Thanksgiving Week

So now that I only have 23 days left here I am trying to get as much done as possible and let me tell you there is a lot of stuff on my to do list coming up over the next few weeks. I have been trying to go to the parks as much as possible also.

On Monday I started late that night so I went to the dine in movie theatre at Downtown Disney. It was the best thing I have ever gone to! They had a full bar, tables in front of your seat where you pressed a button and your server came. It was amazing and I got a little crazy and spent way too much money on food but I guess why not just enjoy it?

On Tuesday I had the day off as well as some of my best friends from work. We decided to go to Epcot to ride the Figment ride (for some reason we have been dying to do this) it was the worst and weirdest ride I have ever been on. Sometimes when you get off of a ride at Disney World you wonder what kind of drugs they were feeding the Imagineers who designed the ride. This was definitely my first thought. We also went on Captain EO its a show from the 80s starring Michael Jackson that was brought back recently. It was interesting but the entire time I thought about how much my mom would probably love this.

We then went to Downtown Disney to go to Disney Quest. Its a 5 story arcade and it was pretty fun. They had a lot of interactive activities and we did almost everything. They had Buzz Lightyear bumper cars, a river rafting simulator ride, make your own rollercoaster, and other activities. Overall it was cool but I wouldnt go again. After we did some shopping and of course stopped to see Santa. After all I need to make sure he gets my christmas list in time since I will be home for Christmas this year.

On Wednesday I baked cookies with my friends from work for our Thanksgiving party. It was a lot of fun and it was nice to get into the holiday spirit. We made gingerbread men, ginger snaps, sugar cut out cookies, chocolate peppermint cookies, and pumpkin pie bars.

Thursday was Thanksgiving and it wasnt as sad as I thought it was going to be. Honestly I really just forgot it was Thanksgiving because it didnt feel like it at all. I went to the ESPN Sports complex for the Old Spice Basketball Tournament. My friend Lauren from work really wanted to go since her school was playing in it. It was actually a lot of fun to see the complex it was absolutely gorgeous! And we even got on TV too!  Afterward I went to work and we had a potluck. One word to describe it... INTERESTING. The food was just weird because it was people from all over the world making different dishes. There was rice and beans even. I wasnt that impressed and either were my friends from Australia. They couldnt figure out why we liked the holiday so much.

I got off work at 11 and went home to change then ventured off to the mall at midnight. It was actually a lot of fun and we stayed until after 4 before finally venturing home. I came home passed out and now I am about to leave to go to work.

There is a lot of exciting things coming up over the next few weeks... our Winter Formal, Graduation from the program, my mom and sister are coming, and just spending my last days at the parks. Even though I didnt love the program it wasnt the worst thing ever. I really love all my friends I have made here and cant wait to visit them after the program.

Still waiting to hear back about the internship so keep your fingers crossed!

Heres some pictures from work when we are waiting to go home.

Christmas!!!

Well it looks like everyone's favorite little angel will be home for Christmas!!! I applied for an approved early release from the program and was granted one today. It basically means I still complete my program but I get to leave for whatever reason. I will be coming home on December 15th! I am really excited but I have just now realized its 28 days away and I still have so much on my list of things I want to do before I leave.

My life right now is completely up in the air. I am waiting to hear back from the Professional Internship I applied for. I made it through the final interview round and then 2 weeks ago I received an email asking for a background check on me. I have heard this is a really good sign and usually the step before the offer. I hope I hear back soon but the deadline is December 7th. If offered the internship I have decided I am going to take it. If this happens I will be heading back to Orlando around New Years to move into a new apartment and get settled before my internship begins.

I will keep everyone updated as soon as I hear anything!

Parents Visit

Sorry I havent been posting as much I literally never have any free time anymore especially since we are getting into our busy season. This past weekend my parents and Becky and Jim came to visit me! It was a lot of fun and they actually wore me out.

