Ex.Haust.Ed.

Before the actual post... funny story. So I wrote all of this out last night and planned on connecting to the internet (we don't have wi-fi in my apartment. I know, I checked to see if I was still in the 90's too) to post it for ya'll. So I laid down to rest my eyes because I have never been so tired in my life. And I woke up twelve and a half hours later.

I’m here! I would like to thank Walt Disney for making all of this possible.

San Francisco with the family was great! We had a wonderful dinner, dessert, and city visit before hitting the airport. I narrowed my whole 4-month life into two checked bags, a purse, and a pillow. You know how the weight limit on checked bags is usually 50 pounds? Well, bag number one was 50 and bag number two was 49 (thank you, thank you). Walking past security and to my terminal in the San Francisco airport was quite a strange feeling. I had never felt so independent before in my life and it was invigorating! But all I could do was sit and wait with the other independent people to board the plane. Once in the air, I found myself seriously deliberating between whether I should get some sleep or stay awake so I could have cranberry juice and pretzels when the flight attendants came down the aisle. Hunger won and I waited patiently along with the rest of the anxious passengers who would sneak glances at the ever-closer metal cart until the attendant gestures to them and they unassumingly pretend like they haven’t decided exactly what they want. I also read this amazing devotional address given by Elder Holland to BYU in 2009. It’s a great reminder for people of all ages to live life looking forward and backward appropriately. Then I slept for about two hours before landing in Georgia. I made my connecting flight and, once in Orlando, found my shuttle that brought me to my Vista Way apartment complex.

(Before I continue, I must make a statement. It whomps to travel alone. Short road trips aside, I have always had someone with me and this was the first time I realized I have taken that for granted. The journey is always so much better with someone to people-watch with, someone to hold your stuff when you don’t want to take it into the bathroom, someone to laugh at the corny safety video with, someone to argue with the baggage claim lady with when you know she’s wrong, and someone to laugh at all of my jokes that I had to laugh at myself for instead.)

I made my first three friends on the shuttle! We went through about an hour of registration lines together where we met some more people then had to take our luggage to our apartments. A couple things I’ve noticed so far: the people are SO nice! Whether their job is to give the same speech 17 times in one morning, check tax forms, move luggage so the college interns don’t have to drag it through winding lines, driving bus-loads of kids in muggy heat, take fingerprints, or answering endless amounts of repetitive questions, they never get annoyed! They always seem happier than we are and so grateful to be serving us. What a testament for working in a job that you love! Another thing: buses. At least eight different ones every day and at least 45 minutes on them each time. Buses are how they transport all of us CP’s (college programmers) from our apartment complexes to the Wild Animal Kingdom, to the Florida Mall, to Walmart, to Downtown Disney, to WalGreens, to Epcot, to the Magic Kingdom. Moral of the story? There are eleven buses constantly running different routes for us. And once we study the route times for 20 minutes, all we have to do is flash our housing pass to the driver for a free ride.

So today I spent two hours in the Walt Disney World Casting Center! The place where the princesses had to go to audition, the place where the perfect Mickey Mouse personality was chosen! It was so neat! It was definitely my first magical moment and it lasted for the whole two hours. I went through the entire process of becoming a Disney Cast Member and received my assignment for my time here. I am part of the custodial team in Epcot! You may be laughing or rolling your eyes but I am beyond excited!

Over and out.

Maddi Hamilton.

Keeping EPCOT spotless.