Day 1470: A New Experience

It's not everyday that you get to conduct an orchestra, but that was my day. Despite a snowstorm that has been wrecking havoc in Wisconsin and roads that were less than favorable, I was able to drive about an hour to Sheboygan to conduct the Youth Symphony, thanks to one of my professors here at St. Norbert. 

A few months ago I conducted the concert band as a part of my conducting class (and also as a favor of that same professor) and he soon after asked if I'd ever thought about grad school for conducting. I had to be honest, because I have considered it, but never especially seriously, especially after several faculty changes at St. Norbert and a semester of conducting class that left me less than motivated. My professor took me under his wing though, and over the past month we've been working on Beethoven's Symphony No. 1, which he's been working on with the Youth Symphony for their upcoming concert. After weeks of listening and singing the parts myself and practicing in my bathroom, I got up on the podium and led the ensemble - and had an amazing time doing it! 

I suppose that a few months ago I wasn't entirely sure if I wanted to pursue conducting in grad school. I wasn't even sure I wanted to go to grad school, but conducting those kids last night reaffirmed my love of conducting, and while I definitely still have a long ways to go, I'm excited about the prospect of attending grad school in the future for conducting. I have no idea where that might lead me in the future, but I do know that wherever it is, I'll continue to keep a motto of mine: whenever you feel like taking a step back, take a step forward instead. It definitely put me outside of my comfort zone to get up on the podium, but I learned a lot and gained valuable experience in the process, which just goes to show that taking that step forward, just as Walt always suggested we "Keep moving forward" will go a long way in making our dreams come true.

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 1252: Tropical Storm Colin

As it turns out, it doesn't matter if I'm in Florida or Wisconsin, because the storms and the rain seem to follow me wherever I go. I suppose I feel some comfort in the fact that it's not just storming wherever I am though, because while it was storming at home for me, Florida is also preparing for a storm.

Down south, a tropical storm off the East Coast showed progress as it approached Florida and Georgia, and my Dad had to call and tell me the name because he knew I would appreciate it: Colin. I guessed it before he even told me (because I happened to know that the previous storm name started with a B), but I definitely still enjoyed the fact that it was a name that I could relate to. Of course, tropical storm Colin brought plenty of rain to Florida, and from the pictures I saw, there was definitely enough of it to go around.

Back at home, we were heading back to my new apartment when dark clouds approached and the wind started to pick up. My brother, who was back at home, actually called us to tell us to get inside because of the wind, and if you don't believe me, here's a picture he took of our backyard during the storm:

And for us in general, it actually caused a bit of damage, which doesn't usually happen for us during storms. According to my parents (I haven't been home since the storm), there were quite a few branches down, and some of them were rather large: 

Some of that above picture is a bush, but a lot of it is also a branch that fell partly onto our garage. Everything is alright though, as there wasn't any damage...at least to our house. The tree didn't fare as well. 

All in all though, it's just been raining a lot since I got home from Florida, and it really reminds me everytime of the downpours that occurred while I was on vacation. It just never seems to stop, and it pops up randomly in the middle of the afternoon too. If I wanted to be in Florida I would have stayed in Florida (I really should have), but I don't think Mother Nature fully understands that. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1179: Appointment at Noon

Welcome to Wisconsin, where it can officially be Spring and Easter can be in a couple of days, but there's a blizzard outside your window...again. 

To be fair, it wasn't that much of a blizzard, at least not by me. I've spent the majority of my "spring break" holed up in my apartment at college, mostly because the internet is better and it's drastically quieter than everywhere else. After spending a couple of days in the apartment alone, both my roommates popped in and we ended up riding out the storm together...if it can even really be called a storm by Wisconsin standards. It doesn't mean that those of us here aren't incredibly jealous of our friends off in Florida, but still. 

The nice thing about a snowstorm though? You don't have to go anywhere. You literally pretty much have to stay inside, or you can at least use it as an excuse to stay inside, which means you have plenty of time to work on everything that you've been procrastinating on for days...and time to make Mickey waffles. It occurred to me today that I post more pictures of sushi and Mickey Waffles than any other food though, so there's something to think about. 

