Day 967: I'll Stay

It's been a long process for me in decided whether I'll head to the East or West coast after finishing my undergrad schooling in only a couple of years. In fact, in just about a year and a half I'll be applying for the Disney College Program, and that alone is a terrifying, but exciting, thought. I've spent so much of my life at Walt Disney World that it seems almost natural to apply there. I know the ins and outs of pretty much everything On-Stage, and I'd be delighted to learn the same backstage. Over the past few years, I've compiled a list of locations on property I can just see myself working, right up to the possibility of walking that ever-moving walkway on Spaceship Earth (Yes, I know I need to watch my step. I've probably heard it almost as many times as you've said it).

However, as I've grown and made my way through schooling, I've also realized that I definitely don't want to spend the rest of my life in Florida. It's hot, it's sticky, and it's far away from the disciplines within the Disney company that I'm actually going to school for. So instead I've set my sights on California, and that means Disneyland. I've thought about this trip for a long time as a way to sort of "feel-out" the West Coast and if I can see myself there for what very well could be the rest of my life. It's a big commitment, and with all the talk you hear around here about California, it doesn't exactly sound like the nicest place to live. No offense to my California friends, but with the way one of my Professors went on this morning about the cost of living out there you'd never want to go there either. Plus, if I had a penny for every time someone commented on either a). earthquakes, b). mudslides, c). wildfires, or d). California breaking off the lower 48, I might just be able to afford that cost of living.

There was, or is, rather, a lyric in one of the closing songs after World of Color Celebrate! that got me thinking though. Following Forever Young, there's a song that narratives "And when I get to Disneyland, I'll Stay." Up until recognizing that lyric the first time while out in California, I hadn't really thought about the fact that in two short years, I could be living out on the West Coast. Disneyland could become an everyday thing for me, and that's a crazy thought. For someone who lives so far away from both parks to have the chance to go every single day is a very magical thought, and while it has very little to do with the reason I want to ultimately work for Disney, it's certainly a huge benefit.

But "I'll Stay" also says a lot about what I want to do with my life in general. Everything I work for will hopefully lead to, well, "Disneyland." Every late night paper writing session, every frustrated saxophone lesson, every stressed out day, every technical difficulty, and everything in between has been my own adventure to Disneyland, because I just have to get there, and when I do, I'm most certainly going to stay.

I'm sure that's a feeling a lot of us have, whether it be the literal idea of going to Disneyland just for a visit, because if you don't know Disney Parks fans, I'll tell you a little secret: we'll do just about anything to get back home. Even if it's for a weekend or a day, we make it work, and it's always worth it. Or maybe you're like me, slowly building your life for a career with Disney where you hope to stay forever. I know I can't imagine myself anywhere else in the world and no matter how many people back at home say I'll never make it, it only fuels me to go further.

After all, when I get to Disneyland, I'll stay.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on September 15 due to a tight schedule).