A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

I've always been a planner. I like to prepare and to know what's coming up next and I find comfort in routine and what's known. I'm sure I could break down the psychology of why I'm this way, it doesn't really matter. I've come to realize that as much as I can plan and prepare and make myself comfortable, in all things, life throws a curveball.

My senior year of high school, I remember sitting in my counselors office talking to her about where to go next. I had the world at my feet and I was overwhelmed. This is something I've learned about myself: too many options freak me out. I was talking with her about if I should go to a university or start at a community college. She kept telling me that I needed to take risks, to pick the choice that scares me the most. Feeling pressured and scared, I went against her advice and enrolled at my local community college. Now don't get me wrong. I absolutely do not regret my decision at all. Not only did I finish my first three years of schooling debt free thanks to my wonderful mother and grandparents, I was able to travel, spend time with family and work at jobs I loved. But I often look back at that choice and think about how my life would be different had I made a different decision.

This summer, my good friend Alli had come home from college, excited because she had been accepted an internship at Disney World but she didn't know if she was going to take it because her friend hadn't gotten in. Jokingly one night, we talked about what would happen if we both got in and were able to spend a couple months in the happiest place on earth together. I had heard and seen that the program was extremely hard to get into, so when I randomly decided to apply one day, I never thought anything would come out of it. Flash forward to the day I was talking on the phone for an interview and even more forward to the day I got the email in my inbox saying “Congratulations, You've been selected to participate in the Disney College Program!” I was shocked. I honestly couldn't believe it. Of course, my initial instinct was to hide and pretend it never happened. And what's sad was that I was seriously considering doing that! But after chatting with my grandparents, my lovely grandmother gave me the best advice. "Be brave, Amber."

For the first time in my life, I made a choice that entails jumping head first into the unknown. What an extraordinary, frightfully amazing moment it was to click accept and for WALT DISNEY WORLD (!!!) to be my future home for the next 5 months. I cannot wait to start this new journey and while the anxiety of the unknown does get to me a lot, I just remind myself that this is the time of my life and there will be no regrets in doing it, the regrets would only lie in not going. Finally, I'm at a point in my life where plans don't matter, I don't know what's next or the outcome or even the 'right' way to get there. But here I am, Nana, I'm being brave.





So now for a little FAQ answer session:


So how long are you going to be there?!
I will be there from January 26th - May!

Hey, Amber...so are you, like, going to be a princess?
Surprisingly, this is the question I get the most. Honestly I have no clue why, as I'm 5'1 and way too chubby to resemble any of them. (Hey maybe I should've tried out for Ursula!! hahaha) Sadly, no I won't. You have to audition for any character roles and they are extremely picky to say the least. 

But I thought you said you're going to be a Cast Member?
That's just what Disney calls all their employees.

Well, what are you going to be doing then?
My official title is the role of Recreation. It's a pretty broad term that can have a variety of different jobs. I will find out my specific job when I check in. If you're curious, my friend who is doing it with me will be a lifeguard.

 Do you get paid? Do you get college credit?
Yes, it is a paid internship and yes, Disney does offer classes that are accredited. My university won't accept them for my major so if you're interested in doing it, talk with your advisor to be sure. I'm just switching my summer break to be from jan-may instead of may-august, so technically I'm not missing any school.

So do you actually live in the Castle?
No, but wouldn't that be amazing! They own and provide exclusive apartment complexes for all the interns to live.

Can I come visit you!?
YES! I would love that!

Sooooo.....Are you going to be blogging?

This is where it gets tough. Let's just get the elephant out of the room and say that for the last couple months, as you guys have noticed, I've been in a bit of a blogging funk. I want to be honest and say that I kind of just feel like I've outgrown this blog. Part of that makes me sad as I've genuinely found joy in writing about my life and I love reading my old posts and what was going on in my life for over three years. I've also met so many amazing readers and fellow bloggers which makes me sad to have to say goodbye.

But who knows, I might just pick it back up once I get there...someone even suggested making a Disney blog! I never say never and I think that maybe once I get there, my opinion may change. As for now, this will be my last post.

In the meantime, you can always add me on instagram (it's private but just send me a request) where I plan on sharing a TON of pictures of this adventure. http://instagram.com/achammer My user name is  Achammer.  You can also follow me on twitter, user name is achammer1117.

So, to finish this off, I want to say thank you. Thank you guys for all the love and support over the past three years. I wish I could give each and one of you a big ol' hug. And to my fellow bloggers, I will continue to give your blogs love and will still catch up with ya ;)

In the words of The Mouse himself,
See ya real soon.

Disney in my blood since 1993 ;)