Friday
I had class and then I eagerly awaited my parents arrival. They got in around 5:30 and picked me up at my apartment we went and checked into our hotel. We stayed at the Pop Century for the first night. Its a little value resort on the Disney Property but its actually pretty cute. We got settled in and left for the Polynesian Hotel where we had dinner reservations at Ohanas. I have been waiting to eat here for weeks and it was definitely worth the wait. Probably one of my favorite restaurants of all time. I wanted to take my parents to the little beach they have there that is on the same lake as Magic Kingdom so you can see the entire castle and the fireworks show, but my dad said no way I need to get to the bar. (I mean are you surprised by this) so we got drinks while we waited. Ohana's is family style buffet served to your table. The first thing we had was salad which was a lime ginger dressing I think, then we had dumplings and chicken wings. Next was peanut noodles (which were hands down the best noodles I have ever ever had... seriously) and some vegetables. Then the server comes around with this giant skewer of meat and put its on your plate. There is chicken, pork, steak, and shrimp. The pork and shrimp were our favorites. and lastly DESSERT! it was a bread pudding with vanilla ice cream then topped with caramel bananas and it was delicious! After we no longer could take a second bite we headed back to our hotel.

Saturday
We slept in then ate at our hotel before checking out. We then went to Walmart and did a shopping trip! I hadnt gone grocery shopping in almost a month so I desperately needed some food. After that we went back to my apartment to drop everything off and give a tour of the apartment complex. Then we went to Downtown Disney to do a little shopping. My dad left to pick up Becky and Jim at the airport and my mom and I stayed and just walked around and also do a little pin trading. When they all got back we went to Earl of Sandwich for dinner. It is really one of the best sandwich places in the world. After that we went to my store so they could meet my friends and see where I work.

Sunday
We got up early and went to Hollywood Studios for the day. We went on Rockin Rollercoaster, saw the American Idol Experience Show, Star Tours ride, Animation Academy where we learned how to draw Jiminy Cricket, shopped and then went and saw Fantasmic. It is by far my favorite show at Disney World and it was also my first time seeing it. After that we went to the Osbourne Spectacle of Lights show which was also the coolest thing I have ever seen. We then took the boat over to Epcot to do Food and Wine but were only able to go for the last half hour. I was so excited to take them there but then they decided to go to the American Pavillion to the quick service restaurant for a hamburger... so that was a fail. We also were able to see Illuminations (the show at Epcot). We then went home because we were all exhausted.

Monday
We went to Animal Kingdom first and it was the first time for all of them. We went on Kilimanjari Safari first which is my favorite. We then headed over to Expedition Everest (its kind of like the Matterhorn). After then we went on the ride Dinosaur (its like Indiana Jones). then it was lunch time. Becky and my dad got Turkey legs while we got hamburgers. We then went to the Lion King show which was really cool. It has music, singing, acrobats, and dancing all in one. Then we went to Magic Kingdom for Mickeys Very Merry Christmas Party. We were able to get into the new Fantasyland which doesnt open until December 6th. We did everything there and they all loved it! We then went on the people mover, space mountain, then watched the Christmas Parade. After that we headed over to watch the firework show which was really cool. We went on Pirates last and then headed home to beat the crowds.

Tuesday
This was their last day here and I stayed at my apartment last night so I could get everything settled before work. They stopped by to say bye on their way out, then it was back to reality and get to work. It was long and exhausting. I was ready to just go home and when I finally got off and went home I came home to a fire. The apartment below me caught fire. Thankfully everyone is ok and my apartment is fine. We will probably know more tomorrow.

Thats all Goodnight!

Happy Halloween

The most horrifying thing about Halloween... there are only 54 shopping days left until Christmas!

My Halloween was... interesting I should say. I am really not a huge fan of Halloween but I figured soon enough I wont be able to really celebrate like a college kid so why not. I had the day off which was nice and I was busy. I woke up early and went to Downtown Disney for the Cake Off Contest. There were 3 teams that had 4 hours to decorate a cake Haunted Mansion theme. It was just like the show on the Food Network and was so interesting to watch especially since I am really into baking. And the best part... after judging we got to eat the cake! So of course I was there.

this cake was decorated by one of the ladies at my work and her mom. It was a puerto rican cake with brandy syrup

 This is Jared he is also in the College Program with me and he was the host of the contest

This cake was made by one of the managers at my store. it was a black velvet cake

this cake was made by a lady who works at the disney store at the airport

Afterward I went shopping to get a Halloween costume. Of course I chose Rapunzel! And thanks to my Grandma and Jim who sent me a little Halloween money and I used it towards my costume.

