Day 1663: Greatest City in the World

It's been about five years since I last headed to the greatest city in the world, but there were still a million things I hadn't done there, and that meant that when my friend Kiera asked if I wanted to take a spontaneous trip to New York, I immediately checked my bank account to figure out if I could swing it financially, especially with moving to Florida in just a few weeks. Luckily, I did some budgeting and found enough leftover cash from various gigs I'd picked up and other awards from college to make a trip to New York City happen and we booked it soon after. 

Of course, there's a lot to talk about when it comes to New York City, which is why plenty of the posts from the last week which have yet to appear will absolutely be focused on my trip, but it seems fair to give an overall rundown of all the excitement we experienced on our adventures! 

As you can see from the above picture, we were lucky enough to see FIVE shows while in New York. Four were Broadway shows, including Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, War Paint, Bandstand, and Chicago, and one Off-Broadway show: Avenue Q. We rushed all the shows, meaning we would sit outside the theatre's box office in the morning for an hour or two (or more) in hopes to get discount seats. The wait is frequently worth it though, as we had excellent seats for all five shows and basically saw four of the shows for the regular price of one, if you take into account where our seats were for some of the shows. 

But that's not all we did, as the subway system helped us get all around New York on the cheap. Since we invested in the 7-Day unlimited metro pass, we could use the subway as much or as little as we wanted over the course of the week for a flat rate of $33, and if you're heading to New York for a trip, note that you only have to use the pass about 11 times for it to pay for itself (a single ride ticket is $3), so if you're comfortable using the subway (and everyone should be, but that's a topic for another day) and you'll be there for a few days, it's absolutely worth the cost. In other words, in between rushing for tickets and the shows themselves, we also saw the following sights: 

Times Square, Rockefeller Center, New Museum [of Contemporary Art], South Street Seaport, Chelsea Market, The Bagel Store (Rainbow Bagels!), Heatonist (Hot Sauce Store), American Museum of Natural History, Columbia University, The Statue of Liberty (and Ellis Island), MET Cloisters, Harlem (and the apartment in The Last Five Years), Trinity Church, Alexander Hamilton's Grave, 9/11 Memorial, Central Park, Belvedere Castle, and Strawberry Fields (Imagine Mosaic). 

Coming soon right here on Everyday Disney I'll give you an inside look at Times Square, the NYC Subway System, The Bagel Store, the American Museum of Natural History, Hamilton's New York, The Statue of Liberty, MET Cloisters, Disney in New York, an inside look on each of the five shows we saw, and one final post with some of the other exciting things we discovered in the Big Apple! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1634: Why I Love Being a Photographer

If there's one thing I remember most from my childhood trips to Walt Disney World, it's the constant presence of cameras. There were the old ones with film, and yes, even slides, the point and shoot cameras I first used while learning the art of photography, and finally the digital varieties that we carry with us everywhere today, my iPhone included. I'm actually in the process of converting many of our old family videos from tape to digital, and it's sort of reminded me of the reason I walk around Magic Kingdom with a video camera in hand, even as a hurricane rolls in. 

Earlier this year I went on a trip to Florida with the Knights on Broadway, which was, without a doubt, one of the best experiences I've had in my entire life. I visited parts of Florida I'd never been to before, I got to go somewhere warm for spring break, performed for donors of the college while watching the sun set over the gulf, and went to Walt Disney World with some of my best friends. In short, it was incredible, but I struggled a bit too. 

For the past seven years specifically, I've taken the video camera (or at least a camera) with me pretty much everywhere. It came with me to the Twin Cities, Colorado, New Mexico, California, and of course, Florida. It feels almost wrong to be walking through a Disney Park without the video camera in hand now, but as we approached the KOBreak trip, a friend of mine suggested that I leave the cameras at home. 

Their argument was entirely valid: leaving the cameras at home would offer me a chance to be "in the moment" with my friends instead of seeing everything through the lens of the camera, as I often do. I'd see everything through my own eyes and capture mental memories, and after all, there are plenty of moments where, even on a Disney vacation, we turn the cameras off and we bask in the moment. 

