So it's almost the end of September, and I have been officially working for Disney for over a month now. Some of you are aware of what I am doing for them, seeing as I moved to the Sunshine State for some reason thats big enough to leave good ol' Maryland! Either way, I'll go ahead and show you what I do for a living:
I am a Vacation Planner at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort. Basically what that means is I sell tickets to guests who come to the window and assist with many other functions such as will-calls, renewals, certificate redemption, etc. Interestingly enough, I am the first interaction a guest requiring tickets will see upon arriving to Epcot!
On a daily basis, I encounter guests from various walks of life, all looking to enjoy their time in Central Florida. Each guest has a particular need or activity that they wish to do so it is my job to help find the right-fit ticket for them. Some guests know exactly what they need, while others need some more guidance. You know I will be able to help you with that!
There are times I have very wonderful interactions with the guests that come to my window, and I want to share a time yesterday that I had a certain "magical moment" with a guest.
I was issuing five one-day tickets to Epcot to a Brasilian woman for her and her family. She had reddish hair, tan skin and pretty face. I told her that I was half Brasilian and half Polish and all of the sudden her eyes got huge and she enthusiastically said "Aw you're eyes are very pretty and you are a very beautiful girl!" I laughed as I say thanks, I don't often get strangers complimenting me like that! We talked about how I am learning Portuguese, how my moms family is from Sao Paolo, how long it's been since I visited (6 and a half years!!!) and current issues with the Brasilian government. Fortunately, we still spoke about our love for the country regardless!
As I gave her a map of Epcot, a Times Guide and five passports for World Showcase, I went on to let her know that Brasil was one of the countries with a booth in the 20th Annual Food and Wine Festival. She was intrigued as I told her how they have many specialty foods and the legendary Caipirinha, and she was so blown away by all of the information I had given her. Even though her family had been waiting impatiently for her to come along, she kept smiling and thanked me countlessly for all of the wonderful information I had provided her as well as the conversation we had. She said that I had a very happy personality and was just overall so excited to be here with her family in the most magical place on earth. I was due for my break but I still wanted to keep talking to her. Finally, she told me that she really appreciated talking to me today before leaving with her family for the entrance.
I was still smiling for a good two minutes afterwards. It takes so little to say that you appreciate someones' service and assistance, and it is amazing how far that can go in a person. In just a month of working at Walt Disney World, I already feel that I have made a small yet significant impact on a guests' vacation. This is what sets Disney over the bar when it comes to quality in a vacation, and I hope I can continue to provide the best service to all guests that walk up to my window!
If you also work, or have worked, for Disney at some point, comment below and tell me any magical moments you had! I would love to hear how you made someones' day!
Hey everyone. I hope this week, whether good or bad, has brought joy to you in some way or another.
As I write this post in the comfort of my new apartment (FINALLY), some of the changes that I had made in my life recently has started to sink in. Most of these changes are for the better: being in a new place, starting fresh with a new company and moreover planning for the next steps up ahead.
What I did not realize however, is that some of these changes have made me feel a certain way that I was not expecting. At times, I am actually trying to see things from the outside.
Picture this. You are sitting in a busy intersection, waiting for the light to turn green. Seeing as it just turned red, you anticipate a longer wait until you are able to proceed. During that time, all of the people in the crosswalk start to walk across the road, safely to the other side. Some of these people are friends, strangers, employees, etc. You might see someone whom you have known before, perhaps they are people you knew in a previous chapter in life. They walk as they converse, take photos, laugh, wave at passerby's who might in fact be acquaintances. But who are you to know, you are the one sitting in the car, watching the pedestrians take in life as they know it, seemingly in a connected and balanced universe.
And you're stuck inside that car. Trapped, essentially. Sure, you could get out, greet the people in the crosswalk and join the conversation. But they might be on a different topic. Then the light will turn green, and then the cars behind you will start going. They might try to drive around to avoid the parked car (you better have put those flashers on!) but some people will just go right through. You might look away from the traffic back to the people you were trying to approach. And suddenly, the worst-case scenario hits you smack in the face.
They continue to walk as if you do not exist.
