Shelby's 19th Birthday!

Monday, September 30, 2013

First of all, in reference to my last post...I made it seem like Hawaii is a country when I explained the Food & Wine Festival. Dad, I'm aware that Hawaii is a state. Epcot separates Hawaii from the U.S. And while I'm clearing this up, Florida is also a separate "country" in Epcot. They sell a grass fed beef slider and shrimp ceviche. So Dad, I'm smarter than you think ;)

Anyway, we celebrated Shelby's 19th birthday yesterday and had a big family dinner! In the group picture from left to right: Allison (Alexis's work friend), Alexis, me, Nicole (Alexis's other work friend), and Shelby. Ashley, my direct roommate, took the picture! It was a fun birthday party, with good food! I made the fruit salad!

Apartment 1605 is officially decorated for Halloween! There aren't a lot of decorations...we want to pass inspections (they're happening this week, ah!). Hopefully some of my roommates decide to clean up!

Food and Wine

Saturday, September 28, 2013

The Food & Wine Festival has officially begun in Epcot! So you know what that means...a lot of good eating! So far, I've ate in Belgium, Ireland, and Brazil. Can you guess what I had in Belgium? A waffle! A waffle with warm chocolate ganache and whipped cream, to be exact. YUM! In Ireland, I ate warm chocolate pudding with Bailey's custard. Ashley, my roommate, described it as "heavenly"...she's right! It tasted a lot like a chocolate lava cake. And for Brazil, I had a bite, from my roommate, of crispy pork belly. It was interesting. A bite was just enough! But anyway, it's a good thing that the Food & Wine Festival is just a taste from each country. The food is SO good and I DON'T want to gain weight. Back to the gym! But as for the festival, I would like to try something from every country! They even added in additional countries, like Hawaii, Argentina, Africa, etc. Even though my wallet is taking a hit, I should be eating well this next month!

Shelby, my roommate, and I also enjoyed a night in Morocco! I really liked the atmosphere of the restaurant and the entertainment, as there were dancers; however, the food was just okay. I had chicken couscous. Next time, I'm sticking to the Food & Wine Festival! That night, we also met Mary Poppins and Princess Belle! Belle needs proactive...she had bad acne! What kind of princess has acne! Anyway, check out all the pictures under my profile!

To talk about something other than food, things have been a little stressful around here! There continues to be roommate drama, which is difficult when you just want everyone to get along. At the moment, I'm feeling a little discouraged. Although this experience is full of fun, it's definitely one of the hardest things I've ever been though. It isn't always the "happiest place on earth". My Disney adventure has really taught me how to deal with ALL types of people. Just adding to the list of lessons learned!

Halloween decorating in Apartment 1605 will be happening soon!!

Back to Earl!

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

I recently enjoyed a wonderful night with my work friends! There's nothing like ending a rainy work day at Earl of Sandwich, one of my new obsessions. For my second visit there, I tried the holiday turkey sandwich! It was basically Thanksgiving on a sandwich...YUM! This is probably the closest thing I'm getting to Thanksgiving this year, so I'll definitely be back for more! Aside from the food, I am really thankful to work with such great people. They all are very genuine, considerate of others, and kind...people whom you don't find everyday. I think all of these people have helped me on my journey of self discovery, as they make it easy for ME to be ME. I've continued to stay true to myself!

And as my roommates would say, "Happy Hump Day"! Halfway through the week!

Vera Bradley

Monday, September 23, 2013

Black Friday shopping happened early in Florida! The other night, my work friend, Julianna, and I went to the Vera Bradley Disney premier! Vera Bradley introduced its Disney collection at Downtown Disney! This was quite the event. They allowed people to line up at 4 am; however, the earliest people arrived at midnight...true Vera Bradley fans. Julianna and I decided to go to Perkins for breakfast at 2 am, then started the long waiting process till the doors opened at 7 am. It's safe to say, I didn't sleep that night. Work the next day...not fun! Anyway, I bought a mini hipster and a large cosmetic bag! Also, I met and got a picture with the co-founder of Vera Bradley! She was telling us that she just came from Fashion Week in London! So yes, she's a big deal. Do you like my purchases? Shelby, my roommate, volunteered to be my model. (More pics are under my profile).

















Also, work at Typhoon has been wild and WET! Today, it poured all day (which was awesome, since it dropped to the 70s!). But remember my costume? It's all white...and I forgot my rain gear! SOAKED.  However, closing the park is quick and easy when there's bad weather! So bring on the rain!