Still, the thought of leaving the cameras behind was hard for me. As I mentioned earlier, my family never travels without a camera, and it's absolutely become a part of the Disney tradition for me, stopping every five minutes to take a picture of something we probably already have pictures of. Plus, I couldn't help but wonder if I'd regret not bringing them along. Yes, I'd take mental pictures, but what happens when those start to fade? Would I truly remember some parts of our day at Epcot as clearly as I remember so many of the spectacular experiences cataloged in my vlogs? Probably not. 

And while it's not what he intended at all, the suggestion felt as though they were  asking me to give up a part of myself. I take pictures and film videos at Disney World not because I feel like I owe it to anyone, but because it's what I love to do. Can I have fun at WDW without the cameras? Yes, of course! I ended up leaving them behind after all and still had a wonderful time, but because of how I grew up, with a video camera capturing everything from my smiling face to my temper tantrums, having a camera around is second nature. Filming every waking moment in a Disney Park isn't for everyone, and maybe it wasn't for him and that's where the suggestion came from, but in the long run, I won't be separated from my cameras for too long, and it all boils down to this: 

As I watch the videos from my childhood, there's nothing I love more than reliving the memories behind them. Memories I've since forgotten. Truth be told, they'd be lost if not for the videos my dad took, and that's exactly why I love being a photographer (and videographer). That's why I keep filming even after I can't feel my hand from holding the camera too long. That's why I willingly lay down on the ground next to a cockroach to capture the perfect shot. That's why I sprint to the nearest building in an attempt to protect my camera from the pouring rain, and immediately turn the camera back on to show how much it's raining. 

My friend didn't understand that standing behind the camera isn't about missing out on the moment itself, because you're there living it too, and you're also preserving that moment for years to come. It's never been abut the hassles of carrying the camera or the continuous "in your face" feeling. It's always been about making memories. Taking pictures, and making memories. 

Have a magical day! 

(Bonus points if you caught the vintage Epcot reference)!

Day 1529: Reading For Fun

Our prompt this week for Creative Writing Seminar is to write about something we've been reading lately, or have read, outside of class that has either inspired us or put us off. If I was lying, I'd probably go on some rant about how much I enjoyed reading The Martian this past summer and how it really impacted me emotionally and reminded me just how much I love reading (although, is suppose, that wouldn't be all that distant from the truth). However, as Pinocchio taught me, I must not tell a lie, and that means that I have to be honest about the fact that I haven't had a lot of time for reading lately. Aside from my regular schoolwork, all my spare time has gone to rehearsing for Knights on Broadway, which leaves in just a couple of days to perform in Florida, or practicing my pieces for my recital, which is quickly approaching in just over a month. So yeah, not a lot of time to spare. Unless I learn how to dance while reading. That could be fun. 

I suppose I do  have that giant and ever-growing stack of books that resides on the bottom shelf of my bedside table, which features novels and memoirs I've been intending to read and may finally dig into sometime this upcoming summer (that's probably wishful thinking though). Still, even as I think back to what I've read over the past few years (which, as I said, isn't much), nothing really stands out to me as important in some way. Actually, it's almost as though I can't remember any book I've ever read (except, apparently, The Martian and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?). So no, I suppose I don't have an answer to the question about which book I particularly enjoyed or didn't enjoy, and maybe that says something interesting in itself. 

A significant portion of my life has been spent reading, and there are days when I want nothing more than to curl up on my balcony or in a comfy chair with some tea, a blanket, and some excellent music just so I can spend an evening reading the latest hardcover or paperback I've picked up. However, with being a full time college student, recently those books have been more in the realm of Shakespeare plays I'm reading for my independent study rather than something for fun (not that Shakespeare isn't fun). It's still reading, yes, and I can definitely still curl up with a blanket and some tea, but there's still a difference between reading for enjoyment and reading about the typical range of your average Bb Trumpet. 