For me, I had started feeling like that driver about a week ago. I moved into this lovely apartment, with my best friend, a little bit further from where I work, and the weather is the same each day: mostly sunny with some afternoon showers. It's hard to beat. The issue that comes into play is that although life is happening for me down in Florida, but all around me I feel as though I am viewing the successes, reunions, milestones of others from a microscope.
Is it that I am a little lonesome?
While everything around me is moving at a fast pace, I try to capture a moment of clarity, just for one second. To see what friends are up to from back home, and here in the Sunshine State. But I feel as if there is some sort of barrier between me and the outside world. Why, when I am working tons, starting to take care of my physical health as well as my professional portfolio, am I starting to feel as if I'm the only one in my personal bubble? I mean, people might not always be available to be there in person with you, especially the ones who are back home, still in school or working an amazing full-time job. But how can I be so distant from what I used to know, and what I currently am trying to attain?
Is it because I live far away from coworkers, other awesome people in the Disney College Program, or just far away from my job in general? Am I getting homesick? Do I really know how to live this independent adult life almost entirely on my own?
Is this not the hardest thing I have ever done in my life?
Quite frankly, many of these questions are questions that I don't know the answer to now. Maybe I will never know all of the answers. In this moment, I think of the people who truly care about me, and wish me well. Not the people who merely like who or what I portray on social media. Not the people who say one thing and do another. Not the deceivers.
I'm talking about the people who are there at your lowest, when all you've got is a whirlwind of emotions and a human in front of you with their ears open and their arms already around you. The people that will not judge you despite anything going on.
To be honest, I haven't found a whole lot of that here just yet. I've only been here a month so I think time will help me shape my perspective on everything. All I know is that things are going to be tough, with work, loans, bills and the constant effort to better myself as a whole. Someday I'll stop being an outsider and become more actively involved in the life I have chosen here in Florida. Things will get better for sure, with time.
Someday I'll find my way. Even if that means sitting in that intersection until it's my turn to shine.
Hello everyone! Welcome to the 9th month of 2015! And happy first day of classes to good ole' Salisbury students!
It has been a while, so I will try to be as concise as I can. The last time I blogged was in December of last year, and, after a long and busy semester + summer, I am diving into Fall with a refreshed perspective (and PLENTY of stories to update you about!). So let's start, shall we?
And for those of you who didn't know about my blog before, welcome to my site!
^^That chick right there? That was me this past spring semester, February to be exact! And still is me too, nothing has changed in that regard. Except maybe my hair is shorter...
As people look at pictures, people can admire the outward qualities that are displayed in the photos and tend to not see what is beneath the surface. The reason that I held back on updating this blog was for many reasons, mainly lack of time, but I felt the weight of a ton of boulders upon my very shoulders to a point where I could taste the ground. The amount of activities I did my last year of college was unbearable, but somehow I made it through all the way to graduation and beyond.
How fancy do I look?
Well, that was also minus 4 cords...but you get the picture. I was a machine in college, and frankly I am proud of all of my accomplishments! 5 honor societies, 4 jobs, 3 presidential positions, 2 internships and 1 sorority. And my just-as-busy boyfriend on top of that. Despite this however, I neglected my personal moments with certain people, friends, family and even myself.
Not anymore. I want to appreciate the good people and things I have in life, and work harder to pursue a better me. On this new journey that I am on, I want to acknowledge my past and make sure my present self sets me on a path to success for the future.
So how am I going to do that? Well I just mentioned 3 things: past, present and future. Let's start with the past! Month-by-month, I'm going to do a mini update on how my year went when I wasn't blogging:
(NOTE: The following events took place in between the months of January 2015 - August 2015, so if needed, go use the bathroom or grab a snack. It's a lengthy memory.)
January: Study Abroad
So starting where I left off, I was just about to leave for Ecuador on a Study Abroad Winter Session. From January 2nd to January 22nd, I traveled to this INCREDIBLE country to take a class, live with a host family, and indulge in the Spanish culture in an actual Spanish-speaking country. I had tried to start a blog to record my adventures in Ecuador, but I failed to be consistent and therefore gave up. Ah well, at least I tried! Either way, this was an amazing experience that I couldn't have traded for the world. I worked my butt off for this trip, but a HUGE thank you to those of you who donated for me to experience this. You have no clue how much this impacted my life. To those of you who came with, I believe the words I said at the farewell dinner summed up everything as I tried to hold tears back.