In case you were wondering what a snowstorm in Wisconsin in March looks like, I've got you covered there too. I somehow remembered that taking a "before" picture might be a good idea, and since I like right on the river, things worked out pretty well for me: 

That picture represents exactly 24 hours folks. Like I said, welcome to Wisconsin. 

Have a magical day!

Day 1128: Snowed In

A good number of my professors have related over the past few days that there were roughly only one or two times they can remember school getting canceled here at St. Norbert College, and I was already lucky enough to experience one of them. For those of you that don't live in Wisconsin, or have yet to enter the wonderful college world, I'll let you in on a little secret: college here almost never gets canceled. While other schools, elementary schools, will be canceled hours before the storm even hits, college students and professors tend to still make the trek across the winter wonderland we call home for months out of the year. So for school to actually be canceled, and campus closed, for the majority of the day is an absolute blessing.

It also means that there is suddenly a lack of things to do. College campuses are busy places, especially during the school year. The summer and J-Term, when I'm frequently on campus for work, leave the college quiet and peaceful, but with the bustle of students around during the semester, there's always something going on and somewhere to be. When we're all trapped up in our dorms, however, just as everyone in the area is trapped in their houses, there isn't much for any of us to do other than watch Netflix, do some work, or, if you're me, practice conducting.

Then again, there is one thing you could do! I've been working incredibly hard these past few weeks to get my life in order and not only catch up on my projects, but then get ahead, and make attempts to keep it in order from here on out. It's one of my goals for this semester: stay ahead and stay happy. Now, Everyday Disney is caught up, my homework is almost finished for the entire week, I'm practicing every day as much as I can, the music library is getting cleaner, my food is made for the week, and new videos start TODAY on my YouTube channel!

I figured that since it's been two months or so since my last video (aside from Star Wars), we could start simple in 2016 with a Disney Haul from my last trip! It's a bit long, despite the fact that there isn't that much in my basket of Disney treasures, but I think this makes it clear why I don't usually do haul videos. I'd have to either talk for over an hour or split it up into sections!

I have to say that it's good to be back making YouTube videos, and you can expect one every Tuesday from here on out, beginning with a new vlog from my January trip that will go up next week Tuesday! I don't think I realized how much I missed making these videos until I was editing this one yesterday, and now I have a whole list of ideas for future videos I'm playing around with in my head! Let's just say it's going to be an interesting year! 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1115: Growing Up Disney

The six weeks of J-Term/Christmas Break have really been a time of reflection and thought for me. After the stress that piled up last semester and throughout the last couple of months, I was forced to really ponder the choices I had made, as well as the ones I am making, and I really came to the conclusion that I take a lot of my life for granted, which I think I mentioned briefly in a previous post. 

Nonetheless, it also got me thinking about all the things in my life I have and do take for granted. Many of them, obviously, rotate around my family vacations to Walt Disney World, such as going to the parks themselves or, more importantly, air travel. I've grown up in airports, and I now realize that many people my age have never even been on a plane. If they have, it's usually only once or twice, and I lost count years ago of how many flights I've actually been on. Likewise, I've been ordering off a menu and putting napkins on my lap since I was about three, so restaurants are a part of my nature as well. 

Even closer to home, however, there are still unique and extraordinary things that I've grown up with, like living nearby an NFL team. The Packers aren't the center of my universe, but I realized recently in a sort of ridiculous way that people from all over Wisconsin (and the world) are Packers fans, not just those of us who live near Green Bay. I grew up in the country in a large house, and even more so, my family ran a business, meaning somewhat flexible hours for both of my parents while some of my fellow students attended after school programs or were on their own until their parents actually got home after work. We took consistent trips to Milwaukee and Chicago and Door County and other nearby tourist locations, and even my time spent so near to Lake Michigan feels like a privilege. 

Long story short, as I headed to Walt Disney World this January I really thought about the ways that Disney has impacted the "normal" that is my everyday life, and I encourage you to do the same the next time you're in the parks too. After all, if it hadn't been for my trip to Disneyland, I'd never have watched Star Wars, and if not for my time spent listening to IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, I might not be a music major. What would my life be like if Disney wasn't such a key part of my life? 

What would yours be like? 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on January 25 due to travel).

Day 1089: A Not So White Christmas

I'm certainly dreaming of a white Christmas...one that definitely can't be found.

