Disney Confessions : 3 Months In And Still Magical

Today marks 3 months since my move to Florida. Already it has been a truly magical journey. The friends I've made here will last me a lifetime, and the memories are irreplaceable. And while every job will have its ups and downs, I love it here. So thank you for stopping by and sharing in the magic, dear reader. And have some third-month-fun-facts!

My absolute favorite ride in The Magic Kingdom is Peter Pan's Flight. I will happily ride it over and over, and never get sick of it. It is a dream of mine to get stuck in the 2nd room, where you're flying over the streets of London. Something about that whole scene just makes my heart soar.

While the Electrical Parade is wonderful and great fun, and I truly enjoy watching it, I want SpectroMagic back! It was the first parade I ever saw in person, and it was glorious. Pretty, pretty please with fiber-optic lights on top?

I secretly feel like I'm being judged when I don't have "good" pins on my lanyard. I'm sorry, but it's not my fault that everyone takes them! I can't say no to a guest! That's not the Disney Difference, people! *pitiful whimper* Little brat took my Princess Jasmine ...

Every single time I see Fantasmic, I find myself conducting along with the main theme. I have received two reactions from this little habit : "Aww, Kaitlin, you're so precious," and "Oh my gosh STOP IT!" I choose to think that I'm precious, rather than obnoxious :)

I would happily give up real food (and my waistline) to live entirely on a diet of theme park treats. There is nothing like them. Funnel cake, hot dogs, nachos, ice cream ... and may I just say, Dole Whips are the most magnificent thing on the planet. I love pineapple, I love pineapple juice, I love pineapple ice cream. I would eat five a day if I could get away with it.

And finally : Dream Along with Mickey. This show is performed throughout the day on the castle stage, and no matter where I'm going or what I'm doing, I'll stop to watch it if I'm in the area. It is my favorite show at Disney World. Before I started working here, I thought it was ... eh. I could take it or leave it. And then, during my Welcome to Entertainment class, we were touring Magic Kingdom. We were just in time for one of the showings, and we were asked to watch. As I stood there during the pre-show hubbub, I started talking to a young woman in the audience. She was a character performer who'd been working here for a few years, and she was the sweetest thing. As the show started, she pulled the classic employee-who-has-done-this-way-too-much thing and started mouthing along with the words (and yes, I'll admit I've picked up that habit too, thank you very much) and smiling as big as any of the guests who were seeing it for the first time. But to me, it was still just fine. And then, when Mickey came out on stage, the girl leaned over and said, "That's my boss!" It's been my favorite show ever since. Everything about it makes me smile. I sing along, I make a wish every time they ask me to. And whenever Mickey Mouse comes out on stage, I think to myself, That's My Boss. It never gets old, and I don't think it ever will.

Any dream is possible, wishes do come true ...

Friday the 13th

I could tell you about all of the (many) things that went wrong today. I could rant about the drama, the anger, the frustrations, and the tragedies. But that's not the story that you want to read. And tonight, it's not the story I want to tell.

So here's to the good things that happened today. In a hailstorm of emotions and hardship, there was also magic.

Today, I learned a little something about true friends, and who mine are. I got surprise visits at work, and a text from a dear friend who is very far away. I had a wonderful night at the movies, and re-discovered one of the simple joys in life (more on this one later, stay tuned.) None of these completely remarkable by themselves, but wrapped all together and sprinkled throughout the day, they were just what I needed.

Magical moments don't always have to be big. Sometimes, the smallest bit of magic is all you need. And it can come from the unlikeliest places.

There's magic all around you. Just let it happen.

Rock Bottom

Reading Myself to Sleep

ca.thar.sis (n)

1) the purging of emotions or relieving of emotional tensions, especially through certain kinds of art, such as tragedy or music
2) discharge of pent-up emotions so as to result in the alleviation of symptoms or the permanent relief of the condition

As a child, I could be driven to tears fairly easily. I got angry, I cried. Scared, I cried. Lonely, sick, hungry, embarrassed ... all led to tears. As an adult, I am sad to say that I did not grow out of this. I got better at putting the tears on hold until I was alone (sometimes) but I still cried very easily. I hated that about myself. It made me feel weak, and vulnerable, and pathetic. Especially since I was usually crying about things that were petty and insignificant anyway.

It's not until you lose the ability to cry altogether that you realize just how wonderful it is to let it all out. Lately, I have gotten so good at holding everything in that now, I can't cry even when I want to. I am keeping myself so together that even when I want nothing more than to let it all go, it is physically impossible.

And so, on the nights when I wish I could just cry myself to sleep (which is honestly always the deepest of sleeps) instead, I read myself to sleep. I find solace in words, and I throw myself with wild abandon into somebody else's world. But there is no catharsis for me. No release of the pent-up emotions. They simply ease their way out a little at a time, like a slow leak in a tire.

An explosion would be so much better.