2018: What a year…

Naturally, as the year winds down, I can’t help but take some time to reflect. By far, this was the fastest year of my life. I can’t fathom the fact that it’s December 19th. It seems like just yesterday that I was departing from my Disney College Program. I remember the morning of January 5th like it was this morning. I struggled to carry 3 suitcases and a backpack through the lobby of the Holiday Inn. My Lyft driver ended up at one of the Disney housing complexes across the street and my ever-so-delightful-Spanish-speaking attempts to explain my actual location only got me so far. Somehow, by the grace of God, I made it. I couldn’t have pictured a more perfect way to depart than to carry on the tradition of my awkward adventures.

Upon coming home, I spent the first month doing something I had never done before: NOTHING. I was free from any and all obligations. Now, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t sit around like a bum. Every day I applied for more jobs, scheduled more interviews, attended more interviews, and prayed. I also watched more TV than I had in the last 4 years combined. It was an interesting time. I didn’t mind it, per se. It was almost a chance to breathe after living a go-go-go lifestyle for so long. However, this “downtime” opened my eyes to some profound revelations about myself, my goals, and my career aspirations. But of course, I didn’t realize it at the moment. If anything, finding my “next steps” seemed so daunting and stressful, but looking back, I’m so thankful that events played out in the ways that they did.

After interviewing for 2 and a half months with some fantastic companies, getting great feedback, and gaining experience with multiple interviewing platforms, it was starting to feel as though I had hit a wall. Every company was so intrigued by my experience with Disney and one of them even said to me, “I don’t understand why you left. It seems like that was a perfect fit for you.” Oooo. Bold move on their end. They weren’t wrong though, but clearly if I had decided to come home after my program, I was looking to take that magic and apply it to a job here in Ohio. Needless to say, that one didn’t work out. I started to realize that maybe I was looking for jobs in the wrong places or for the wrong reasons. I needed something that could give me really great experience that can help me get to where I want to be.

I’m really thankful that during this time, I was able to immerse myself in my church and not only work for on various projects and events for them, but also to network. I made so many connections from these few months that I know will last a lifetime. Without these people, I would have never had the confidence to pursue my dreams, set bigger goals, and keep moving forward. Thank you to all of you that made that happen. You know who you are.

Just when I wasn’t expecting it, a job I had never though of doing fell into my lap. I didn’t even need to apply for it, for they reached out to me. It was an opportunity to work at my university working directly with students! Now, it wasn’t full-time, and it was on a one-year contractual basis, but something told me this was going to be eye-opening…so I took it. Ever since, I’ve been flying by the seat of my pants, going on adventures, and gaining great life skills that I know will take me anywhere I decide to go. (More on this job to come in a separate blog). Every day isn’t perfect, and I’ve encountered more spiders this year than ever before; however, I know it was the right choice and I thank God for it every day.

This was definitely the year for self-discovery. The year for travel (I’ve flown back and forth to Disney 4 times since I left…I know, crazy.) The year for adventure. The year for letting go and letting God take the wheel. It went nothing at all like I had planned. But I wouldn’t have traded any of it for the world. Thank you to everyone that made this all possible. I can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store.

Bring it on.

 

Post-Program Reflection: Why the Disney College Program was the Best Decision for Me

Okay okay. I know you’re all dying to know the inside scoop on working for Disney. Well, it goes something like this: When I wake up in the morning, I arise out of bed with my pet mice dressing me in beautiful threads. I pour 8 ounces of pixie dust into my cereal and a horse & chariot arrive at my doorstep to take me to Cinderella’s Castle. EHHHHHH. WRONG. Let’s try again.

So, maybe the above statements were an exaggerated personification of the classic Disney tales. However, working for Disney truly was a magical experience, but just like everything else in life–it’s all about perspective. There are many program participants that will tell you that working here ruined the magic for them and how they couldn’t wait to go home. I couldn’t disagree more.

Sure, maybe the details of working here weren’t always the greatest, but that’s life for you. There were some days I left work defeated and others where I left on cloud 9. But it’s those bad moments that help us appreciate the good ones. Learning to work with ungrateful guests made me stronger and more compassionate for the ones that needed a little extra love. Working those late hours helped me to appreciate the 24-hour business. When people go on vacation, they often forget that those making their vacation relaxing and special is NOT a vacation for workers themselves. Disney operates at all hours of the day, every single day of the year in some capacity. All of the hard work, planning, and dedication that goes into making magic for people is something to be truly in awe of…and now, after witnessing it first hand, I have even more respect for the industry.