Once I got back, I started up my last semester with 16 credits, 4 of them being an internship with the Salisbury news station, WBOC-TV (check out my website of my experience here!). Additionally, I was in the midst of Go Greek, which means because I was a recruitment counselor (Rho Delta) for the upcoming recruitment, I was not affiliated with my sorority. It was a little tough I'll admit, but it wouldn't be long before recruitment rolled around...
February: Coming HΦΜE
Early February, Formal Recruitment was upon each and every potential new member as well as all of the sisters. It was a blast being on a new side, the National Panhellenic Counsel as a disaffiliated sister aka Recruitment Counselor aka Rho Delta, escorting PNMs to their sessions to see which sorority would be the one at the end of the week they would join. After the culmination of recruitment on Bid Day, each woman joined their respective new chapters, and I was revealed to be in the one chapter I belong: Phi Mu! It was a warm welcome and I was so happy to be with my sisters again.
Throughout the month, I still continued to work a lot. My jobs included working at Applebee's, teaching Zumba at two gyms, renting out camera equipment at Media Services (aka THE CAGE for you CMAT peeps), and being a Tour Guide representing Salisbury University. I missed out on many social activities, but essentially I was enjoying myself and throwing my all into making money. Frankly, it was working!
Additionally, I was thinking a lot about my future post-graduation. Was I to return to Gaithersburg and work in either D.C. or Baltimore, for a media corporation? Or was I to travel somewhere else in pursuit of an excellent media career? The questions and the pressure started to rise.
At this time, I thought about applying to do the Disney College Program, for reasons which I could not honestly remember. This internship is designed for students still in college to take a semester off to work at either Walt Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort, but the catch is that you have to be enrolled at an accredited college or university. Luckily I could still apply since I was still a student at SU, so I went ahead and applied then didn't think twice of it. After teaching a Zumba class, I returned home to find an email with a link to a web-based interview from Disney. Something had to have stood out on my resume, since it was a generic internship. Regardless, I did the interview online and then received another email a few days later to complete a phone interview for the DCP. At last, I finally got excited. Finally in late February, I gathered up all of my research and knowledge and accepted the call for the phone interview. Of course it had to have gone well, because the next month was a big burst of...
March: Disney!!!
Early March was a blast, because after being promised from my interviewer that I would hear back 4-5 weeks after the interview, not even 5 days went by and I ALREADY received my acceptance email into the program! I was ecstatic, and even though I had no idea what the role they offered me was(Vacation Planner), I was still pumped. The fact that I was going to go to Disney World (for the FIRST TIME) on Spring Break with Evan was even better because I could see where I could be potentially working! Such a great turning point in my perspective of the future.
Not long after, I celebrated a special occasion held in every chapter: Big Little Reveal! I was on the fence about possibly taking another little, but there are times in life when certain people make you feel special therefore, you have to make them an important part of your life...
Everyone, please welcome Julia!!! She is the perfect addition to my family line, and even though I had only a few months at SU with her, I wanted her to be with the very person she reminded me of, me! To this day, I am so thankful for making that decision easy for me, because I rediscover who I am and who I want to be when I'm with her. She already is getting involved with the chapter too, such a proud big!!!
Also, March happens to be the BEST month. An Ides of March baby, they warned you about Caesar but no one ever told you I was coming too!
As I said earlier, I was going to Disney World on Spring Break regardless of if I was to work there or not. I had an amazing time seeing all of the parks, and it was wonderful being able to spend it with my boyfriend! Checked out all four parks, and even checked out Universal too! Such a great way to spend my week off!
April: A Work in Progress
April was a busy yet important month for me. Another honor society, Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish Honor Society, extended me an invitation to to join their organization. Of course I had to, more opportunities to flourish! Another cool event that took place in April was a trip to NYC that I took my honor society, the National Broadcasting Society on. We took a tour of Radio City Music Hall and it was such a great time learning about the wonderful stage that held performances from thousands of entertainers! The trip, although hard to plan, was well worth it in the end result.
April had me doing a lot of cool things at my internship too, filming commercials, doing voiceovers and much more! It was definitely something I felt that I could do if I was in the Salisbury area longer.