Growing up in Wisconsin, snow for Christmas has always been a thing, and I can't remember many Christmas Days without the white fluffy stuff all over the place outside. This winter, however, things have been so warn that the first snow seems to be coming a bit late, meaning that it's definitely Christmas and it's definitely not white outside.

It sort of makes me think about Disney though, because while they don't get snow in Florida very often either, at least they have the fake snow that falls in the Disney parks during the holiday season. After all, even that would be better than no snow at all, even if it is kind of weird and gets a bit sticky after a while. I mean, just look at it come down!

I wonder if I could get a set up like that for outside my house? 

I hope you all have a very merry, and magical, Christmas! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 31).

Day 1025: Beautiful Views

I've had a lot of landscape photos as a part of 101 Smiles this year. Some of them were sunsets, others sunrises, and some were just a picture of whatever beautiful view I happened to be looking at: 

This obviously led me to think about the beautiful views I'm missing at Disney, and while there's just too many to share, here are a few of my favorites: 

Another shorter post, I know, but these are certainly views I would love to see right about now. It's amazing just how much you can miss some place when you're so far away. 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 31).

Day 771: Thinking Warm Thoughts

Here in Wisconsin, it is cold.

And I mean it's COLD.

Down in Florida this past week, I know several people who were complaining about how their hands were cold and they couldn't feel their fingers and COLD and I'm up here like...dude, I can't feel any part of my body. While it may have been around 50 down in Florida (it's now closer to 80), back up here it's currently 7 degrees out, but don't be mistaken. It actually feels like -8 out, and our low tonight, without wind chill, is scheduled to be that same temperature, meaning it'll probably feel more like -28 by the time we get to the coldest part of the day.

This means that we have to get pretty creative in our mission to remain frostbite free. The number one way is to just not go outside at all, something that's literally impossible when you go to college, or school, or work...or live in general. So instead you just limit how many times you have to go outside. For instance, I remain in the music building from around 2 until 7 tonight, and tomorrow I'll spend 11-6 here, even though I only have classes at 4 and 5. Why? Because that means I don't have to venture outside into the cold.

But when you MUST venture out, you tend to bundle up. Personally, I've even pulled out my bigger, thicker peacoat, and that means it's REALLY cold, because I LOVE my red one. So for me to replace that red with grey, that's saying something. On top of that, I end up generally wrapping my giant winter knit infinity scarf (referred to as "The Colin" scarf, via Christina Perri's "The Words" - it looks like the one he wears kind of), around my head and neck and then sort of tucking it in a little bit and literally I won't go anywhere without it now. If I'm wearing a different scarf during the day, the big knit one still goes on top. Head protection can go a long way in keeping warm. Of course, my leather gloves are necessary, and leather jackets that double as layers are also a common way for me to go.

Sometimes though, you just are still cold. You can be wearing six layers and go outside and still not feel your arms or legs or, let's be honest here, face, so you need other ways to warm up. Sometime last year, I started this thing to try and keep myself warm on the long walks back to my dorm (my walk this year is about half the distance it used to be). I call it "The Warm Circle of Hugging," because apparently using Olaf's theory of thinking of all things hot does sort of warm you up...if only for a few seconds.

So when I'm really cold you'll see me close my eyes while continuing to walk (probably not my greatest idea, but that's beside the point), and then I'll say the following words, trying to convince myself they're real: "Han Solo is hugging me. Chewbacca is also hugging me. Captain Hook is hugging me as well. It is a warm circle of hugging." And then I bunch my shoulders up and for a few seconds, it works. I do feel warmer. And then the realization that none of the above characters are really there and there certainly aren't any Taun Tauns around to keep me warm either (then again, could any of us really bear that smell?), so the cold seeps back into my bones.

But at least it works for that short while. Because really, you haven't felt pain until you've felt negative temperature wind chills on your bare skin.

Have a magical (and hopefully warmer) day!

(Note: This blog post was written on February 23).

Day 738: Weather Extremes

People often say that Wisconsin weather changes by the second, and I suppose they're right. We can go from 80 degrees to 20 in just about a day, with rain, sleet and snow all mixed in between that. It's crazy and ridiculous and really windy from time to time, but honestly, I'm starting to think that Florida might rival my home state when it comes to weird weather extremes.