I often hear that landing an internship with Disney is a “dream come true,” but then that dream is quickly crushed after completing the program. For me, that is the farthest from the truth. I would love to combat the negativity because it truly was a dream come true for me. I’ve wanted to work here since my very first visit in 2015 and I stopped at nothing to make it happen. After almost finishing the program, I am so proud and honored to have been selected to do this. I’ve learned so much during the course of my program. I’ve gained transferrable skills that I know can help me in any career I choose. I have also gained the confidence to chase after my dreams, even if they are crazy. This certainly is NOT for everyone and I’m not suggesting that it should be, but I am truly grateful for Walter Elias Disney for making this all possible.

Now, as the program is over, I am back in THE LAND, ready to take on a new adventure. I don’t have all the details figured out yet, but I know that regardless of where I end up, I can always call Disney my home. I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world and I will always treasure the memories made during the fastest semester of my life.

Anything you feel called to do in life can be your “Disney Dream.” But just remember, if things aren’t exactly like you had hoped or planned, that doesn’t mean the dream wasn’t worth it. Nothing is perfect. We are constructed to believe that nothing is “good” unless it is “perfect.” I believe this is why there is so much negativity plaguing our world. However, if you take that step back and realize that emotional perfection actually stems from acceptance of imperfection, then you can make the happiness surrounding your dreams a reality.

Peace & Pixie Dust

Home

32 days; 768 hours; 46,080 minutes; 2,764,800 seconds: That’s approximately how long I’ve been living here in Orlando. It’s amazing to me how fast time flies, but how infinite the moments feel. Sometimes I feel as though I’ve been here forever and summer was ages ago, while other times, I feel as though I moved in yesterday (particularly when I make diddlebop mistakes like miss the bus…oops).

I thought I would take time to reflect at this one month mark, particularly about being away from home. When I went off to college, yes, I experienced being away and gained the independence of living on my own; however, I used those 4 years to further explore my city, just a short 47 minutes away from home. Prior to college, I rarely spent anytime in Downtown Cleveland. With the exception of a few Indians games growing up, I had no idea how to maneuver the great city. When embarking upon my collegiate voyage, I found myself spending lots of time downtown. From sporting events (#neverforgetGame6), to Barrio (back before the Cleveland Heights location opened), to learning the ways of the RTA and working at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I absolutely fell in love with my home. I knew I had made the right decision to go to school far enough away to gain the experience, but close enough to grow to love the land of the CLE.

Now as I am thriving in the post-grad life, I have found that I love the fact that I took the next step and traveled to a new place (1,044 miles away from my house, but who’s counting?). I love wearing a Cleveland t-shirt to the grocery store and making immediate friends or sports enemies. I love that while sitting on the bus, someone is speaking Spanish, German, French, Chinese, you name it! I love meeting people from all over the country and even the world! I love that we are all able to come together and bond over the most powerful thing in the world: magic!

So when people ask, are you homesick? I can’t help but think, well of course, I miss my home…my friends…my family…my cat..JCU…Barrio, duh! But it’s my home that has made me into the person that I am today. The adventure seeker that I strive to be. The dreamer searching for ways to make magic happen on the “daly.” I can’t help but feel indebted to my home for providing me such a solid foundation to go out and see the world. I’m forever grateful for every moment that has led me to the current moment and I look forward to taking all these current memories and adventures back home with me one day.

Home truly is where the heart is and I’m so glad that I am able to take my heart with me wherever I go. Live each day by putting love into everything you do and you’ll never feel away from home a day in your life.

So Far, So Magical! DCP 2017

So by now, it’s no secret that I’ve made it to Orlando and have survived 2 weeks of my Disney College Program. Time has a funny way of working down here. Obviously it flies when having fun, but I can’t help but think of “With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” (2 Peter 3:8).

I feel this fits here quite nicely. When participating in a program such as this, you think you are in control of time. There are so many things you need to do, so many things you want to do, and there are only 24 hours in a day. (By the way, Disney runs on 24-hour time, which is quite the adjustment from AM/PM. Yes, I know you just subtract 12, but nonetheless, still an adjustment!) Anyhoo, it’s much more sensible to let go and surrender yourself to the boundaries of time. I am so blessed to be here and I thank God for making this all possible. Through Him, I am able to make this a irreplaceable, life-changing experience regardless of the amount of time.

I will also take a moment to use this as a brief update in addition to my reflection. All aspects of the program are taking off without a hitch. Everything from roommates, role training, park adventures, and everything in between are going just swimmingly so far. After 2 weeks, I have (more or less) figured out how to take the busses and am excited to go on even more adventures! Pretty soon, I’ll be taking some seminars to further my knowledge and hopefully soon I’ll be operating in my role with confidence and ease. It’s all about perspective and I have high hopes that these next few months will be worth every minute.

Next time you find yourself worried about time and how much you can squeeze into a certain amount of it, just remember that God is there to help you handle the logistics of time, it’s just up to you to make it all worthwhile. So far, my DCP experience has been nothing short of magical and I wish the same upon all of you as well.