So last night I went on the party bus that takes you to downtown Orlando with my friends from work and my roommate. It was interesting. We got there at like 12:45 and it was basically a giant party in the street. All the roads are blocked off and theres music and then you can go into all the different bars. It was fun but I was ready to go home. I got on the first bus that left at 2:30 and I was like awesome Ill get home soon and get to bed. There was an accident on the freeway probabaly about 3 cars in front of us. We were stopped for over an hour before we had to make a u-turn (yes on the freeway) and go backwards to the next exit to take an alternative route. And let me just say being on a party bus with twice as many people then there should be and drunk college kids who cant handle their alcohol so they are puking everywhere is probably the worst thing I have ever had to sit through. By the time I got home it was after 4 and I was ready to pass out.

on the bright side, I made it home in one piece with all of my belongings and I looked pretty cute as Rapunzel.

With my roommate Juliette

Fantasyland Preview

Sorry I haven't written any posts lately. I got back to Orlando last Tuesday night and have been working everyday since but I guess thats what you get when you ask for an entire week off. Not much has been going on just a lot of work work work and some Giants baseball of course.

I did start my Finance Class on Friday which was really cool. Its set up that our "teachers" are actual finance professionals from different parts of the company. From sports, operations, entertainment, etc. They talk a little about their job and about finance I am really really enjoying it besides it being at 9am.

Today I had the day off and took full advantage of it. I woke up early and went to Magic Kingdom with my friend Kali from work. My first stop was a little shopping because my holiday discount of 40% started this week. My splurge for all my hard work, a new Dooney & Bourke Disney bag I have had my eye on since I got here.

After we went to the exclusive cast preview of the new Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom. Its the largest expansion in the history of Magic Kingdom. It was pretty cool even though its not fully finished. There is Story Book Circus that has been opened for a while. It is centered around the Dumbo ride. They created a whole indoor air conditioned play area so you dont have to wait in line for Dumbo in the sun with little kids. You get a pager just like when you go to a restaurant and get to wait inside playing games with your kids. 

There is also a whole new area for Belle, Ariel, and Snow White. There is Enchanted Tales with Belle which is kind of like an interactive show/attraction (not really sure how you would categorize it but its amazing but I cant give it away) 

Then there is Be Our Guest restaurant which is absolutely gorgeous! Although getting a reservation there is currently available in April and reservations have only been accepted for a few weeks.

Then we went to Gaston's Tavern where we got Le Fou's Brew it was sooooo good!

Then we made it over to Ariel's side. The ride was amazing! it was the cutest thing I've ever seen and it definitely had that new ride smell (kind of like a new car smell)

 And lastly there is an area for Snow White with a Seven Dwarfs Mine Rollercoaster ride that is expected to be done early 2014. 

Overall it was really cute! after we got some lunch, did a few more rides, then headed off to volunteering for Give Kids the World. I took a ton of pictures and have a lot of info to share on that but its late now and I am going to the parks tomorrow!

The Kitchen Sink

Yesterday I had the day off to be able to pack and clean up for inspections before I left. But instead I decided to hang out with my friends from work because my good friend Brittany has decided to leave the program so this would be the last day we could hang out. We decided to go to The Yacht and Beach Club Resort to a little diner called Beaches and Cream which mainly has ice cream and sandwiches. They are best known for their sundae the Kitchen Sink.

