???????

When you wish upon a star...

... Anything your heart desires will come to you.

Yes, I know I've been slacking on this whole "posting blogs" thing, but I promise, it's been for good reason.

Since I last wrote, so many things have happened. A couple of my friends have left, unfortunately... I miss them a LOT. A couple live across the country, and a couple across the WORLD. That's the thing about this place. You meet people from halfway around the world, and become friends, but it's only ever a transitional time. Everyone is constantly on the move, whether their program is beginning, continuing, or ending. People move out, people self-terminate, and people get terminated on a daily basis. It gets hard, but you make some really great friends along the way.

Today, one of my roommates moved to another apartment complex. I'll miss her crazy self, but I think she'll be happier. I just wish she'd cleaned out the sink she left so nasty.

Work has been, well, work. Since a lot of programs have been ending lately, the people who have been staying have been getting a lot more hours. Luckily, right when I thought I was reaching my breaking point, my parents came to visit. I had about 5 days off to just relax. It was great!

Tonight, I'm planning on going to Downtown Disney. I don't know who I'm going to go with quite yet, but I have to get there to upgrade my parents' Admission Tickets. More later! I promise I'm going to make an attempt to write more often.

Extra Magic??

Yeah, I know it's been a while... Things get really hectic around here, no lie. Between working 40+ hours (welcome to Peak Season!), hanging out with my friends and actually getting time to sleep, I haven't had too much time to catch up with my blogs.

Work has been so-so, I can imagine you know how it goes. It's weird how much of your week is taken over by work! I'm exhausted, my feet hurt, and I never want to work again, but I go back every day so I can have some money (hahahah!) to save and spend.

Last week I had a chance to get out of Orlando, and made a short trip to Cocoa Beach. There, I spent a day frolicking in the ocean, drinking salt water (DELICIOUS. not.) and having fun in the sun. It was good to get out and get a bit of a tan. Finally I'm not quite as pale as I was, although my coworkers still don't believe me that I'll get more of a tan as I stay here longer.

Work last night was hectic, I won't lie. Since it's peak season, Animal Kingdom is open until 8pm every day, but when we have Extra Magic Hours, we stay open until 11 for guests staying on Disney property. People can get pretty ferocious, especially at the beginning when we are turning people away because they aren't staying on Disney property. But after a while, the guests realize that they need to show their room keys to get in line for any ride. Last night we had some really cute kids come through the line at Triceratop Spin. There was a little girl wearing a Snow White shirt, and a little boy decked out in Cars gear.

I finally arrived home last night around 12:30, to find my roommates and some of their friends hanging out in our living room. We stayed up pretty late talking, playing games, and just generally having fun. I'm a bit sleep deprived at the moment, but thankfully today is my Friday ( I have the next 2 days off) so I can get some much-needed sleep. Tomorrow I plan on going to the mall with my roommate Julianna! Hopefully I don't spend all my money, considering I do need to try to save some...

On my next post I'll insert some pictures, but right now I have to get ready for work. Only one 6 hour shift until I have 2 days off!!!

Realizations....... and some pretty cute kids.

It's been a while since I last checked in here, so I figured maybe it'd be a good time to do so. The past few weeks have been uneventful for the most part, I suppose. Nothing too noteworthy has happened. We've finally begun to work out the kinks in our living situation, and by that I mean creating a cleaning schedule. Our apartment was getting kind of gross, and I didn't want to deal with it anymore.

The strangest thing about living on your own is realizing how many products you use in a day, and having to replace them. I feel so grown up (and I'm still trying to figure out if that's a good thing...) because I pay for pretty much everything for my apartment. Between rent, my food, my toiletries, my bedding, and all the necessities I've purchased, it feels like I spend $100 every time I turn around. The most frustrating of all my shopping excursions was last night, when I made a quick run to Walgreen's for some shampoo. Daaaaaaaarn, can that place get expensive! For the amount they charge for certain items, they should be ashamed of themselves. I saw a bottle of body wash priced at $16. It wasn't even a good brand, just expensive! It's disgusting.