It is important to note, however, that I typically bring books with me when I'm traveling. I almost always buy a new one before I leave, because there's always ample time for me to do nothing but read while sitting at an airport or on a plane. It's like time automatically set aside for reading. Unless, of course, I manage to finish my book before I even get on the plane. Then we have a problem. Coincidentally, I've also been known to do some of my best writing on planes, so perhaps I should be reconsidering my life choices and spending more time at airports and less time on the couch in my living room. The goods news here is that I'll be traveling within the next 48 hours (I'll actually be in Florida 48 hours from now), so perhaps I might actually get some reading and writing done then. 

None of this has been a description of a book that's influenced me though, mostly because I still can't recall most of what I've read in the past couple of years. It's amazing how your memory will fail you like that. So I'll just go with a blanket answer - it's not as much about what I've read recently or in my life as much as it's about why I've read. Reading (and writing) have been important parts of my life for almost as long as I can remember, reaching all the way back to reading a children's book called The Ghost Family Meets Its Match in my parents' closet every other week (the library wouldn't let me check it out more frequently than that), and all the reading that has shaped me into the book-loving English major I am today. Plus, there's definitely something to be said about all the wonderful books that inspired Disney movies over the years, because yes, this is still a Disney blog and I have to relate it somehow. Just think, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, Tangled, or Cinderella wouldn't exist if not for the fairy tales they're based on. Even films such as 101 Dalmatians and Mary Poppins are derived from the pages of a book, and those films have definitely inspired me throughout my life, so there you go. 

Which means that the answer to the initial question, about what I've read that has impacted me in some way, lies somewhere in between The Ghost Family Meets Its Match and Mary Poppins, although to be fair, I've never actually read Mary Poppins. 

I should probably get on that. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1468: Pushed Back

In 31 trips to Walt Disney World, I've only really been drastically delayed once. It was the middle of July and we were heading down to Walt Disney World to celebrate my birthday and high school graduation, and a round of severe thunderstorms left us at home instead. We were able to get out the next morning, thankfully, but other than that, the most I've really been delayed that I can remember is a few hours. 

That streak is changing this trip though, as I was initially going to be heading down to Florida early Tuesday morning, with plans of Epcot and Spaceship Earth and dinner at Nine Dragons all set to go. Wednesday would bring an all time favorite that I never seem to miss: Afternoon Tea, and from there I'd spend my afternoon with the Disney princesses at Magic Kingdom. But I won't be flying out early Tuesday morning, and I won't be flying out Wednesday morning either. Instead, my flight to Florida, with a side trip to Dallas to change planes, will be Wednesday night, and luckily I was able to change my reservation for Afternoon Tea to another day. 

Due to a death in my family, I'll be here in Wisconsin for the funeral in a couple of days, but that's alright. In fact, I could have been in Florida and may have had to find my way back, but I no longer have to worry about that. Yes, I'll have a couple less days at Walt Disney World, but it'll still be waiting for me on Wednesday night and the rest of the week. I'll still get to attend the Epcot International Festival of the Arts and the Carrie Fisher Tribute. I'll still get to do all those wonderful things and still be here with my family, and if I'm being honest, there's no greater gift than that. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1322: Door County

Sometimes you don't have to travel very far to find adventure. 

I love heading out to Disney World as much as the next person. Actually, that's a lie, I probably love a good trip to Disney World more than the next person, but that doesn't mean I don't love travel in general, even if it's just within my home state. So when my Godfather was talking about coming for his yearly summer visit and the idea of Door County came up, I jumped at the chance to go, especially since I wasn't able to go last year. 

Door County, for those of you that don't know, is pretty much a hidden gem in Wisconsin...and one of the only really awesome things we have here. If you're not familiar with Wisconsin, take your left hand and place it palm down on the table with your fingers put together and your thumb slightly to the side. Now you have a rough outline of Wisconsin (how many other states can you make with just one hand, huh?). Door County, in this scenario is your thumb. Yep, it's that little peninsula that makes the hand analogy work, and it's filled with little towns and plenty of character. 

