Day 1461: What's There to Say?

2016 was pretty much a terrible year for everyone it seems. If you look around for more than a few minutes on Twitter you'll know very quickly just how awful the last 12 months were for a lot of people. We've lost so many legends this year, we elected a new president that split the country in a brand new way, and in general, 2016 was a flop. Which means that 2017 can only be better, right? 

For me, 2016 was a year of change and learning. I started it in one of the darkest places I've ever been, struggling with who to trust, where I was going to live, and feeling betrayed by the people I once called my friends. Luckily, moving out and across campus into a different apartment was the start of something great in my life. I strengthened the relationships that remained, gained a new and wonderful roommate, found comfort and happiness with new friends, and really learned who I am and who I want to be. As the year went on, I took risks too. I ended up attending an international conference in the Twin Cities, drove all the way to Colorado and back, traveled to Walt Disney World by myself for the first time (and for another conference!), joined a new group on campus that I never believed I could be a part of, and really began to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life once I leave the security of college. 

At the beginning of 2016, I made a resolution to, instead of taking on something new, focus on finding balance in my life that allows for growth. I honestly think I found that this year, although there's absolutely still room for improvement, and Everyday Disney is an example of that in itself. But even if I haven't quite figured out the full balance of time in my schedule, I feel like I've found balance in myself. The people I surround myself with now care about me for who I am and definitely don't ask me to change. I don't feel as though I'm split into multiple parts the same way I was last year, and most importantly, I feel confident in what I am capable of. 

Normally at this point in the end of the year blog post I'd go on some ramble about how many words I wrote this year, but since a good portion of the year has yet to be completed, that seems sort of irrelevant, so perhaps we'll save that for a later date. For now, we'll just keep steaming ahead into 2017 and new adventures, because something tells me that this next year could be one of the most interesting yet. 

Have a magical day!

Day 1457: Carrie

This is the kind of blog post that everyone dreads writing. 

I remember my Dad telling me once that there are certain moments in history where you just remember where you were and what you were doing - the assassination of JFK, the Moon Landing, 9/11, and so on and so forth. I didn't really understand what he meant until the day that Robin Williams died, and I can still recall every part of that day, where I checked my phone to find one of my inspirations gone. I remember the way the sun was setting, I remember the way my room was arranged, and I certainly remember the way I felt. 

Today will be another one of those days. 

I was in the middle of getting my haircut, barely a minute or two into it actually, when Frank texted me. I didn't check my phone, despite the fact that it was absolutely blowing up and vibrating every two seconds. When I did finally check my phone on my way out the door, happily sporting a new hairstyle, I was hit with the news and my face fell. 

It's taken me a good portion of the rest of the day to figure out what I really want to say about this. As I walked around the mall, filled with people taking advantage of post-Christmas sales, I couldn't help but wonder if anyone around me felt the same way I did. One glance at Twitter and it was almost like Alderaan blew up all over again, but for the most part, those around me seemed alright. They didn't seem sad, they didn't seem heartbroken, they seemed fine, and thus the shoppers became an instant reminder that, even in the face of death, life does go on. 

Carrie Fisher was, without a doubt, my first female idol. Previous to watching Star Wars, I honestly can't recall any other icon having such an impact on me. I remember just having to read her book, and actively searching it out from the library. I remember reading everything I possibly could about her life, and being pretty astonished to realize somewhere along the line that Debbie Reynolds, another of my favorite actresses, was her mother. She was, in every way, one of the most incredible, strong women in Hollywood and the world, and she taught me so much about strength and, quite literally, not taking crap from anyone. Through the pages of her book, she taught me about the seriousness of mental illness, and supplied the foundation for me to reach out to my friends struggling with it. Carrie helped me to understand that I can't resent the people who have hurt me over the years, because, and this is one of my favorite quotes, "Resentment is like drinking a poison and waiting for the other person to die." And above all else, for years, I wanted to be Princess Leia. I wanted to be strong and confident and sassy all at the same time, and you know, I think a part of me has gotten there thanks to her. 

Which is why this hurts so much. I never met Carrie, and I probably wouldn't have even if she lived past today, but that doesn't diminish what she's inspired me to do. I'm a better person because of Carrie. I'm more sure of myself, more confident in what I want, and absolutely positive that nothing in this world will ever hold me back, even if some mysterious space station comes and blows up my planet. 

My thoughts and prayers are with Billie, Debbie, and all of Carrie's family and friends.

And to Carrie - We'll Miss You. 

Have a magical day!

Day 1451: Out of Touch

I must say that this semester has been an absolute whirlwind. With five classes, six ensembles, three jobs, three honor society presidencies, volunteer work, Bible study, homework, writing for The Odyssey Online, practicing, and time with family and friends, I've been lucky to eat two meals a day and sleep more than five or six hours. That being said, it's probably pretty obvious that Everyday Disney is a bit behind. It's not for lack of thought, but simply lack of time and energy to write anything more than I had to. Two of my classes were English courses, meaning they were writing intensive, and that's just scratching the surface. 

But to be honest, I've missed writing for this blog. I've fallen drastically behind in everything Disney related actually, and it almost feels like something's missing. I've seen the movies, which will have reviews up soon, and I've definitely been planning here and there for my upcoming trip in January, but overall, I'm behind. Even when I'm not actively writing for the blog, I'm usually going through the Disney news in my feed, but I haven't even done that. 