Speaking of filming, my New Media I class had me making really cool projects, including GIFs, montages and music videos! Below is a clip from my favorite (and by far most ridiculous) piece from the class. I had an absolute BLAST making this complex drug-deal complication with my pal, (other) Evan!
I also had my last Relay for Life this month, teaching Zumba one last time for the crowd and raising money for the American Cancer Society. Oh, and I donated 8 inches of my hair to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths too!
All in all, a very exciting week for activities!
May: Time to Fly Away
Of course, this month was all about looking forward to Graduation! I had many "lasts" of various activities, and they were all nothing short of bittersweet.
My last Phi Mu Spring Formal was definitely a night to remember (...or not). I was happy I spent it with all the lovely people of my chapter as I said goodbye the next day in our 3D installation ceremony.
Going to double formals was not new to me either. The third time going to Evan's Sigma Tau Gamma White Rose Formal was the best night to top all of the formals we went to together in our college career!
Ah, my last Zumba class. I could not be happier of the 3 years I put into teaching classes for all my favorite students! It was a great last class and I can't wait to teach again!
The bar crawl for seniors really felt awesome to be a part of. We came, we saw, and we definitely crawled. It wasn't a goodbye, but just a see you later!
Saying goodbye to my presidency in my 3 honor societies was relieving but also sad knowing that I won't be able to help bring members closer together. Lambda Pi Eta's Honor Cord Ceremony was a reminder of that, and a celebration of a great accomplishment in my journey to success in media.
Finally, graduation!!! At the time it hadn't hit me that I was closing a chapter of fun and exciting opportunities, but nevertheless I walked across that stage wearing every part of my experience across my gown. As a friend quoted, Evan and I "literally won graduation". No explanation needed!
June/July: Work Hard, Play Harder
This past summer was a busy yet exciting one! I became a Hooters Girl and commuted from Salisbury to OC a few days a week (yikes!) while still working at Applebee's. That is the very reason I meshed June and July together: I did not get to have a bunch of outings with friends because of work and therefore, my summer flew by super fast!
The pictures don't even do its justice:
Bestie came to visit! So happy she got to experience Salz for the first time!
Out with my fellow Hootie's!
With one of my OL students, Mauriccio!
Happy 4th of July!
Happy birthday Courtney!
The HoCo gang plus me!
As I moved out of Salisbury, I cried almost halfway home of the two and a half hour drive. It was a memorable four years.
Out with the seeester!
One of my bests Courtney!
Closing out the month with a Rise Against concert!
August: The Big Move!
As I accepted the invitation to participate in the Disney College Program back in March, I knew the date was coming. I was leaving everything I knew in Maryland to start a potential career with The Walt Disney Company, and I couldn't be more excited and nervous. Evan was also coming with me, since he got a job with the Tom James company, selling expensive suits. We took one last time to say goodbye to friends and family, then we would leave the nest.
Definitely going to miss everyone!!
The Present Day and Beyond
On August 17th, Evan started his big boy job and I checked into the Disney College Program. Since then, we have been very busy with our own jobs, making friends and I am about halfway done with training to be a Vacation Planner at Epcot!
This has been an exciting experience for me, as I hope to eventually work up to working for Disney in some way in their media department, be it Disney Studios, ABC, Pixar etc. All I know is that I am so pumped to be working for the mouse.
So with that being said, that is what I had been up to in the past nine months! It took me hours to compile this post, so I am happy that you got to this point. I will be making more regular posts, I promise! Otherwise my life would be hell trying to recap events from years past...
As always, I am looking forward to hearing about everyone's up and coming events and activities, so tell me what you've been up to! Lets catch up and be cool friends!
I apologize for being a long while, but the busier I get the less time I have to update you all on, well, everything that has happened since Halloween!
So let's get right to it, shall we?
Omicron Delta Kappa
In early November, I was happy to be nominated by a faculty member (or two, rumor has it...) to be inducted into the national leadership honor society, Omicron Delta Kappa. This particular group of people was one that I was always hopeful of getting into someday, and this semester by some turn of fate, I was deemed worthy enough to join. The induction ceremony lasted around forty-five minutes and I felt especially proud that people on this campus see me as a leader. To me, that goes a long way and I will keep striving for success in building myself and others as better leaders.