The whole of the peninsula is pretty easy to drive, especially since you rarely go more than a half hour between towns, which means you can see a lot of the county without actually taking a ton of time to do it. It's perfect for a day trip like the one we took, which led us to some beautiful sights, cherry pie, wine tasting (wine is big in Door County these days), a farmers market, and even a live musical. 

Heading up to Door County reminded me of the reasons I love to travel in the first place, and it really does connect back to my relationship with Walt Disney World. In the parks, you're able to explore and learn and discover at your own pace, and even after 30 some trips, you're able to find something new each and every time you go. Growing up with that idea has enabled me to find enjoyment and fulfillment in going out an exploring, no matter where I am in the world, even if it's right at home in Wisconsin. 

Yes, perhaps I could find peaches and wine and a lakeshore and cherry pie at home, but there's something about going out and finding it somewhere new or unfamiliar that makes it extra special, especially when you're doing the exploring with the ones you love. And I'm starting to realize that there are plenty of places for me to explore right here in Wisconsin, and I'm hoping to see a few more of them before I head out on my own next year and start exploring new places entirely. 

If you've never heard of Door County before though, check it out on the internet, and next time you're in Wisconsin, stop by for a visit. I promise you won't regret it! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1302: Off Again

You know, at this point, I've been home for less than a week after a 10 day excursion to Colorado and back, driving 3500 miles across the country. I visited 8 different states in those 10 days, and now I've spent a meager 7 days at home, catching up on the blog, editing videos, transferring pictures, doing laundry, watching plenty of Scandal on Netflix, and preparing for yet another trip home. 

Yes, home. 

I'm excited to announce that I'll be in Florida for the next week! Part of the time will be spent at a National Youth Event volunteering, an opportunity that I'm really excited about and looking forward to. This trip will bring plenty of firsts for me, including my first trip on Soarin' Around the World and to the new Frozen Ever After attraction, among many other things, but it also is a celebration of the last 20 years of my life, as I'll be heading on my 30th trip to Walt Disney World. Following the conference I'll be spending a few extra days on property to celebrate this anniversary, as well as my birthday, and to do a bit of extra work before the school year begins. That means footage for new vlogs and other YouTube videos that will appear on my YouTube channel over the next several months. 

As always, Everyday Disney will be on hiatus until my return, when I'll have an opportunity to blog about everything I had a chance to see, and I know there will be plenty of updates after this trip. In addition, you can follow along in real time by following any of my social media. I post regularly on Instagram and Tumblr, as well as Twitter. I'll try to do some snapchats while I'm in the parks over the weekend and early next week, and maybe I'll throw in a Periscope too, you never know! 

I've got to go finish packing, but I'll see you all next week! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1301: Dole Whips in Wisconsin

I may have to drive two hours to get it, but I finally got my Dole Whip outside of Disney! 

I may have mentioned a while back about how there are a couple of locations throughout the country where you can locate a real, authentic dole whip without ever stepping foot on Disney property, but for those like me, these locations are few and far between. The closest Orange Leaf to my home used to be about 20 minutes, but when they still existed in Green Bay and Appleton, I didn't know what was awaiting me there. Now, I have to travel two hours to Waukesha to find the closest store, and that's not exactly worth it...even if I could get all the dole whip I ever wanted. 

Still, when you happen to be passing through the area on your way home from a week and a half long road trip, it makes perfect sense to stop on the way and pick up an extra special treat. Granted, I'll be eating a dole whip at Disney in about week, but the fact that I got it in Wisconsin made the entire experience even more special. 

Will I make the trip all the way to Waukesha just for a dole whip in the future? Probably not. But the next time I'm in the area you'd better believe I'll spend plenty of time at the local Orange Leaf. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1296: Ghost Ranch

On a trip that took me halfway across the country, I certainly saw more than a few different views, but none of them could really compare to the beauty we found at Ghost Ranch. 