Tomorrow is my Friday...Wednesday and Thursday OFF!!! More exciting news to come! And parents, thanks again for the package!! I LOVE it!

Food!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Shelby, Alexis, and I made a stop in France the other night! We ate at Chefs de France, where I enjoyed beef short ribs! I tried to learn some French (so I could attempt to understand the Haitian ladies at work), but it was unsuccessful. Other than that, the night was great! We all looked cute in our dresses, ate good food, and loved hearing all the French accents! Maybe French boys are more mature than American boys...Anyway, Epcot is still my favorite park!

Exciting news! More great food to come! We have reservations in Morocco next week!

To go along with the food theme, my work friends, Jessica and Julianna, and I went to Earl of Sandwich! SO GOOD. I don't know why it took me a month and a half to get there, but I'll definitely be going back! I had the Hawaiian BBQ sandwich and pasta salad. The best parts, however, are that 1) it's in Downtown Disney (close to where I live), and 2) it's affordable! Only $7! That's after my Disney discount, of course! Here's a pic of a sign that's posted inside the restaurant:

The world's greatest hot sandwich? Yep, I believe it!! I hope I don't become obsessed with Earl of Sandwich like I am with Dunkin' Donuts...

Guess what else happened recently! I ate MORE good food! Mom sent me a Chicken Taco Pizza recipe, so Alexis and I tried it out! Not only was it GREAT, but it was healthy too! I actually look like I know when I'm doing in the kitchen! But to kill the healthiness, we made brownies too!

Man, I've ate well recently! Don't forget to check out more pics under my profile!

And for the record, I do do more than just eat! I still go to the gym everyday, am learning new lessons and things about me, and still missing my family and friends! Nic sent me this picture of Roma the other day...I miss her so much! (And I know she misses me, her favorite...Sorry to break the favorite news, Nic!)

Meeting Characters

Monday, September 16, 2013

Dunkin' Donuts obsession evidence:

Today was a great day! It was definitely one of my favorite days in Florida thus far. My roommates, Shelby and Ashley, and I spent the day in Magic Kingdom! Jessica, a work friend, later joined. Not only did we ride rides, but we also met many characters! Words would not explain how great this day was, so you'll have to check out all the pics! I can honestly say that I lived in every moment, not worrying about anything! It was a day filled with HAPPINESS.

Here's a preview (before you peak at the rest of the pics under my profile). Can you find me?

To add to all the magic that happened today, I bought limited edition Queen of Hearts Mickey ears!

Highlight of the Day!

Sunday, September 15, 2013

THE COOLEST THING HAPPENED TO ME TODAY. I posted about it on Facebook, so some of you may have already seen. However, my blog has the full story! I was standing outside today at work, drenched in sweat and looking very unattractive, when a little boy (about 8 years old) and his dad approached me. The boy said, "Why do so many beautiful girls work here?" I didn't know what exactly to say, but I'm sure everyone in the park was blinded by my smile. I wish I would have had a Mickey sticker or something to give the boy, but I just told him how sweet he was and how he made my day. His dad then told me how his son was excited, but nervous, to come up to me! The boy was shy, but I really admire him for being brave enough to come speak to me, since I'm so intimidating...just kidding! He may have only been an elementary schooler, but things like this make me have hope that great guys still exist. My trust is still a little down in guys, so it makes me really happy when I get the chance to meet/talk to genuinely kind people and people that aren't self-absorbed. This was such a small encounter, but it really impacted me. Good things happen to good people, that's for sure! 

I mentioned VILLAINS in my last blog, but bad news...Friday the 13th traffic ruined that experience! 13 villains were "unleashed" in Hollywood Studios on Friday night! My work friends and I had big plans to go, but after only getting 7 miles in 2 hours, we drove to Hess Express instead. Yeah, my anger was about to be "unleashed"! 

Aside from that, my roommate Alexis and I went to The Boardwalk! We enjoyed a relaxing girls night along the pier! Check out all our cute pics! 

And since I'm being 100% honest in my blog, I have something to admit. I've become obsessed with Dunkin' Donuts. Dunkin' Donuts pumpkin coffee, to be exact. I want it everyday. I hate to say this, but it's better than coffee from The Egg. I'm not sure if it beats Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte's, but it's so good!! And yes, I'll be loading up before I come home. We need a Dunkin' Donuts in Aurora...SOON. 