Anberlin: The Final Tour
That same day, I went to Silver Spring to catch one of my favorite bands of all time, Anberlin, one last time. After twelve years of making music, the band decided to release their seventh studio album and go on tour playing their biggest hits. I saw them once in January 2013, and wanted to make sure I got my last dosage of the incredible live performance they put on. So I took Evan to the show as well, it being his first concert ever, and we had a blast. I naturally found myself joshing, crowd surfing (while I was up there, the lead singer reached out and held my hand for about 5 seconds!) and rocking out. To my surprise, Evan had actually done the same! I wish could do that at my first concert...
Eventually I stumbled into old high school friends after the show and Evan and I headed back to Salisbury. It was quite the performance.
Phi Mu Gala
Last month we held our 25th anniversary formal, aka Gala. We paid homage to our high school prom dresses (or if you're like me and wore incredibly short dresses to your proms, then you went elsewhere to buy one!) and treated our alumni to a night in Ocean City filled with music, dancing, food and nostalgia for the college days. Our founding sisters were honored with certificates at the dance (yay Emily's mom!) and it was wonderful getting to meet older alumnae as well as see recent alum who left only a semester or two ago. My favorite part was seeing all of the ladies wearing colorful and vibrant (see what I did there?) dresses that mirrored almost the entire rainbow spectrum. Well done, classy ladies!
Thanksgiving!
I am very lucky to have gotten a couple days off work to come home to see my family. My lovely Tía and Vóva (aunt and grandma respectively) came to visit and it was wonderful being able to catch up! Even though it was not a very long time back in MoCo, every moment counts and I cannot wait to see my family again. Christmas needs to get here sooner!
Sig Tau Semi Formal
December arrives and so does the wonderful winter dresses! Evan's formal was fun, being able to relax after big projects and prepare for finals up ahead. I have no clue why blue was the theme of my formal dresses this semester, but I digress...
Chancellors Holiday Party
I guess being important has its perks. Evan's position as the President of the Student Government Association at SU allows him to travel to meet representatives from other Maryland schools and University System of Maryland Counsel of Regents to discuss topics and make decisions in post-secondary education. Luckily I was able to tag along in a holiday party in the Towson area. We enjoyed some beer, ate delicious shrimp and posed in many pictures with many famous (educational) people! I was even fortunate to meet another sorority sister from Towson University! How cool is that?
Tiger Tones Performance
Whilst in the area, I was able to swing by Towson University to see a performance of the acapella group my sister is in, Tiger Tones. It was a series of performances with her group as well as many others, singing with style, authenticity and reaching a bunch of high notes. Nonetheless, my sister continues to make me proud as the singer in both of us lives on vicariously through her! Spending time with her truly made my day as well!
Finals Week
After a long week of finals...aka me taking one paper final and watching our classes' animation projects, I wound up earning my first 4.0 ever in the history of my education. This excites me because despite my numerous commitments outside of academics, I still managed to succeed both in and out of the classroom. This definitely will motivate me to do better next semester as well, as I hope to graduate next semester with honors. Fingers crossed!
You can watch my animation project here:
Winter Graduation 2014
Speaking of graduation, one of my very best friends completed her SU journey yesterday! I am so very proud of my dear friend Courtney for finishing the Communication Arts degree and graduating with honors! Soon I will be done as well...but until then, I can't wait to see what amazing things she will do in the world of media. Congrats girl!
Holiday Shenanigans
Celebrating the season with one of my coworkers the other night was amazing! The great thing about being in Salisbury until Christmas is truly getting to know my Salisbury friends and not worry about school getting in the way. I am beyond excited to see what this week will bring!
As the semester winds down, I am incredibly happy with how hard I worked to reach my goals, academically, financially and socially. Fall 2014 brought me so many incredible memories and challenges and I am so happy to be able to continue to achieve successes in my life.
How was your semester? What cool things did you end up doing/joining? For those of you still on the Eastern Shore, please hit me up so we can hang out before I head home! I work tons but I am up to relax every once in a while!
Happy Holidays y'all! Eat lots, sleep in, and do the snow dance!