Previous to doing some research on Indiana Jones films, I'd never heard of a little ranch in the northern part of New Mexico. Turns out though, this place is more famous than many of us may realize. Numerous movies have been filmed here, including the opening scene of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It's also where artist Georgia O'Keeffe set up shop when she moved to New Mexico permanently to live out her days painting the nearby mountains and landscapes that surrounded her. 

 

The ranch has a visitor fee of a few dollars to help preserve it and upkeep the various buildings, but it's still well worth a stop. They have two museums on the property, as well as several of the original historic buildings, including Georgia O'Keeffe's home. There are hiking trails all over the place, none of which we actually got a chance to use because it was hotter than anything I've ever experienced when we visited. In addition, you can also book a room to stay at Ghost Ranch in their lodge, meaning that for a few days, you can wake up the same way Georgia O'Keeffe did when she fell in love with the same vistas in front of you. 

We only got to spend a little over an hour at Ghost Ranch, partially because it was too hot to stay outside any longer, but I would gladly go back to experience more of it, especially when it might be cooler and I'm not suffering from the lingering effects of food poisoning. If you happen to be in the area, definitely go check out this area though! I'm not kidding when I say it's the most beautiful landscape I've ever seen in my life. 

Have a magical day!

Day 1287: Don't Get Sick

A word of advice: If you're traveling, try your hardest not to get sick. 

Unfortunately, I ended up doing just that, contracting some minor food poisoning on our very first day. I somehow managed to get us to Colorado Springs, but by the time I got there all I wanted to do was sleep and stay in bed...and not eat anything. Ultimately, I spent the majority of the trip suffering from the food poisoning, forcing myself to eat whatever bland food I could find, and urging myself to continue enjoying my trip despite the fact that I wasn't feeling 100%. 

Thankfully, it was just minor food poisoning. so I was able to continue going about my trip...although I definitely had to stop to take extra breaks and spent one entire morning in the hotel room while everyone else headed to the top of Pike's Peak. Really, the best thing you can do when you're sick like that is to just stay in and get some rest. It'll mean less time before you can rejoin your family and friends, and also allow you to enjoy more of your vacation. I didn't have much of an option, since we were changing hotels everyday and never spent more than one night in the same place, but by keeping hydrated, getting enough sleep at night, and taking more frequent breaks, I got through the trip just fine. 

And while I took my breaks, at least I had the mountains to keep me company! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1286: Off We Go

The above view was pretty much my view for endless hours on our trip to Colorado...only instead of a rest stop, it was actually just the road and the occasional changing landscape. Our first day consisted of around nine and a half hours of driving from Green Bay, Wisconsin out to Lincoln, Nebraska. It seemed like forever after we stopped for gas for the first time, and my legs cramped something fierce. After that first day, however, the driving seemed to get better. Where a two hour drive once seemed excessive, now it almost feels like just a few minutes. 

Our second day was the third longest driving day, from Lincoln out to Colorado Springs. It took about eight hours, and aside from a thirteen hour driving day back towards Missouri at the end of the trip, the longest we drove in one sitting was three hours. Much less than the original nine. 

The question, however, is how one keeps interested [and awake] during such long drives? It was just the two of us in the car, which was sort of nice because it gave us more space, so we looked both inside and outside the car for entertainment. As fans of musicals, we listened to a whole list of soundtracks, including Hamilton, Hercules, Chicago, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hairspray, and Finding Neverland, among many, many others. 

Looking out the windows, we kept a track of the various Disney references that popped up throughout the trip, yellow bugs we saw, and, of course, played the license plate game. We almost won the license plate game too, only missing Connecticut and Rhode Island. We also, of course, played a few good old rounds of "I Spy," a classic on long road trips like this. 

Let me know how you like to pass the time on long trips in the comments below! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1285: Frantic

I've been all over the country on a bus with my high school band, so I like to think that I've gotten pretty good at road trips. However, nothing could really prepare me for the challenges and excitement that would go into preparing for an actual road trip with my own car and best friend. Our first band trip was six years ago, and we just happened to go out to Colorado, just like we were this summer. 

