The Florida Bucket List

One of the new features I've added along the side bar to the left is my "Florida Bucket List" (yea, I think it needs a better name too. Suggestions, please?). This is my list of must-dos while living in Florida, my "Mission: Disney World" of sorts. I had one (at least in my mind) while living in California, and managed to complete many of the items on that list. I thought it might be fun to keep track of my Florida one on my blog this time. I hope to make blog updates about each item as I complete it, and eventually turn the items on the side bar into links that direct you to the blog entry about them.

Some of the items on my list include:

Visit Miami

I would like to explore outside Orlando, as that is the only part of Florida I have ever seen. Miami is a reasonable drive from where I'll be living in Lake Buena Vista. To top it off, the concert of my dreams is happening there on my birthday. Incubus, my favorite band EVER is performing there that night. Over the past 4 years, I have succeeded seeing them exactly zero times and missing them by a few days 3 times, due to moving or vacation. Is this fate, perhaps?

Have Dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table

It's one of the most expensive restaurants in Walt Disney World, and very likely the most difficult to get into. People make reservations more than 3 months in advance to eat here. I don't even know if my Cast Member discount would work here. But darn it, I'm going to have dinner here one way or or another. I've heard the food is great, and it is inside the castle. If that doesn't get a girl's inner princess going, I don't know what would. The princesses, and Cindy's Fairy Godmother are out during dinner, which makes it a good stop to get more autographs in my autograph book too.

Drink Around "The World"

My favorite part of Epcot is the World Showcase. And there's a challenge you can complete, known as "Drinking Around the World", at this lovely collection of mini countries. There's margaritas in Mexico, dark beer in Germany, and wine in France. Eleven glorious locations to stop and try authentic booze from countries around the world. And, being almost 23, I'm fully able to complete this challenge. For obvious reasons, the challenge is best completed with a buddy or two and I'm sure my room mate Ellen will be totally prepared for this.  This item may have to wait until the cooler months, as drinking excessively in the late summer Florida sun and humidity sounds about as fun as running a marathon around World Showcase in the middle of July.

So these are just a snippet of the full list, which you can check out on the side bar. Does anyone have any ideas for a better name for the list? Suggestions of what to add? Let me know in the comments!

Get ready for version 2.0!

Hello everyone!

As you may or may not know, I recently received a piece of paper worth $30k.

(not pictured: piece of paper worth $30k)

Okay, so I received a handshake from the president of UNLV and the piece of paper (aka: my Bachelor of Arts degree) is supposedly arriving in a few weeks months.

So, with this pending piece of paper comes employers, on their hands and knees, begging me to come grace their business with my new found skills and desire to pay off my student loan debt. Right? Right???

Not exactly. The economy is still  tough, I'm still not sure exactly where I want to live for the rest of my life, and I'm still not ready to be done with school. I'd like to go on to my Master's degree for several reasons. The only thing I know for sure is that I'd like to work in public relations and event planning. The specifics of this are still cloudy, however. Will I work for a company? Have my own business? Live in Florida, California, Colorado? Should I look at more internships?

As of now, my sole internship experience comes from my time at Disneyland last fall. While the internship wasn't necessarily specific to what I want to do, it provided valuable lessons I may have not learned otherwise.

•  The customer is, in fact, always right, even if they happen to be a total tool and you'd prefer punching them. That customer is right, and you are going to serve them to the best of your ability with a smile on your face because that is what customer service is about. That's how you build a reputation for being the best in the business.
• You are integral piece of the business you work for, even in a front of the line position. You are the foundation and face of the company. To be an effective manager, you must understand what it is like to walk in the shoes of the people you lead.
• Neither of the aforementioned things mean you must change who you are or give up yourself. The two above items have to be met by you understanding your abilities, how to use them and understanding how to use the creativity you have inside.
• I am much more intuitive, quick thinking and extroverted than I thought I was.
• In the end, if you can find a career where you can make it a point each day to improve someone's life, even in the smallest way, you have made it.

Because I wasn't quite ready to let go of a life with Disney, I applied to be a Campus Representative for UNLV when I got back in January. Being a Campus Rep was a wonderful experience; I love talking the ear off anyone willing to listen about the College Program, so much of it came naturally. The presentations were really fun to do, and we had a ton of interest for the program at UNLV.

In the midst of this, I was putting in applications for several Professional Internships with Disney. These internships are the next step above the College Program, and are focused on a specific area. The ones I applied for were all event planning focused. I did get to interview for one of them. While waiting to hear back, I mentioned during a Campus Rep meeting that if I didn't get one, it would likely be the end of my Disney career since I was graduating (you have to be currently in school or on the College Program to apply for a Professional Internship most of the time, and you have to be in school at the time you apply for the College Program). One of the other Campus Reps mentioned that I should apply to the program in Florida as well for a back up plan; if no PI came through, I could do the CP again and apply for more PIs in the Spring. Despite my initial reservations about Florida (I'm a Disneylander at heart), I went ahead and applied.

Well, lo and behold, no PI for me. But, an offer did come for the Fall 2011 College Program in Florida, once again in the Attractions Role. After some thought (aided by the fact that my sister had accepted a spot in the Fall Advantage 2011 program in Florida and would also be out there), I went ahead and accepted the offer.

I've had a few interviews for internships around here that I hoped to have for the summer, and despite a few really liking me, I didn't get them due to the fact that I will now be moving to Florida at the beginning of September.

So, it looks like my life will continue to be Disney until at least January 6th, 2012. Luckily, one of my room mates from California, Ellen, is also doing Attractions for Fall 2011 in Florida and we're planning on rooming together! I will be making a cross country trip with my dad beginning September 2nd for my check in date of September 7th.

I'm very much looking forward to being a Cast Member again and seeing what Florida has to offer. I'll be keeping this blog again (hopefully more regularly) to keep tabs on my adventures. I've also added some new features along the sidebars, including my Bucket List for Florida and a box to sign up for email updates from the blog.