Another thing I'm realizing I took for granted was the food in the fridge (thank you to Mom and SUNY Cortland's Neubig, Corey and all the other food places...). It seems as though everything goes so quickly! I buy milk, and just a few days later it's gone! It shocks me!

In between all of these realizations, I have had some good moments. I'm continuing to make friends, even International ones. Work gets annoying, but I don't mind it too much (it pays the bills at least), especially when little kids make my day. About a week ago, I was working at the Triceratops Spin Greeter/Grouper position, when I decided to chat with these two little girls at the head of the line. They were so excited to be in Florida, see the Castle, and all that jazz. The older of the two sisters looks at me thoughtfully and says, "You look a lot like Ariel." Not a moment later, her eyes widened and she asked "Are you Ariel?!?!?!?!?!" My heart literally jumped; it was the most adorable thing I'd ever heard.

Well, that's about all I can think of to report for now. I'll write more when I get the chance!

Earning My Ears!

Whew! What a crazy week it's been so far, and it's only Tuesday! I'll try to give you the low-down as painlessly as possible. The past week, I've been "earning my ears" so to say (Disney's way of saying "training"), and finally received them yesterday! I'm now officially a Cast Member in Animal Kingdom's Dino-Rama! It's nerve-wracking, of course. There are so many things to remember, buttons to press, you get the picture.

When I haven't been working, I've been sleeping. Waking up for a 6AM shift is HARD, especially when you're used to staying up til about 3 or 4 AM. Needless to say, getting up at 4 is a bit difficult for me (or anyone who's in their teenage years, I would assume). It's weird to me that I have to leave an hour before my shift starts just to make sure the bus gets me to work on time.

Speaking of work, I have to go get ready for work. It's not until 2 that I start my shift, but on my first actual day, I would NOT like to be late. More later!

So much going on!!!!!!!

Alright, so a lot has happened since I last wrote. A few days of training have passed, but I've still got a couple more to go.

The past 2 days have been fabulous.. I've had off, so it's been like my weekend. I was able to go to the Magic Kingdom and get some great shots on my phone of the fireworks. They were B-E-A-utiful, to be honest. During the fireworks, Anilly, Julianna, Arrielle and I all sang loudly. Hopefully, nobody else really cared (we didn't get looks from strangers, fortunately). But even if we did, I was having a blast.

Some interesting things have happened on the job. It's one of my favorite things-- making people happy, seeing their expressions and whatnot. Every once in a while, I'll start talking to a little kid, and they'll be so genuinely excited to have seen Mickey or any one of the other characters. This brightens my day, because I'm part of the magic. I help continue Walt's dream!

I finally finished setting up my room, putting away my suitcase for the first time. I purchased some bedrisers, so I could just slide it under my bed. Finally, this place is starting to feel like home; we've got all the necessary food, and the decor is beginning to be a bit more "friendly." When we originally moved in, everything was white or brown and needed to be cleaned a bit. Now, I've got my tye-dye tapestry on the wall, and I'm looking to buy another one soon.

Today, just before I went to sit out by the pool (recently, this has become one of my favorite pastimes, considering the seemingly boiling temperatures and humidity), I registered for my summer class. It's called "Disney's Marketing You," and I think it will be an interesting class to be enrolled in. The entire purpose of the class is to show young people like me how to look good for potential employers. Next step? Buy the textbook. And the nasty school-summer-school-summer cycle continues.

Tomorrow, I've got a pretty early morning that I'm not looking forward to. What time is early, you may ask. Well, my friend. I've got to wake up at 4:10 to catch the 5:20 bus, in order to arrive at work by 6. Is your head spinning yet? Mine DEFINITELY is.

I'm finally here!

Alright, so as per my promise, I'm keeping you updated. Monday, the day finally came to move into my apartment. I woke up at an hour that I rarely see (unless I'm still up from the night before..): 4 AM. After meeting up with Julianna, our flight went pretty well. We arrived at about 9:30 to the Orlando airport, caught our Mears bus, and stopped at our final destination: the Vista Way Apartments. There, we went through a couple steps in order to sign in and receive our housing assignment. Julianna and I were placed into a 3-bedroom apartment in Vista Way, with Anilly, Arrielle and Sage. Yes, if you do the math right, we only have 5. That's because our 6th roommate arrived on Monday, and decided to go home that day. It made us sad =(.