• ½ cup fudge topping, warmed
• ½ cup butterscotch topping, warmed
• ½ cup peanut butter topping, warmed
• 1 medium banana, sliced in 1/2 –inch slices
• 1 cinnamon spice cupcake (2 ½ x 1 ¼-inch), quartered
• 1 angel food cupcake (3 x 1 ½-inch), quartered
• 2 4-oz. scoops vanilla ice cream
• 2 4-oz. scoops chocolate ice cream
• 2 4-oz. scoops strawberry ice cream
• 1 4-oz. scoop mint chocolate chip ice cream
• 1 4-oz. scoop coffee ice cream
• 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
• ¼ cup marshmallow crème
• ¼ cup strawberry topping
• ¼ cup pineapple topping
• 1 14-oz can dairy whipped topping
• 1 brownie (6-inch x 6-inch), quartered
• 1 regular-sized (2 ounce) candy bar, quartered
• 4 chocolate cookies with cream filling
• 1 tablespoon sliced toasted almonds
• 1 tablespoon dark and white chocolate shavings
• 1 tablespoon chocolate cookies with cream filling, crushed
• 1 tablespoon chopped jellied orange slices (approximately 2 large slices)
• 1 tablespoon milk chocolate chip morsels
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter chip morsels
• 1 tablespoon chocolate sprinkles
• 1 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles
• ½ cup drained maraschino cherries

Drinking and Eating

Last night I worked until 1 am which kind of sucks but there was a lot of people that also had to stay. We decided to go to Steak n Shake, its a burger restaurant down here kind of like Nations. There was about 20 of us and it was so much fun even though people kept staring at us because of our work outfits or maybe because we took up half of the restaurant. I got a Smores shake that was amazing!

Today I had work at 6pm so I figured why not do something... about 10 of my other work friends for some reason also started at 6 so we decided to go to Epcot Food and Wine Festival. This was my second time going and it was a lot of fun. My first stop was in Germany for the beer flight. I'm still not sure what beer was what.

After Germany we stopped at Japan and I got sushi. I didnt have time to take a picture because I was starving! Then we went to Greece and I got this fried cheese with honey and pistacios it was actually pretty good and something really different. After we went to Mexico and I got a strawberry lime margarita but for some reason the lady gave me two, but hey Ill take it!

I also met Snow White and Mulan

After all of this I then I had to go to work and let me tell you it felt like the longest day of my life. But I am home now and its time for me to go to bed! Its officially tuesday here in Orlando so that means I come home tomorrow!

So not much has gone on since the last time I posted. I had my interview for the Professional Internship on Wednesday morning and I think it went really well. I dont think I could have done any better so if I get it thats great if not thats ok too. I could be placed in either Orlando or California for the internship. After my interview I hung around the apartment getting some things done. Later that night I went to volunteering again at Give Kids the World. On wednesdays it is Kids Night Out so you get paired up with a child, but they get to pick you. So you awkwardly stand there and hope they will pick you out of everyone. This time I got picked first! Her name was Janearae and she was 5 years old from Montana. I dont know her exact condition but I was told she has half of a heart. She was so cute and wanted to do EVERYTHING! All she talked about was the bunnies (the resort has 2 character mascots Mayor Clayton and his wife Mrs. Merry) I told her they would meet us at dinner. All of dinner that is all she talked about, but apparently they werent going to make it to dinner because it was raining. So the lady in charge took her and I to the place where they were. She was so excited to see them, but then we found out shes actually afraid of them. It was really cute regardless. After that we went to the talent show. She decided she wanted to sing Justin Beiber, which actually meant I had to go on stage with her and help her sing. I recruited 2 other girls to do it with me because I dont know the song very well and I am not big on being on stage. Overall it was so much fun and I cant wait to go back!

Since Wednesday I have been working everyday. I have about 50 hours this week which is ALOT! Yesterday I worked 12:30 to 12:30 which was way too long for me. I have Tuesday off this week so I can pack and get ready because I GO HOME WEDNESDAY!

So not much has been going on... I literally wake up make something to eat get ready and go to work then I come home and go to sleep. Not very exciting at all. Work is getting better, they are starting to be nicer to everyone so that is good. I figure I have to make it work for the next 3 months and if I am miserable its going to go by a lot slower. I find ways to vent with my friends and do things I enjoy on my days off, not to mention Facetiming with Buddy almost everyday. This week I am working close to 50 hours. Many shifts are between 10 and 12 hours but I have to leave for work an hour and a half before to get their on time with the bus schedule so they are very long days.