As you can see at the beginning of the trip, it was pretty warm. We were all wearing shorts and tank tops and a cardigan here and there for the cold of the early day and night, as you can see here in this picture of me outside of Victoria & Alberts:

But by the end of the trip, even my leather jacket and multiple layers wasn't enough to keep warm:

By the last day of the trip, I was wearing a total of six layers and was still cold as I headed out in the morning. 

And people say Wisconsin is crazy. 

In fact, during the middle of the trip, Florida was actually under a hard freeze warning, which apparently means that it reaches the 30's in Florida, and while that seems silly to me, sitting in my College Library as the outside temperature is barely in the teens (it was below zero while we were gone), I was absolutely freezing while in Florida. It only takes a day or two to be adjusted to that warmer weather, and once you are, there's no going back! 

Originally, I was going to bring my winter coat, as temperatures around Christmas were in the 50's and 60's, but things grew warmer and settled in the 80's, right where it was for the beginning of our trip. It was all great until the end got back into the 50's, and everything was just COLD! Granted, by the time we got back to Wisconsin, I couldn't really feel my toes when I walked outside, but still, next time I'm listening to myself and bringing my coat. 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on January 12 due to the Disney Trip!)

Day 591: Kids from Wisconsin

Tonight, or rather a few nights ago, I had the pleasure of heading to one of my favorite summer shows: Kids from Wisconsin. I saw the group a couple years ago when I went with my Camp and absolutely LOVED IT, so when one of my college friends became a part of the group this year, I was more than excited to go see it.

For those of you who aren't from Wisconsin or don't know what Kids from Wisconsin is, it's a group of basically college age kids who tour around our state every summer to perform a complete show filled with music of all kinds. There's 20 singers and then a band that backs them up (Go Jessica on Piano!!!), and they perform literally everything from musicals to jazz to current popular music.

So you can bet that there's always a couple of Disney moments in the show.

This year, and by far my favorite part of the show, they performed their today's hits section, which of course had to feature Let It Go from Frozen, because seriously, that song is everywhere. I think I've had the lyrics memorized since November or so and despite the fact that I do love Tangled more, I have a Frozen dress and am just totally pumped for the addition on OUAT.

But the Disney didn't end there.

Later on they were doing a tribute to the Tony's, featuring songs that were nominated or won there, and you can't have a musical montage without a little Mary Poppins and Newsies.

It's funny, actually. My roommate from this last year loved Newsies, or rather, she loves Newsies, and at some point during the school year I watched it for myself. Now, I don't really know all the words or anything, but I do love that musical, and now I have Megan hooked on it too. So from one Megan to another, the musicals go.

Seriously though, although their tour is pretty much over for this summer, if you ever have a chance to go see Kids from Wisconsin, DO IT! It's sooooo worth it because they're one of the best musical groups I've seen, and it's different every single year!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 18).

Day 419: The Packing List

I'm confused.

Throughout my entire life, I have generally traveled to Walt Disney World in the months of November, December or January, with the addition of one time I went in February, once in June and once in July. Other than that there are a lot of months of the year that I HAVEN'T been to Walt Disney World (or Disneyland if you include the August I traveled there), which means that when I go this next month, it's going to be a totally new experience.

I'm going down there for research mostly, to familiarize myself with the My Magic Plus system and Fastpass+ and everything just to make sure that I understand how to do everything before I am there with 60 other people all who have questions in June. I want to make sure the trip runs as smoothly as possible for all of them, so that means I need to know how it all works. Plus, I need a ton of video so I can make the trip video super awesome, and that's what I'll be spending 5 days doing: Filming, Filming and Filming. It's like full pre-production.

But there are lots of other new things I'll be experiencing. For instance, I've never been to the Flower and Garden Festival. I was to the Food and Wine Festival once, and I'm there at Christmas all the time, but other than that I never really get to see any of the special stuff when it comes to Epcot. Am I excited? Yeah, I guess I am (mostly about the food), but it does cause some problems video wise since I can't include anything in the video that the band won't see in June. And that means the beautiful displays of Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival.