It's roughly a 16 hour drive from our home to Denver, and from there we'd drive hours on end across Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois. However, leaving for ten days doesn't come without responsibilities to prepare before hand. Alongside preparing the car for thousands of miles of travel, contacting the bank to alert them I'll be traveling, and packing my own suitcase, we had to find someone to care for our plants at our apartment and our cats back home. Plus, with another trip so soon after Colorado, I wanted to make sure Everyday Disney was caught up at least until this point. 

Basically, before this Road Trip to Colorado I spent a good couple of days running around frantically to make sure everything was done. In reality, we've been planning this trip for months, ever since we found out that we would actually be joining my parents and brother in Colorado. It meant a lot of research, and then a lot of thought about what we might like to experience on our trip. We had to pick and choose to make sure we had enough time to see the sights on the top of our list. 

Long story short, these days before driving were insane...and I'm not really looking forward to repeating them before I leave for Florida. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1280: 2016: The Beginning

Halfway through the year and you know what that means: it's time for a look back at the fix six months of 2016 and some of my favorite blog posts! To see favorites posts from previous years, just click the following links: 2013 (Part 1 | Part 2), 2014 (Part 1 | Part 2), and 2015 (Part 1 | Part 2). Now, onto January! 

Friday, January 15, 2016: Day 1110: Never Tell Me the Odds

My trip in January with Frank was filled with adventures, but none quite as grand as our Four Parks, One Day Challenge, which then led us straight into an attempt to see all the Walt Disney World fireworks in one night. Needless to say, we somehow managed to accomplish both, and while we definitely went home at the end of the day completely exhausted, it was so worth it. 

Friday, February 5, 2016: Day 1131: Santa Fe

A definite highlight of the spring semester was heading with my parents and Shovell to see Newsies at our local theater. We'd been waiting for what seemed like forever to see this show, and it definitely didn't disappoint! 

Thursday, March 3, 2016: Day 1158: Travel Life

While I wouldn't recommend trying to be in two states at the same time, the weekend I spent going back and forth between the Twin Cities and home was actually one of the best experiences I've had so far. It was a chance for me to expand academically, travel alone for the first time, make new friends, and explore a city different from my own! 

Wednesday, April 6, 2016: Day 1192: Disney By the Numbers: Epcot

In an attempt to explore a new graphics editing website I came across, I did a bit of research to come up with Epcot By the Numbers, including a few different numerical facts about the park, like how many triangles are really on Spaceship Earth, and how many attractions are listed on the park map! 

Tuesday, May 24, 2016: Day 1240: Pressed Pennies

I definitely have some of the greatest friends in the entire world, as is showcased through this blog post from May, when they finally completed a project they've been working on for over a year and a half: this beautiful pressed penny Mickey Mouse! 

Wednesday, June 22, 2016: Day 1269: Macaroons

When it comes to making Disney recipes, I think I just took things to the next level, at least with my own skills. I'd never made macarons before, but Disney inspired me enough to try and create some of my own. I've made some another time since this blog post, but I think these were better, so we'll just not talk about those other ones. 

And there you have it, the first half of 2016. Since I got rather behind I don't really have any bonus posts to share, but keep an eye on things for the second half of the year because we've still got a long way to go until 2017! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1249: Freebies

When you move you really should listen to the advice you read. For instance, really think about what you might need in the first 24 hours of your new apartment or home. Chances are, a toothbrush and toothpaste will probably be at the top of your list (they're at the top of mine too), along with maybe a pillow, some basic food, paper plates, and so on and so forth.

What they forgot to tell you is that if you're a college student running back and forth, you may just want to invest in some duplicates of things so you have one at home and one at school. You'd think that after three years of this back and forth game (I live about a half hour from my college), I'd have the hang of it, but apparently not. Since our shower isn't working currently, I headed home to drop off some extra boxes, check out some furniture solutions for our new apartment, grabs a few tools, and take a shower. There was just one small problem: my shampoo was at school.

