One Republic

 About three years ago, I went to the One Republic with Whitney and Nelly. It was right after "Apologize" became popular and it was the moment I fell in love with this band.

Wearing my T from their first concert!

Last night they played at Universal Studios, so of course I was there! Katelyn joined me and we stood for an hour to secure our sweet spot near the front.

They were just as amazing as I remember and even better. Songs from both albums were played, and even some from other artists. It's not everyday you see a rock band that plays the cello, violin, and piano.

 Not to mention, Ryan Tedder, has such an incredible voice! You will melt just as I did. I will forever be one of their greatest fans!

As we were leaving, they came back out and played a little medley of random songs from other artists. During the whole concert, they had amazing transitions from one song to the next. The music never ended!

Wild Africa Trek

We crossed two of these bridges!

Not only are there some perks to working for Disney, but there are many incentives to my job specifically as a Vacation Planner. One of the most recent things I was able to do was go on the new Wild Africa Trek at Disney's Animal Kingdom. It is a three hour excursion where you hike through the Pangani Forest getting very close to many of the wild animals!

Then you get to walk over two huge suspended bridges that overlook the hippos and crocs! Despite my fear of heights, this was my favorite part. It is absolutely beautiful, I felt like I was in another country! Then we got to drive through the savanna stopping right next to all the different animals. We ate lunch in luxury overlooking the giraffes and elephants. Elephants are my favorite animals, and there was even a baby that couldn't quite figure out what to do with his trunk. Definitely a special experience and such a fun adventure with my co-workers!

The Giraffes kissed!

Give Kids The World

This past Wednesday I had one of the funnest volunteer experiences. (Yes, I know funnest isn’t a word, but I think it should be.)

Give Kids The World is a non-profit organization that exists only to fulfill the wishes of all children with life-threatening illnesses and their families from around the world to experience a memorable, joyful, cost-free visit to the Central Florida attractions, and to enjoy the magic of Give Kids The World Village for as long as there is a need.

100,000 children have had their dream come true at Give Kids The World. No child in need has ever been turned away – and no child ever will. Give Kids The World is a place where families find joy, laughter, serenity, and a lifetime of memories. Through the tireless support of our volunteers, employees and generous partners, we dedicate each and every day to these special families.

We (Disney College Program) all have the opportunity to volunteer Sunday and Wednesday nights, so I volunteered to help with "Night of Stars" which is the kids version of American Idol/talent show. As the kids walk in to participate, they get to choose one of us (volunteers) to be their best friend for the evening. I stood in a line with the other volunteers when the second little boy walked in. He was holding his mother's hand as they walked the line in search of his new best friend. I smiled at him, and he threw his arm out pointing at me, exclaiming, "HER!" And that was the beginning of Bryan and Katie! Bryan is my little 6 year old, african-american best friend form Nashville! We played mini-golf, pretended to survive throught the time of the dinosaurs, ate chicken nuggets for dinner, had ice cream, and danced to Micheal Jackson on stage! Such a sweet night.

Cocoa Beach

Today was a beautiful day here in sunny Florida. Four of Katelyn's friends from Nashville came to visit on their spring break, so the past few days have been spent with them. They are the sweetest boys, and I love their Southern-ness and accents. We went to Cocoa Beach today and it was so awesome. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the beach! Definitely in my top ten favorite places in the world. We all got more color than expected, but who's complaining? Great day. Love my life. Love my friends. Grateful for the best family. Missing everyone back home. Tootles! Pictures will come later. Promise.

Flower & Garden Festival

Each year from March to May, EPCOT hosts the Flower & Garden Festival. I spent all day there with my roommate, Katelyn exploring every topiary and flower there was to offer. Everything was so well done and beautiful. Topiaries included Toy Story 3, Mickey & friends, Pixie Hollow Fairies, Winnie the Pooh, Bambi, The Lion King, Princesses and much more! My favorite place was going to Bambi's Butterfly House where hundreds of butterflies fly all around you. It seems as though anytime I'm feeling a bit off or concerned over a matter, a butterfly will fly right past my nose lifting my spirits and reminding me everything will float on.

Guest Interactions

I am a vacation planner, meaning I sell park tickets at the front of Animal Kingdom. What makes my job awesome is the amazing people I work with and the random crazy guests I get at my window. Therefore, I will share a few of my favorite interactions with my guests.

1) More often than not, I have to ask for ID and not often at all do I get a license from Utah or California, so I get excited when I see them. Well, this one was from SLC, so of course I tell her I went to school there. Well long story short, the woman at my window is a professor at Westminster College! (where I went)
2) About once a day, I will get the rude, angry, unhappy guest that no matter what I do, will not make them happy! So this guy wanted to talk sports with me...teams that I had never heard of. Yeah I played volleyball and like being active, but I don't follow sports, athletes, or teams. So he keeps talking about some teams so I smile and nod. Then he says "you have no idea what I'm talking about do you?" This is when I do the nod that turns into a circular motion. He proceeds, "So what they say about dumb blondes is true." SO SORRY BUDDY! geez
3) One man had just gotten back from Afganistan, and drove the next day from Alabama to DisneyWorld. He had been gone for a year, is on leave for a week, and then goes back for who knows how long. He and his wife have a one year old daughter, which means he left when she was born. The story broke my heart, I wanted to give him a free vacation, if only I could have! So thank you to all that serve our country! Love you.
4) Then I get the cute kids! There were parents and a 6 year old boy! Or I guess I should say a boy and his dinosaur! There are a couple of holes in the window so we can hear each other, and this cute boy shoved his dinosaur into the peep-hole. He continued to roar and shake his dinosaur in my face for the entire transaction! His parents were so embarrassed that their son was being so funny, but I loved it! So then I grabbed his dinosaur and said, "I'm gonna take him!" He says, "No, you won't be able to cause I'm holding onto his TAIL!"
5) And now my favorite! I always like to ask my guests where they are from. So one day this 50ish man walks up and replies to my question by asking where I am from. I tell him I'm from California and Utah. He says, "So you're a hippie-Mormon!" I thought about it for a second, and said, "Yeah, I actually am!"
6) I also overhear many conversations that sometimes shouldn't be shared. For example, a group of 3 women come to visit me. One leaves to use the restroom. When she returns, she says, "Whoo, I feel ten pounds lighter!" Did I mention she was the bride-to-be of the group! haha
7) Today, a couple boys are talking while I process their tickets. I'll name them Bob and Joe for the sake of the story. Bob "We gotta go see Mickey and his wife." Joe- "Mickey and Minnie aren't married." Bob- "What? Well that's his girl, ain't it?" "Yeah, but they live in different houses. They aren't married, Mickey has committment issues!" I had a good laugh at that.


Surprised "Katie" when roommates, Emily and Jackie, jump out in front of my window to snap a shot!
I feel as though I look like the dinosaur now!



Wicked!

For years now, I have been wanting to go see the Broadway performance of Wicked. Well, my wonderful roommate, Ashley, won two tickets to see it at Bob Carr PAC in Downtown Orlando. The show was 3 hours long, but it was ama-'sing' and their voices were incredible! I loved it and checked it off my bucket list! I was so tired though, when I got home, I literally passed out on my bed. Which means...I did not set my alarm to get up for work at 7:30. So I woke up at 7:20 wondering why my alarm hadn't gone off. Oh wait! It never did! In fact, I found my phone just laying on the floor, not charging or anything! So, sadly, I was late to work. I hate being late anywhere, so I was pretty bummed. Lesson learned: Set my alarm for the next day in the morning.

Me and Ash on the balcony!