My biggest problem of all though? Packing. I have no honest clue what to pack for this trip. Here in Wisconsin we're creeping up on the record for the most below-zero days in a single winter (yay...hear my sarcasm), but in Orlando, the current temp is 66, and it will be about this time of day that I land at the airport. Now, 66 isn't super warm. It's not warm enough to wear shorts all the time like I did in July down there, BUT, the high for the day is 75, and it's regularly getting up to the 80's, which is seriously around 70 degrees different from what it is here. But if during the day it's 80, shorts weather to us from Wisconsin right now, but 50-60 at night, WHAT DO I WEAR?

Sure, we could maybe get a locker each day to keep our sweatshirts in, since I doubt we're going to be park hopping a ton, not with so much to do, but that doesn't fix the problem of pants. Like I said, 80 is very much shorts weather right now for us, but by the time I get down there it might feel colder than what I think.

In other words, I feel like my packing list includes my entire closet. Despite the fact that I have a special surprise up my sleeve for March. What could it be? You'll find out very very soon.

So you have a magical day, I'll just be here working on homework and daydreaming about three weeks from now. =)

Day 378: First Pinterest of the Year!

It's time for the first Pinterest Post of 2014! That's right, get ready for cute, adorable, hilarious and overall feels coming directly to you from my Pinterest boards (although I suppose it would be via this blog...still). Yes, I have a few of my favorites saved up for this one, and there are going to be some intense Tangled Feels...because everyone needs Flynn Rider in their day. 

So, let the Flynn Rider Begin!

Honestly I'm not sure why I find this one so funny. But it did make me want Pancakes, to say the least. 

The Feels that accompany this picture of a little Rapunzel and Flynn Rider are too much to handle. 

If I were at Disneyland right now, I would be in Fantasy Faire watching the Tangled show. Gosh I really just want to meet Flynn Rider. 

The last of the Flynn Rider for today's post, but I couldn't resist posting this one. It just made me laugh so much. Seriously though...future spouse...take notes. 

This is how all of Wisconsin felt last week. 

And finally, this one. Honestly it is probably right up there with my favorite pins of all time because I basically almost cried when I saw it. The most adorable thing I have ever seen. To the parents of this child: Parenting: You're doing it right. 

That's all I have for today though. I mean, I have to save some of the awesome Pinterest posts for another day, right!?!

Have a magical day!

Day 368: It's Super Cold

Currently I'm sitting on my bed, trying as hard as possible to come up with an actual topic for today's blog post, but to be totally honest, I've got nothing. I have no clue what to blog about today. Granted, this is either a bad sign about deciding to do for a second year...or just due to the fact that I've been so busy today and have a lot going on. That or it's this wicked cold that's upon Wisconsin as of right now. If there was ever I time I wished I could be in Florida, it's right about now.

You know, it's funny, because maybe there's the blog post topic in here after all. You see, I may or may not have talked about this before, but when I was a kid, my family would go to Walt Disney World once every school year. That means that we might go in January and again in November, therefore in the same calendar year, but two different school years. The next year we might not go at all and so on and so forth. The point? We went to Disney a lot.

At school, therefore, I became known as the Disney person. I would go to Disney and Florida and bring back treats and everything like that. As we got older I would return and my classmates would always ask me, at some point or another, "Why aren't you tan?" and I'm always like "Ha! It's the middle of winter! Are you crazy?" And then they would be like "But you went to Florida!"

Now, this might actually seem crazy to some people, but it DOES GET COLD IN FLORIDA. I know, a long shot there. Who would have thought that the sunshine state actually can get cold. I'm not saying like here in Wisconsin right now, where, to be honest, it is probably colder than Hoth, but it is often cold enough that you don't want to be out on the sand trying to get a tan, even if you are from Wisconsin.

The other question would always be about whether my family went to Disney for the warm weather, and while I suppose it is nice to head to a warm place, even just for a few days, in the middle of the winter, that has never, ever, been a reason to me. I go to Disney World because that's what I love to do. I love just going there. I don't care if it's warm or cold or raining or sunny or what (ok...I rather prefer to not have Tornadoes), because I'm going to be happy no matter what. I know my family hates going in the summer because of the heat, but back in July when I went I really didn't mind it too much. I was just happy to be there.