Monday night, Julianna and I went to dinner at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney(DTD for future reference.) After dinner, our plan was to go back to our apartment and nap, but we ended up hanging out with our apartmentmates instead! Together, we swam, met some boys, and then went back to DTD for the remainder of the night. Being pooped (and rightly so) we went to bed shortly after arriving home(!!!) for the night.

Tuesday, I woke up bright and early, although it was a bit later than the day before. This time, I woke up at about 6:30, got dressed, and went to our Housing Meeting. That wasn't really the highlight of my day. You know how it goes. After the meeting we started decorating our apartment. I bought the foam for my bed, my pillow and everything I needed. Now, even though we're still in the process, our home is starting to look a little bit better.

After all the decorating, we went to the pool party in our complex, had free pizza, and danced! We went for a walk in Vista, and then dyed my hair, got ice cream, and swam some more.

Today, I woke up bright and early again, hoping that maybe this concept of "morning" would get a tad bit easier. When my alarm sounded at 5:30, I was not astounded to find out that indeed, morning still sucked. I got dressed up all nice and pretty for Traditions (our "Orientation" day) and went, for my first official time, to the Disney University. It was pretty exciting, honestly. However, I wore the wrong shoes. Apparently, 4-inch heels do NOT like walking on cobblestone. My feet were doing the "Disney Tingle" after a mere 10 minutes.

Just now, I returned home from the Magic Kingdom. I'm so excited to be a part of the magic and the show. There couldn't be a more right place for me to be at this moment in time. I love it here!

More e-mailssss!!

Things have been soooo busy lately, so I'll try to give you the run-down of what's going on. I got home from school, and haven't stopped moving since. Between seeing friends that I haven't seen in a loooong time, shopping for things for Florida, visiting family, and all the other things, I'm running around like a chicken wiht my head cut off.

Yesterday I received an e-mail from Disney! It was the "You're Almost Here!" e-mail, and just reminded me to be within Disney look, and all that good stuff. I'll be there in just 10 days! It's so weird that I won't be spending summer with my friends, but I'll make a bunch of new friends to share my summer and fall with!

That's it for now, I think. I'm going to go kayaking!

2 weeks, and...

I'll be in Florida, setting up my new apartment. I'm feeling so many different emotions right now, I won't lie. My emotions run the gamut, from nervous to excited to scared.. It's a pretty intimidating, exciting event!

I've been seeing people's statuses on Facebook talking about their arrivals in Florida, and I gotta be honest, I'm really jealous. However, given the opportunity, I don't think I would arrive earlier than June 7. Last week I finally arrived home from school, and I wouldn't've had much time to hang out with my friends or anything. So, in a way, I'm glad I'm leaving when I am.

Unpacking and repacking are definitely looming in the near future for me. I'm still unpacking things from school, and at the same time putting things together for Florida. I've been working on packing and shopping lists, but it seems to always just stress me out! Here's what I've got so far:

Shoes: Sneakers, Workout shoes, Flip Flops, Heels.
Shirts: 2 Long-sleeve Tees, A bunch of Short sleeves, camis, and going out shirts.
Pants: 3 pairs of jeans, 9 pairs of shorts, skirts, etc.
Dresses
Class clothing (Business Casual)
Jewelry
Make-up
Hair supplies

Towels
Bedsheets
Toiletries

Yeah, that's all I've got so far.... It's a work in progress, really.

See you all in 14 days!!

My e-mail says it's getting closer, I feel like it's a million years away!

I promised I'd keep you updated, so I'm staying true to my word. Lately, I've been getting an email every day from Disney, which is DEFINITELY not helping me focus on my finals...

A few days ago I got one regarding the Disney Look. It just reminded me that I have to be in the Disney Look Guidelines when I arrive on-site for Check-In.

Yesterday, I received one regarding transportation to and from the apartment complex. Since I already made arrangements, I'm not too concerned about it.