Which would be why I'm spending an obnoxious amount of time going way back through my feed trying desperately to figure out what I've missed over the past few months. Aside from the big news like the announcement of the Epcot International Festival of the Arts, the premieres of Rogue One and Moana, and the good old Christmas at Disney Announcements, what's really been going on? 

I hate feeling out of touch, and right now, that's where I am. But the good news is that the semester is over, and now I have the rest of the year and into next year to catch things back up around here. Whether or not Everyday Disney will be back to 100% before the end of the year, I'm not too sure, but it will be soon, and as we head into the new year, and the fifth year of Everyday Disney, I'm going to turn back to my roots, because now that I have my life somewhat figured out and back on track, I think it's about time to return to the blog, because I've missed it, and I've missed talking to all of you! 

Get ready for lots of updates here at Everyday Disney and on my YouTube channel, where new vlogs will be appearing soon! 

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 1096: A New Focus

New Year's is supposed to be about new beginnings that take over from reflections of the past, and while I cannot deny that a new year has started (my calendar tells me so), at the same time, it feels more than ever like absolutely nothing has changed. The year may have ended, but ongoing projects still require my attention, fights with people I considered my friends continue to escalate, and the stress that backs it all continues to put pressure on my shoulders.

I've tried to write this blog post multiple times now, but because, truth be told, 2016 hasn't started the way I intended, I've found it more difficult than anticipated. Due to Everyday Disney falling drastically behind at the end of 2015, the frustrations and hurt that became a constant part of my life is hardly evident in my writing. Behind the scenes, on the other hand, things were drastically different.

If you follow my social media, you may already know that I have decided to take a bit of a break from Twitter and Instagram due to "personal reasons" that I did not elaborate on. However, after much deliberation about what I really want out of 2016, I also feel that showing I am human and I am hurt is just as important as the reasoning that caused this hiatus. After all, I write a daily blog and create YouTube videos, and if you follow closely enough, and it's odd for me to think about this, you may even see my face daily. That, in turn, makes it much harder for me to put on a smile that I know is fake.

This isn't to say that I haven't smiled in the past month, because I truthfully have. When my friends and I went to see Star Wars (any of the three times), I was certainly smiling, and when my friend danced with me at a concert, I had a smile on my face the whole time. But I will not lie about the fact that I have been in immense pain over the past month, more mental than physical. Out of respect for those involved, I won't go into details, but, after all, this is my blog, and the entire situations has made me think a lot about what I'm doing and where I want to go from here, especially as we begin a new year.

In 2013 I made a New Year's Resolution to blog about Disney every day that year, and I made the same resolution a year later. By 2015, I decided that just blogging wasn't enough and added on a photo challenge which, by the end of the year, became a small ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark world. But after much consideration about what I want to make my resolution for 2016, I came to the conclusion that instead of taking on something new, I'm going to focus on finding balance in my life that allows for growth in everything from Everyday Disney to the relationships I surround myself with.

What does this mean for Everyday Disney? Well, honestly, not much. In fact, things are going to stay relatively the same other than for a few minor changes over the next few months. I'm hoping to make staying up to date on blog posts a main focus (or rather, writing blog posts on the day they're supposed to be written), and there's a few adjustments I want to make on the additional pages. I'd love to also revisit some of the posts I wrote back in 2013, as a lot of time has passed since they were written, and some of them have become relevant in entirely new ways. On my YouTube channel I'm looking forward to weekly videos, if not two per week, starting at the end of January, with a few other random additions thrown in. Instagram will continue to feature Disney photos regularly, and on my other social media accounts I'm hoping to feature Everyday Disney in ways it's never been featured before.

As for addressing the hurt that's become a part of my day to day routine, I'm not entirely sure where things will lead, but I do know that I've come to the realization that I need to do what's best for my well being at this point. The experience has made absolutely everything harder, in every aspect of the word. It's caused me to loose interest in some of the things that, only weeks ago, made up my life (OUAT especially), and while, at this point, I'm usually jumping off the walls with excitement for my Disney trip, I haven't even realized I'm going because I'm instead spending so much time thinking about the situation at hand. And I've realized that I can't live like that anymore. No one should have to live like that.

So this year, my New Year's Resolution isn't to post a picture a day on Instagram or blog for all 366 days of 2016 (although I'll do those things anyway), but rather to focus on the amazing opportunities I have right now, standing right in front of me, and that includes making the decisions that will secure my emotional healthy in the coming months. Those decisions cannot be made lightly, but they also can't be made by anyone else, and I'm not about to let others tell me those decisions are wrong, because they're not their decisions to make, nor does anyone get to decide for me whether or not I'm allowed to be hurt.

Why am I telling you all this in what seems to be a pretty long, depressing first blog post of 2016? Because I've been absolutely crushed, and I'm sure that somewhere out there someone who's reading this has been hurt too. Plus, by sharing my resolution to make the decisions that will benefit me, I can't back out, and sharing even just this little bit of the situation has made me feel somewhat better. Hopefully it's the start of a path towards a happier, more magical year.

Thank you to all of my followers and here's to a while new year!

Have a magical day!

(Note: I want to make it very clear that I am in no physical danger. I'm fine, my family is fine, and as you'll find very quickly, I'll be continuing to blog regardless of my social media hiatus or other events.)