Not everyone gets the chance that I get, to go to Disney World often enough to know it like the back of my hand and see it as my home, especially since I live so far away. But I honestly treasure every moment I have there. When I go in March, I'm only there for a few days, and much of my time won't be spent on personal time either. I'm going on that trip for work...to record video for the Band Trip Video and to gain first hand experience with both Fastpass+ and any other changes that are coming through the parks right now. I need to be able to help my fellow students come June, in whatever way I can. Of course, that actually is starting right now as we deal with Advanced Dining Reservations, but still. I want everyone in the group to have a wonderful time there, so even if just for a moment they can have a glimpse of the spectacular place I have grown up with.

And if they have a good time, then I'm just as happy as if I could spend twice the amount of time there.

Ok...so maybe I wouldn't mind more time. But who wouldn't?

DFoTD: All of the natural elements that went into creating the murals at the entrance to the Land Pavilion were made from materials found on Walt Disney World Property.

Have a magical day!

Day 2: My Own "Small World"

Hello!

My name is Lizzie, and I am obsessed with Disney.

(Here's where you all say "Hello Lizzie!")

Anyway...I'm 17 years old, and I live in a Semi-Small town (officially a city I guess) in Northeastern Wisconsin, which for those of you that don't know, is indeed a State obsessed with Cheese, and while we don't get snow all year long, it is still rather chilly here during the winter months. Ok, maybe it's more than a "little chilly."  I've grown up in a family of four people, my mom and my dad, my brother Jonathan and myself. I'm the oldest of us two kids, as my brother is younger than me by 4 years, making him, of course, 13, and just barely a teenager. I've gone to the same school district my entire life, and while my group of friends has changed multiple times since I was just a little girl, I am happy to say that I'm surrounded by a great group of people that I love and very much care about.

My obsessions, outside of Disney of course, include music (I play Alto Saxophone, Oboe, Piano, some guitar and I can sing), Photography (specifically Animal Photography), drawing, some painting, reading, writing, movie watching (Disney of course!), technology, making videos and a few more that I'm sure you'll hear about in time. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that I'm a Senior in High School clearly looking at a future in either Music or English, with a possible Business something thrown in there, and I plan on doing the Disney college program and hopefully someday gaining a job in the Disney Company. While I'd love to be an Imagineer, I'm not sure I'm creative enough, but that's a topic for another blog post.

Now, for my obsession with Disney. While I'm going to be working on a FAQ page soon, which will include much of my background surrounding Disney, I'll give a brief description here. I don't necessarily have ONE favorite Disney movie, but just a few titles are "Beauty and the Beast", "Lady and the Tramp", "The Lion King", "Pirates of the Caribbean", and of course the new Disney additions of "Indiana Jones" and "Star Wars." As a member of Disney Vacation Club and a regular Annual Passholder, I have been to Walt Disney World a full total of 23 times in my short 17 years, which includes two trips on Disney Cruise Line. I traveled to Disneyland for the first time in 2011, and am hoping to go back this next summer in 2013. I do have a favorite park and attraction, which, as you will learn in time, I am truly obsessed with. It's Epcot for the park, and it's Icon, Spaceship Earth stands as my all time favorite attraction. It was my very first Disney World attraction back at the young age of 1, and since then I've been on it over 130 times, and yes, I have the dialogue from the current version memorized. With this obsession, I am a collector of all things Spaceship Earth, and while this is really another topic for another post, I am currently very excited about the newest additions to my collection, a 30th Anniversary Spaceship Earth iPhone case and a 30th Anniversary Park Map and Button. As I said before, I am also a fan of both Indy and Star Wars, with Indy and, of course, Han Solo, as my favorite characters respectfully...which, if it isn't obvious, mentions that Harrison Ford is one of my favorite actors. I own books, movies, and just about everything Disney I can get my hands on and afford at the same time, but that will all be explained in a later entry, I can't make this too long, after all. (I just realized as I proof read that I say "a different post/entry" like three or four times...funny!)

I own one house cat, named LillyBelle (yes, named after Walt's wife, Lillian, and a reference to the Disneyland/World Railroads), along with an ever changing number of barn cats, each with their own unique name and personality. Maybe sometime I'll introduce all of them.

Aside from all of that, it basically sums up my life...Disney, Disney, Disney and more DISNEY. Which I suppose is fitting now that I am starting this DISNEY blog.

Have a magical day!