Day 1000: One Thousand

It's sort of strange to think that it's been exactly 1001 days since December 31, 2012. Back then I was still in high school, although I'd just mailed in my acceptence to attend St. Norbert College in the fall. I was a proud member of the Seymour High School Band, and while I'm not a member anymore, so much of this blog has been founded on the experiences of that group, and now I regularly volunteer for the group as a proud Alumni. I wasn't so insanely crazy about Once Upon A Time, and definitely not Colin O'Donoghue. Oh no, those were the hardcore Harrison Ford days, although I'd still gladly watch a Harrison Ford movie whenever, provided that I have the time. I didn't make YouTube videos yet, at least not on the scale that I do now. The very first vlogs were up already back in 2013, and since then I've gone to Walt Disney World four times and Disneyland once...and I didn't even think, on December 31, 2012, that I would go in 2013 at all. I hadn't met my freshman roommate yet, nor any of the college friends I now associate with as family, I still had yet to meet my spectacular Once Upon A Time friends, and Twitter was just a far off idea of social media.
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But most importantly, on December 31, 2012, I had no idea just where Everyday Disney would take me, and I certainly didn't think I would be here 1001 days later, still blogging about Disney. It's been a wonderful ride, filled with Spaceship Earth, CaptainSwan, Jungle Cruise Jokes, Mad T Parties, DisneyBounds, Vlogs, Fangirl Moments, Millennium Falcon references, and so much more, but the reality of 1000 days is really setting in. There are a lot of blog posts that weren't written on the day they're marked down as, as I get behind almost as frequently as I post on time. Internet problems, computer issues, and a few really bad schedules pretty much rule my entire life, so it's sometimes a struggle, but throughout all of it, I've somehow stuck it out. The other night when I was blogging like a mad woman trying to catch everything up before today (I went for about five and a half hours straight), I realized that, no matter how far behind I get, I would never think about stopping. Not now, and hopefully not for a very long time, if ever.

I have a lot of people that surround me every day, and some are more supportive than others. For me, even with 23 credits, two jobs, three clubs, volunteering, AND personal projects, Everyday Disney is a serious part of the routine. It's a part of my life, and taking it away would be like ripping out my heart. It stands for something, whether it be my persistence, my learning, or my will to do whatever it takes to follow my dream of working with Disney for the rest of my life. It is all of those things, for sure. After all, when my high school band talked about going to Disney, I pushed them harder than they had ever been pushed up to that point, and I've definitely learned more than one or two things about life and blogging in the past two and a half years. But I think it stands for something more than even that; it stands for the love all of us have for Disney.

Everyday Disney is fueled on that love, and the connections so many of us can make through it. Disney can be experienced alone, quietly in our own homes with a fuzzy blanket and a cup of tea while watching a Disney movie, or joyfully striding through one of the parks with no one other than a pair of Mickey ears and a dole whip. But Disney is also about community. It's about loving one another, having fun together, and making memories that will last a lifetime. That's what Disney's all about, and how lucky am I that, for the past 1000 days, I've gotten to share my love with all of you? I honestly hope that you, as a reader, have gotten something out of this blog, whatever it may be, because as much as I write this blog for myself, I write it for all of you too. When times are tough and all I want to do is ride Spaceship Earth, you guys are there to listen (even if I do sometimes feel like I'm talking to a brick wall), and when there's some sort of exciting news to share, we get to experience that together too. I can't express enough how absolutely thankful I am for everything Everyday Disney has brought me over the past 1000 days, and I'm certainly excited to see where the next 1000 go too.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading Everyday Disney.

Have a magical day!