Today, when I went to check my e-mail, I had received one about education while I'm there. To be honest, I'm actually really excited to take courses in Disney. You know that kid who was really excited for the beginning of school with all our new notebooks and stuff? Yeah, that's me. Embarrassing, yes. But so so true.

I'm going home from school in under a week, I'm really excited to be home, even for just a short time. 19 whole days of being home, I feel that it's going to be rushed. But I'm going to see all my friends and family, and it'll be good =).

At the same time, I just want to get going! It's definitely time to get out of New York State. The other day, it SNOWED where I am... It's going to be weird in an environment without snow for so long; it'll be the longest time I've ever gone without snow or freezing temperatures! I hope my body can handle it...

Only 3 finals, 24 days, one plane ride and a bus ride til I'm in Florida!!!!!!!!

It's Getting Closerrrrrrrrr

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm super excited to be leaving. Really, there's only 32 days (31 til I leave my home) until I'm in Florida! The warm weather will DEFINITELY be a nice break for me, considering that I'm used to some pretty fickle weather.

Right now, I want to talk a little bit about the Disney Look. Since I'm freaking out a little bit over it, I'd imagine other people are too. First off, Arrival Day.

On Arrival Day, Disney says to be in compliance with the Disney Look Guidelines, but after talking to a friend of mine who's already down there, I realize it's more about just looking decent. So when I arrive, my earrings will be out (I have a number of them), my hair will probably be dyed back to a natural brown-ish color, and my shoulders will be covered for my ID picture.

When I'm at work, I'll be wearing my Disney-issued costume. It has to be worn exactly the way they tell me to, with my nametag on the left (I believe) of my chest in a visible place. Again, my earrings will be removed, and my hair will look natural. I'm not too concerned about my hair looking natural, honestly. I've got some pretty curly hair, and that's minus humidity! When it gets hot and humid in Florida, I'm pretty sure my hair will be HUGE, and that's fine with me.

Makeup is another one of my concerns. I love makeup: wearing it, buying it, everything about it. So going to work might be tricky, because I can't wear my normal dramatic makeup. I;ve been thinking about just not wearing makeup, but I probably will wear some. Basically, the look should be natural and blended, with browns and light pinks as shadow, black or brown mascara and liner. I can do that, I think =).

Packing is going to be tricky. How do I fit everything I need for 7 months in one 50-pound suitcase?! I think I'm going to be bringing 2 suitcases, since it only costs $30 to check another bag. The hardest thing to pare down on is my SHOES. I have almost 20 pairs here with me at college, and I'm guessing not all of them can come with me... More on that later.

I'm stoked beyond belief! I'm going to miss my family and friends, but think about it: I'll be making soooooo many new friends and memories! 32 <3

It's starting to hit me...

It's getting to the point where I'm really starting to "get" that I'm going to Florida. I've booked my flight (6AM out of Westchester County, NY.... Arriving at 9AM in Orlando!) and transportation to the Vista Way Apartments, where I will be living for the next 7 months. I'm putting together a packing list (still working on it, I'll try to post it when I'm done...) and getting whatever I can get done away from home.. done.

One of the things I'm most anxious for are the rules in the "Disney Look." It's a pretty strict dress code, and I don't know how strictly they follow it. During classes, the attire is supposed to be "Business casual," but a lot of fabrics are not allowed, and there are a bunch of restrictions on the length of dresses and skirts, you get the picture. They also have rules about makeup (natural, blended makeup), jewelry (one ring on each hand, exceptions being the wedding set), and earrings (only one earring in each ear, lower part of the lobe. None for guys). For the most part, it shouldn't be too much of an issue because I have dealt with pretty strict dress codes before, but I'm still a little nervous.

I'm also a little nervous about the "critters" found in central Florida. A girl I went to high school with is there now, and she said they had a snake on their porch the other day! There are lizards, big spiders, and all sorts of creepy crawlies. Most of them don't bother me too much, but the spiders.... they're another story.

However, the weather... I'm so excited to be in warm weather for the majority of the year! Being from upstate New York, I'm used to 2 short months of warmer weather, followed by about 10 months of pretty chilly weather. And, the weather is notorious for flip-flopping (for example, it was about 20 degrees and snowing the other day, and today it's maybe 60 out). I realize that it rains in Florida pretty much every day, but I can get used to that.