Yesterday, I received a phone call for the Finance Professional Internship I applied for in August. I passed the first selection and had a phone interview, then I was asked to send in my transcript, I guess I did pretty well because I made it to the final Interview stage. I talked to my managers yesterday and told them. They were surprised when I mentioned it was the final interview and were really proud of me. One of my managers made a few calls and got me some information on what they were looking for and gave me some tips which will help a lot.

Today was my day off and as usual I went to my favorite store, Property Control. I have a weird obsession with the pens they sell there. All the pens are between $5 and $10 in the store but the damaged ones are only 10 cents so I went a little crazy. I think I now have over 30 pens so I guess thats what everyone is getting for Christmas! haha I also got a mug and a Rapunzel stuffed doll due to my roommates peer pressure. After that I went to Downtown Disney with my roommate and showed her around the store I work at. We did a little pin trading but now I am home and going to start preparing for my interview. Wish me luck! This would be a really great opportunity for me and a huge resume builder so I need all the help I can get!

P.S. 8 DAYS UNTIL I COME HOME!!!

One of those not so great days...

So today was far from great, one of those days where all you want to do is go home home lay in bed and have your mom bake cookies. Last night there was some roommate drama that went on. Its still hard sometimes living together with very different personalities, and Im trying my hardest to understand  others and how they were raised. But last night was the last straw. This morning I had already made plans with my friends from work to go to Hollywood Studios. It was fun but I was also still bummed about getting into a fight with my roommate. After a few hours I went home to get it all figured out because she wanted to talk in person. She didnt come until after 5 and by then I was still upset how she handled the situation and I gave my Halloween party ticket to my friend from work. The one and only roommate I got into a fight with was who I was supposed to go to Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party with. We had this planned for weeks but after the days problems I was really not feeling up to it. I am really bummed but I think in the end I made the right decision. I stood up for how I felt and I made it apparent that I may be nice but I will not tolerate others to walk all over me. Hopefully things will start to get better but its been one rough week. I am going home in 12 days and counting and it couldnt come at a better time. Hopefully going home will give me a reboost of energy to make it through the program. My second friend from work has decided to self terminate herself, thats 2 friends in 2 weeks who have decided to leave due to the way we are treated at our work location. I have put in a request to get a location transfer so hopefully things will start to look up.

Here is a picture of what was supposed to be my costume for the Halloween event:

it was Rapunzel with her sidekick Pascal on my shoulder. If you havent seen the movie Tangled... GO NOW and watch it!

Adventures on my day off...

Today I went to Typhoon Lagoon, one of the water parks here, with my friend Emily from work and her roommate Sophie. The rides were so so but they do have a "water rollercoaster" its like a normal water slide with a tube but there are parts where your tube goes on a conveyor belt type thing so you go up and back down it was actually pretty neat. The wave pool there was also beyond amazing. The waves are so big you can take surfing lessons there in the morning. The highlight of the day was swimming with sharks in the shark reef. You are given just a snorkel and are allowed in this big reef with fish and sharks. They arent closed off at all they swim right by you. They were about 4 feet long. So not huge but still really neat.

After I went home took a shower and got ready to go to Epcot. I went to Epcot with Emily, Sophie, and my two other friends from work Bridget and Lauren. It was the preview for the Food and Wine Festival. It was really really cool. Even though the countries are there year round, for the festival which lasts until November, there are additional little booths for each country. They have 2 to 5 different food items and some kind of drink. You get a little passport that has the menu and you get a stamp for each country.

Our first stop was Belgium for some chocolate:

Then we went to America and I got a pumpkin mousse and an apple cider beer

Then it was Ireland for a chocolate lava cake with Baileys chocolate sauce

Finally a chocolate creme brulee from France

Overall it was really really fun I had a great time. We went on Soarin which made me happy but sad at the same time because I realized I should never ever leave California again, unless its a vacation somewhere tropical.