I think I have a problem. 

Tampa Bay

Thursday, September 12, 2013

A lot has happened recently! For starters, my roommate and I did belly wraps! Tried to suck the chub away! Definitely a first time for everything!

I was also in TAMPA! I went with my work friend, Skyler! And before anyone asks, it was NOT a date. We visited Clearwater and had lunch along the beach. I definitely liked Clearwater better than Cocoa Beach...beautiful water, white sand, and the calming sound of seagulls! I also went out of my comfort zone and ordered a grouper sandwich for lunch. If I'm going to eat fish, I may as well eat it oceanside! Dad, aren't you proud? And surprisingly, I would order it again!

Fun Fact: Hulk Hogan lives in Tampa, and we saw his house!

Anyway, the main reason for going to Tampa was to watch the Rays vs. Red Sox game! It was definitely cool to watch a game in a different stadium...I've missed baseball! First of all, the stadium looked like Space Mountain. How ironic! It was enclosed, which was both good and bad. Good because the stadium was air conditioned and we didn't die of heat. But bad because it took the baseball game "feel" away. We didn't get fresh air, see the sun shining, or the smell of newly cut grass. Secondly, I was disappointed in batting practice. There were home runs, but every time a ball was hit out employees blew a whistle. Lame! People shouldn't be going to batting practice if they aren't going to pay attention. Plus, they need to know how to catch a ball properly.... with two hands. They don't blow whistles during the game for the players, so they shouldn't blow a whistle for fans! That's my take. But after observing the stadium and Rays baseball, I've decided that Coors Field is 87747363453 times better! The Rockies have better food, better jumbotron segments, and better fans. I'm pretty sure there were more Red Sox fans there than Rays fans. I was worried that I was going to get beat up in my Yankees shirt! The Rockies win in every aspect, except the winning category. But there were some cool things about the Rays. 1) REAL sting rays swim in the outfield, and 2) when the guys came out to drag the field (in about the 3rd inning), a random utility guy started dancing! It was funny, something I had never seen before! Overall, it was a great day! We enjoyed our left field seats and day in Tampa!

All the pics from Tampa are under my profile, so check them out. However, I have been under a lot of stress lately (major roomie drama), so I look absolutely exhausted in all of them. I haven't gotten a lot of sleep and now have a sore throat. A guy at work told me that I looked like I got hit by a bus. What a nice compliment! Therefore, I don't like the pictures.

Side note: One of my roommates got switched to another apartment. We are suppose to get a new one within the next couple of days!

As far as today, a couple of my roommates and I visited Disney's Polynesian Resort! We entered Hawaii, being greeted by "Aloha's" and surrounded by tropical flowers. I would love to stay at this resort! However, the main reason we visited the Polynesian was to try a Dole Whip. Since everyone talks about it, we had to make a stop! Here's how I would describe it: a tropical flavored, soft serve frozen yogurt. We had vanilla and pineapple swirl...YUM! And we ended the night at The Cheesecake Factory! It was a great day with Alexis and Kiesha, two of my roommates! Stress-free!

 Another GREAT package from my family! Miss you guys a ton!

Tomorrow is Friday the 13th! The Villains are coming out...stay tuned!

Space Mountain

Monday, September 9, 2013

The other night my work friends and I went to Magic Kingdom! We rode Space Mountain 3 times in a row! It never gets old. That is still the best part of this program...unlimited access to ALL parks! We're here for 4 more months, so it's really fun going to a park after work and just doing one ride...especially if it's Space Mountain. It is by far one of the best rides in Disney World. We also had a Lefou's Brew, which I've mentioned before in my blog. Here's a picture of some of my work friends. Kevin (from Boston) is on the left, then Julianna (from Texas), and Jessica (also from Texas). I really love hanging out with them and meeting new people!

That night I also bought my first Disney HALLOWEEN souvenir! Mickey ears! But I'm still trying to figure out what to be for Halloween. One of my work friends told me that I would make a good catwoman. Can I pull it off?

Like I've stated before, ice cream is the only way to survive this Florida heat! And now, the Florida bugs! I'm getting eaten alive at Typhoon Lagoon. But anyway, ice cream is also a good way to escape roommate drama...girls can be MEAN!

EXCITING NEWS! I'm going to a Tampa Bay Rays game on Wednesday!! Be ready to see some baseball pics coming soon! And as usual, check out more pictures under my profile!

