I Hate Goodbyes

The final photo of us 3 girls. Does someone have a tissue for my tears?

I was so lucky! I've been scanning in all of my photos from my life in Florida and as I get to the end I am feeling so sad, but also so glad. I had the best time! I made the best friends that I still talk to 16 years later. How is that number even right? It's 2020, I moved back to Oregon near the end of 2004. 2020 - 2004 = 16? Whoa.

I moved back to Orlando right after graduating from Oregon State University, and I was there for over 3 years before I came back to a life of four different seasons, good income, my dog and my family. But while I was there... seriously, I could never cover all the fun we had just with my blogs. You had to be there to just "get it". 

I did so much with regard to work and fun! I managed to do the whole "networking" thing and help get myself into a role beyond working inside the park at an attraction. I did a good job at my new role and earned myself a raise. I loved all of my Disney jobs. I loved almost all of the people I worked with - that's saying a lot when you look at just how many Cast Members I worked with during my two stints with the Mouse. 

I arrived to Florida the second time with just myself and a roommate that we will pretend does not exist. I had no idea what life would have in store for me. I only knew I was living near Disney's Animal Kingdom (walking distance!), which was also where I would be working. I had only been in that park one time in my life, so it was a whole new world for me to explore and learn about. Initially I wasn't happy, but then I realized that DAK closed at 5pm every night, which meant I could still have a life in the evening! PLUS I always wanted to work with animals, and this would give me the chance to learn about and teach our guests and new Cast Members about some of our animals in Asia.(Gibbons are NOT Monkeys!!!) It quickly became home to me and I still feel that way any time I enter The Oasis.

Another part of home is the people. Family. My friends there became my family and even though we haven't seen each other in ages they still feel like my family. Bobby will always feel like my brother. Robin and Sarah will always feel like my far away sisters. And I swear we are nice, we aren't always "The Heathers".... right?!?! I feel like we were the core four. We were lucky enough to have others come into our circle and join us, be it for the length of an internship, or sometimes even longer!

I have so many other blogs I will probably end up writing about my life there, but this one is just about family. These pictures scattered in this post make me so sad. It makes me miss this family. Jacob, I am giving you a HUGE shout out and thank you for hosting my going away party. I can't believe someone actually hosted a party for ME! And all of these great friends took time out of their lives to come to it. Heck, Herb was done with his internship and had returned to work Guest Relations at Magic Kingdom. Hank was still working at Kali. At this point Sarah, Robin and I had all moved away from Asia, but our friends from Anandapur still came to say good bye and send me on my way back across the country. They even got together without me to make a farewell scrapbook. I still have it in perfect condition, I love it! All of this is so darn flattering and I am just ... I feel speechless about it actually. I remember trying so hard to smile for photos, and in all of them I was holding back tears. I needed to move home, but I really did not want to leave at all. Everything happens as it should, but dang it that decision to come home was so hard!

So thank you, family of mine, for being so awesome! I'm so glad we all came into each other's lives. We sure partied hard, but we worked even harder! That turntable couldn't possibly be as cool now that we have all moved on from it. For those of you that are just readers and not part of the Disney life - be prepared to learn even more now. All the photos are scanned (almost 5,300 oh my gosh), and I am ready to relive some of the Magic once again!  

~ See ya real soon! º0º ~