The Day Is Here: Flying to Orlando

I write this as I sit in the Sacramento International Airport, with my over sized carry-on and overstuffed backpack accompanying me. It's currently 11:40ish Pacific time, and my flight is on time for 12:35. After takeoff, it will be the last time I'm in the Pacific timezone for the next 7 months. My flight is set to arrive at 10:00 EST, or 7:00 Pacific time, making my two combined flights about a seven hour journey. I've got a layover in Denver, the first time I will have ever done anything in Colorado, and the thing I'm doing won't be much.

Terminal A-14 for Southwest Airlines

I just hope my bags don't decide they like the high elevation and skiing and decide to stay. It's been a long time since I'd had a layover during a flight, and my luck has been good up until now. Let's hope it stays that way.

M.S. (Like post script, but mid script, because it's in the middle) Have you ever had massive carry on baggage and tried to go to the bathroom? It's not fun. Now that you can't leave bags anywhere and have to take them with you, going to the bathroom has become a daunting task.

Packing was the nightmare it always is. Being an anxious person to begin with, be glad you weren't near when the clothes were going into the luggage. But I'm pretty sure I have everything. I should. Both my checked bags were as close to the 50 lb. limit as possible without going over. And I'm pretty sure my carry on is around 40 lb. (I don't understand why it's ok to put what would be the plus in 50-plus pounds in the overhead instead of the cargo area, but that's just how things are done, I guess).

I'm excited. Can you tell?

This trip will mark the longest continuous period I've ever been away from home, so leaving was quite a bit more emotional that it has been in the past. But I see that as a good thing, being in a place in my life where I have a lot of people around me who are sad to see me go, and I sad to leave them. I am truly blessed.

 It's amazing that this opportunity even exists. As someone who aspired to work for the Disney company, it's almost too good to be true (I say almost because things that are too good to be true usually aren't). The fact that I get to live in my version of Mecca for 7 months, Disney World is truly the place where Dreams Come True.

All of it starts tomorrow, when I get to meet my new roommate, Livingston (I think it's safe to say a room occupied by Livingston and Preston is a room of character) and move in, relieving myself of a bit of stress. Then two days after that, I get to participate in Traditions, where I get to learn more about Disney's fantastic history, and find out where I will be working 30-50 hours a week for the next 7 months.

For now now, I play the waiting game, which is a lot like Monopoly, except with no physical parts and it ends eventually.