There's only a couple more days left of school: our classes are wrapping up, we're preparing for finals, and getting ready to pack up and move back in with our parents. More than ever, I'm getting used to the idea of being home for just 2 weeks and then making my way to Disney. FINALLY!

Even more paperwork!?

It's been a while since I posted here, so I decided to start posting more often.

Here we are, 47 days to kickoff, and I'm overwhelmed with work. Not only is it the home stretch for my first year away at college, but I'm trying to get my stuff together to go to Disney-- all while I'm not home! It's tricky, but right now I'm taking care of all the paperwork end of things (or at least what I can without my parents.)

In the past few weeks since I wrote, a lot of things have happened. I handed in all the paperwork for Cortland, verifying that I'd be living and working in Florida a few weeks ago, and things have started to straighten themselves out. One particularly funny event was when the ResLife and Housing office sent me paperwork to verify that my internship wasn't within commuting distance from Cortland. Yep, I'll fly back and forth every day, no big deal. Other than that, I've done about 30 pages of filling out my name, signing, and dating for Disney, and I'm pretty sure there will be more once I arrive.

Another extra concern: packing. Since I live in Upstate New York, and both my parents work full time, and I have no car of my own, I will be flying down BY MYSELF! I'm nervous, but it'll be an adventure, I suppose. Everyone knows though, that airlines can be pretty picky with their regulations and whatnot. I'm working on a packing list, and as soon as I have it all finished, I'll post it here.

My Disney Roommate, Julianna, and I have been freaking out for the past few weeks, but even more so this week. Why? I'm supposed to hear back from the Disney Entertainment Audition I went to on March 30 in my hometown. I'm super nervous, but at this point, I know I'm going so it'd just be icing on the cake. Either way, I'm going to be part of the magic, and that excites me beyond belief!

The other thing Julianna and I have been flipping over is our apartment. At this point, we think we want to live in a 6-person apartment. It's a manageable size for girls, and cooking might be easier. I can't wait to be cooking for myself-- I loooooooove cooking! Especially baking. I can't wait to have birthdays and parties and things like that at our apartment-- if our other roommates don't mind.

It's so close!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How excited?

For those of you who have never heard of the Disney College Program, let me tell you a little bit about it. Every semester, Disney hires college students to be cast members (their word for employees) in their theme parks across the world. This upcoming semester, I've been lucky enough to be chosen! I arrive in Disney on June 7th, 2010 and will be living, eating, breathing, and pretty much doing everything there for almost 7 months!

Needless to say, I'm pretty jazzed about it. My friend Julianna is going to be working there the same time as me, and a few of my other friends will be joining me as the program progresses. Julianna will even be my roommate! I'm really looking forward to meeting new people and learning all about Disney from a technical aspect, and making the magic happen for other people. I think that'll be the most rewarding part of this internship, to be honest.

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. Starting with my online application, I spent about 40 minutes filling out facts about myself and answering simple interview questions. Then, to my surprise, I was offered a phone interview. When I called the toll free number the next day to schedule my phone interview, I was SHAKING. Becoming a part of this program meant so much to me, and I was willing to do anything to achieve my dream. When I finally had my phone interview, I wore my Cars! slippers for good luck, and must have charmed my interviewer. Just about a week later, I received an e-mail with my very own invitation to join the most magical place on earth for 7 months.

Fast forward about 3 weeks, and I've filled out more paperwork than I ever even knew existed, and signed my name on so many documents that my hand won't stop trying to sign my name. I've made about 90 appointments and gone to meetings and created a resume and wrote a cover letter... It's been hectic. Luckily, like I said before, my friend Julianna is going through the same process. We sit in each other's rooms for hours figuring out what exactly we need to do next! Yesterday I attended an open audition for the Entertainment roles at Disney, so we'll see where this whole experience takes me! For now, I know I'm going, so being able to say that I have auditioned for Disney is just icing on the cake.

It's hard to believe that 68 days from now, I'll be entering probably one of the best times of my life. I'll keep you posted!