November in a Nutshell

Hey there friends!

This is a super delayed post and I apologize, but the end of November/beginning of December was super busy! I still wanna get this up before December is over, because I know it's nearly January already lol. So without any further ado, here is my November in Disney!

I can't believe November is already over and long gone. I only have a few days left of my college program. Things are getting real! I am trying to do as much as possible, all while still getting a decent amount of sleep. I have finally settled in here, and by settled, I mean I am comfortable at work, I have found great friends, and I am used to the idea of living here away from my family and friends. 

Let's take a peek at all I've been up to in November! 

There's So Much to be Thankful For

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, but this year will obviously be really different. Rather than spending it watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning and then enjoying a delicious feast with my big family later in the day, I'll be working at Magic Kingdom, serving guests and making their Thanksgiving a magical one. As much as I would rather be back at home with my loved ones for the day, I have come to realize since I've been apart from them that I've been blessed with so much.

This year, I am extremely grateful for so many things. I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime by working for the Walt Disney Company. But there's so much more to it than that. Since I've been here, I've been able to think deeply about all that's happened since I've moved away and all the changes I've gone through, and realized how it is shaping me as a person. 

I'm so thankful for my family, especially my parents. They have been extremely supportive of my dreams to do the college program, even if it meant that I had to take a semester off of school and wouldn't be able to spend the holidays with them. I'm also really fortunate that they will be coming to visit me at such a special time at Disney. Not everyone's parents have been as supportive of their kids' dreams. My family has been there for me through all my emotions while I've been away (me being the dramatic girl I am, they've dealt with a LOT of emotions hehehe), about being homesick and other obstacles I've faced during my program. Without their endless support, I'm not sure how I could've dealt with everything properly. 

I'm thankful for all of my friends back home. Thank you guys for doing your absolute best to stay in touch despite all of our busy schedules. At this point in our lives, now that the majority of us are done with undergrad (except for me, womp womp), it's really hard to stay in touch with people. People are going in different directions, traveling down new paths, which often means leaving the past behind them and going forward to fulfill their needs. Despite doing their own thing, I'll always be grateful that I've been able to stay in touch with all my friends back home, and blessed to be surrounded by those that have been so graciously loving and understanding during my hard times, and endlessly happy for me as I live my dream.

I'm thankful for all my friends here at Disney, and my amazing co-workers. The people that I'm friends with here are experiencing this magical life with me (and sometimes not so magical) and I'm happy I have great people to share these memories with. I'm really thankful to have people to relate to about all the things we are going through on my program, and also especially thankful that I have people I can dork out about Disney with and they actually understand! haha. Without the friends I've made here, my program certainly wouldn't be as special. 

Lastly, I am thankful for the opportunity to work at Disney, even if it's just for a semester. I'm living out my dream and it all still feels like a fantasy. I may complain a lot about the weather and talk about how badly I can't wait to go home, but I will always and forevermore be thankful to be here. The experiences I've had here are memories I will always carry in my heart, the lessons I've learned will allow me to grow as a person, and the magic I'm surrounded by each day will live on with me. 

Although I can't be with my family this year on this holiday, I'm sure that it will still be a good one. 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! 

Love, Lindsey 

October in Disney

Oh, autumn. One of my favorite times of the year. I love the crisp feeling in the air when the weather finally starts to cool down, watching the leaves change from green to orange, yellow, and red, going on hayrides with my friends, preparing for Halloween by decorating, getting costumes together and watching Halloween movies, and finally getting to wear leggings and boots. What's not to love about autumn?

This year was kind of different if you ask me. I still got to celebrate Halloween by watching movies, eating candy, and (kind of) dressing up. But the humidity and high temperatures didn't make it feel like it was October! In fact, in my mind, it still seems like summer, except stores are starting to sell seasonal items and Magic Kingdom is decorated for Halloween.

Here is how I got to celebrate the fall down here in Florida!

Dealing with Homesickness

Woah, I'm posting something within the same week of another post? Crazy right?! I actually had a day shift today, so I have the night off and I'm taking the time to do some laundry and getting my life together.

Like I've said before, life in Florida is pretty great. It still feels like summer because I'm not taking any classes and the weather is still warm. I have the opportunity to play in the parks whenever I want. I get to live on my own. I'm meeting so many new people. The list could go on and on about how awesome things are here!

However, life here is also really bittersweet. I'm having a great time here, but I also get hit with waves of homesickness. Not everyday, but there are days when I wake up and just feel sad.

Alright, alright. I'm being a tad bit over dramatic here, especially with the sad little Stitch gif. I live in Disney World! But I am a really big homebody--I thoroughly enjoy being home. It brings me a lot of comfort and even after having fun living away at school, I always enjoy coming home for the weekend. Home>anywhere else. And the hardest part about being homesick in Florida is that I can't just go home as I please.

September Update!

Yikes, I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post. Totally did not mean for that to happen. I guess it just means I'm having too much fun to sit down and write something. But what's even crazier is that I can't believe it's been over a month since I've been living in Florida! I feel like I was accepted into the Disney College Program just yesterday, and now I'm living the dream. 

Traditions!

Hello! 

So Thursday, September 3rd was my Traditions. When starting any new job, its newest employees must go through an orientation of some sort before they can begin training. Disney has an orientation too, except it is so much more than that. At Traditions, Disney introduces you to the heritage and history of the Disney company, what they expect of their cast members, how we all play a part in the future of Disney, and welcoming you to their big family. 

I can't really share too much of what happened but Traditions was a very emotional experience, especially for a huge Disney fan like myself. It kept hitting me while I was sitting there at Disney University that I am now a part of this amazing company. 

Disney's newest cast member! 

Check-In, Casting, and More!

Good morning everyone! 

Monday, August 31, 2015 marked the beginning of my Disney College Program! My check-in time was at 9:30 am. Check-in was super smooth despite the thick Florida air we endured while standing outside in line. We were given program guides as well as our housing information and where we will be working! I got all the roommates I wanted and I'm so incredibly happy about that. I also found out that I will be working at MAGIC KINGDOM! More specifically, Main Street USA! I am the happiest camper -- Magic Kingdom is exactly where I wanted to work, so thank you Disney for making my dreams come true! 

I was able to move into my apartment and settle in before I had to move on to Casting. My room comes with its own bathroom and a walk-in closet. I plan on taking pictures/videos when everything is all cleaned up and once we're completely moved in. It's slowly starting to feel like home! 

Casting went smooth as well; there, we filled out important paperwork such as I-9 forms and got our fingerprints and our first schedule for training. It was very exciting to be at Casting because they have really nice pictures all over the place of characters and of people that work for the company loving their job. 

The door handles to Casting, inspired by Alice in Wonderland