Never fear though, because as my friends know very well, my bathroom is fully stocked with free guest shampoos and conditioners and soaps and lotions that have been collected over many years of travel. I'm pretty sure that some of these are older than I am, but they're really nice for when you need some extra shampoo, whether it be for a guest or yourself. After all, when you do travel, these are just free little complimentary samples, so even if I don't use them on my trip, I'll typically throw them into my suitcase to add to the collection at home.

Let's just say that the shampoo from Walt Disney World saved my morning when I couldn't find any shampoo, and that next time I'll be sure to remember to bring some from school...or pick some up on my way home.

Have a magical day!

Day 1233: A Museum of Art

When we travel to Florida, we usually end up leaving Wisconsin really early in the morning. In fact, most of our flights are before 7 in the morning, which means that driving the two hours from our home to Milwaukee gets kind of annoying when it's 2 in the morning. Instead, my mom and I have a tendency to prefer to stay in a hotel nearby the airport the night before so that we can at least get some rest the night before we fly out. 

This trip, however, we decided to go down a bit earlier than just the night before. Instead, we went down the afternoon before and made a stop at the Art Museum in Milwaukee, which I haven't visited in a while. I took a few pictures of my favorites, which, may I add, I own no rights to! 

The picture on the left below is by Georgia O'Keefe of Chimney Rock, which is located at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. I was particularly excited to see this piece, along with several other of O'Keefe's paintings, because I'll be heading to New Mexico this summer to see the real Chimney Rock and visit several of her inspirational sights. As for the piece on the right, I just really identified with the cat lady.

The below picture is titled "Catastrophe." What a catastrophe indeed. It actually made me laugh while in the museum though, simply because it reminds me of the stereotypical life of a college student, where the worst thing that happens sometimes is that the wine spills.

I don't really know why I liked the below picture so much, but it also probably had something to do with something I hope to see on a trip this summer. 

As for this one, I just really loved the design and the colors. At the time, I'm pretty sure it reminded me of something Disney, but I can't really remember what that thing was...

And finally I discovered a part of the museum that featured an "Infinity Room," which is created with lights and mirrors to make it seem to go on for infinity. I'd never been in there before, but the second I walked in I couldn't believe how similar it felt. After all, there's an infinity room somewhere right on Disney property...on Spaceship Earth! Can you tell which one is which? 

And those were the highlights of my trip to the Art Museum. I definitely saw most of the museum, and obviously saw more than what I have featured here, but you just can't capture an entire building full of amazing art in one blog post. After all, it seemed to go on for an infinity. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1228: Working Travels

When I'm traveling, blogging ins't always the easiest thing to do. Sometimes I'll be at conventions, and when I go to Florida I don't even take my laptop along anymore. I never get around to using it anyway, and that means it just takes up unnecessary space in my luggage. So if I want to blog on the go, in that case, I have to use my iPad instead, which definitely ins't the most efficient way of writing. 

However, while on vacation or traveling anywhere, I'm always at work for Everyday Disney, gathering topics, seeing movies, filming vlogs, writing and filming video scripts, seeing new things, completing challenges, and taking just about every picture under the sun. In fact, the way I travel now is pretty drastically different from how I've traveled the rest of my life. Now it's definitely more about what I can do for Everyday Disney or my YouTube channel than just experiencing things, mostly because I've learned over time that sharing the adventures is way more fun than keeping them to myself! 

And actually, sometimes, traveling makes work much more difficult. Since I only have a select amount of time in the Disney Parks, I have a lot to get done in a short amount of time. That's pretty different in comparison to the amount of time I can take to do things when I'm just sitting at home. Plus, when I return I always have to make up for lost time and add blog posts that go along with my latest trip, and then there's vlogs to edit, and the list goes on and on. 

So while there may not be blog posts while I'm away, just remember that I'm always off working on something. I'm just lucky because what I'm working on just also happens to be what I love to do. 

Have a magical day!