Gator Jerky!

Friday, September 6, 2013

Remember when I talked about getting Georgia peaches from some nice southern boys? My roommate, Alexis, and I stopped on the side of the road to buy sweet peaches and gator jerky! Unfortunately, we did not make these purchases from some nice southern boys. The guy looked like an alligator hunter, a chubbier version of Crocodile Dundee! The jerky is made out of alligator tail and is supposidely really tender meat. It doesn't sound very appetizing to me, so I bought some to send home to Nic! He can give it a try! The peaches, however, were for me! And sadly, they weren't as good as the Georgia peaches. The WHOLE experience was better in Georgia.

I also went to Bob Evans for the first time in Florida! I have been to Bob Evans in Ohio, so I wasn't totally new at the experience. I had the fruit-n-nut multigrain pancakes! They were good, but I miss The Egg! I miss The Egg & I food and I miss my Egg family! And of course, I miss Snooze and The Original Pancake House. I guess I just miss going out to breakfast! But I've definitely been enjoying Dunkin' Donuts pumpkin coffee! YUM!

I got another name tag! I still think they're really cool, even after wearing it for a month! No name tags at The Egg!

Florida for 1 month!

Thursday, September 5, 2013

My roommate Ashley and I went to Magic Kingdom the other day and decided to be full on tourists! By that I mean, we tried turkey legs. And let me tell you...they are not as good as they look. But the ice cream was definitely good, as always! We also road Splash Mountain and Space Mountain. Check out the goofy ride pics under my profile...embarrassing!

Aside from the fun, I've been working hard! I usually work 6 hour shifts, with the occasional 10 hour shift, and have 2 days off a week! Lately, I've been getting Wednesday's and Thursday's off. Those are the days I have the most time to Skype, FaceTime, or talk on the phone. The other day after work my colleagues/friends and I went to Waffle House! We looked classy wearing our HOT, white, and dirty costumes, don't you think?

I've also been to MIAMI! We left Orlando at 4 am, on the "party" bus, and spent the entire day there! The food was yummy and South Beach was beautiful! The water reminded me of Mexico! I hope I can keep up my tan until I get home in January. We also found Dash Miami! For those of you who don't know, Dash is the store that Kourtney, Kim, and Khloé Kardashian own. It always appears on their TV show, so I was really excited to see it in person! Yes, I watch their show. Don't judge! I have to admit, I was disappointed in the store. First of all, it's smaller than I thought! Second of all, it wasn't a good sign when we saw a security guard walking around the store. The only thing I could afford was a $12 keychain that said "Dash". It was NOT worth $12. But of course, I got pics to prove I was there! If only I would have seen the Kardashian's...
We finished Miami off at the souvenir shop! I bought a really cute beach coverup! Don't forget to check out all the fun pics!

I'VE OFFICIALLY BEEN HERE 1 MONTH!
Here's a list of what I've learned so far (some things):
1. You have to be EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA patient when you have 5 other roommates (especially living with girls). Drama!
2. I now know what to do if my car breaks down and Dad isn't there.
3. No matter what I do with my hair, the humidity ruins it. Would it be weird if I had one of my African American roommates braid it?
4. ATTENTION GIRLS: If you ever want to be called "princess", go to the front entrance of Magic Kingdom. The cast members there will do it. I personally enjoy it :)
5. It is important that I let go of everything I had at home and trust that it'll be the same when I get back.
6. I have a lot of support from everyone for going on this adventure!
7. Every time I walk into a Disney store I find something new that I want. This can be good, but also REALLY BAD...for my wallet. Especially when my pay checks (5 days of work) are equivilant to one day at The Egg.
8. There's no way to avoid sweating when you work outside at a water park in Florida. And the shade does not work, I've tried!
9. It's still incredibly humid at 3:45 am!
10. It can be really tough understanding international people. Especially at work through a walkie talkie.
11. I have to stop caring about people that don't care about me. I've learned this before, but it has become really apparent while I've been away.
12. I miss my family and friends more than I ever thought. This experience has really made me evaluate the people in my life and whom is worth my time and my friendship.
13. No matter what time of day, there's always a trillion people at Walmart.
14. As much as I hate to admit this, some of Disney's magic is lost. I'd rather be a guest than an employee. I wish I would not have seen/learned about some of Disney's secrets.
15. Staying true to myself is the best advice, thanks Mom!