Saturday, November 24, 2012

How Tokyo Happened



About a year ago when I was spending my first few months working in Orlando as part of the Disney College Program, I went to a Tokyo Disney audition on a whim, thinking it was crazy that they actually held these. When I walked out about half an hour later after not getting kept, I specifically remember deciding right then that if I ever went to one again and actually was selected, I would definitely go. When friends of mine were chosen for Tokyo that year and went, I realized that it was a future possibility, and a year later, dropped $$$ on plane tickets to fly in and out of California rather quickly to stop home and audition in the middle of Fall semester.
One of my good friends met me at the audition, and together we went through the process of staying through to the very end, delighted beyond words hours later when they handed us more information about the park and company. Auditions in themselves are highly entertaining, so it was almost worth the trip just to see all the different people at the audition ;) LA’s a great place!
Afterwards, we left the studio jumping up and down and yelling at the top of our lungs, called our loved ones, and we were on top of the world as we spent the rest of the day playing at Disneyland :) The casting directors had told us they would contact us via email in the next month and a half if they were going to offer contracts to us, and so we geared down for the wait.

playing in Disneyland

And wait we did. I can’t tell you how many text messages were sent back and forth between me and my other friends that auditioned, how many times I eagerly checked my email only to be disappointed. We even figured out the time difference in Tokyo to gauge what time they would be most likely to contact us. I was haunted with dreams when I slept of checking my email and getting one from Tokyo; it was embarrassing.
And then on the night I got home to California for Thanksgiving Break, I randomly checked my email right before I went to bed and there it was!! Sitting in the top of my inbox at that point for about an hour already, and I hadn’t checked earlier because my phone had died from the drive down. I couldn’t help it, I started freaking out! Most everyone in the house was asleep so Aric took me outside to jump up and down and shriek to my heart’s content, and once I calmed down we spent the next few hours discussing it. It was hard to sleep that night for sure.



A better surprise came in the morning though, my other friend had gotten an email for a contract too, so the three of us that had originally planned on going (she’s dating my friend who came with me to California) if we had actually gotten the chance, could!
So! In approximately three months I will fly in the beginning of February to the land of my birth, and spend the next 14 months after working in entertainment at Tokyo Disney :) I will keep this blog updated while I’m there, so if you want, you can share all my adventures with me. 

Sooo excited to go with these two!!

Sunday, June 3, 2012

On My Way To Everywhere


So, contrary to popular belief, I am in fact still in Provo. But only for about 13 more days. I am more than overjoyed to say that I will be going HOME soon, home to Newport Beach, California, and I cannot wait. I keep ripping off receipt tags at work to make count-down lists of how many days til my summer escapades begin. 22 days until Winston’s mission farewell. 2 days til Gabby leaves for WA/Canada, 1 til Hannah leaves for her internship in California. 43 until a certain homecoming. 35 til Christie’s wedding in San Diego. 33 til Winston goes into the MTC. 23 til EFY starts in Santa Barbara. I can’t wait to soak myself in the sun and joie de vivre of being a counselor for beloved EFY kids again. I can’t wait to move back to Florida and hug kids and live in a giant humid Disney cloud. I miss my little brothers. I can’t wait to go home :)

sky-diving with Winston







poca pose


love my family


sweet reunion


I hate saying goodbye at airports




quality time with Theodore and Pooh Bear

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Taking a moment to breathe, this my current To Do list:


1. Continue praying to get into the Advertising Program.
2. Stop spending so much time on Pinterest (saving wedding pictures), Facebook (stalking the newly engaged/married, and those left in Florida), and my phone.
3. Buy a plane ticket to Florida so I can go home.
4. Register for Spring classes.
5. Sign an apartment contract for next year.
6. Plan out my life--Jerusalem??, EFY, internships and studies abroad and missionaries coming back--whaaaaat, and finally getting my Hogwarts letter.
7. Write the missionaries back.
8. Apply to go full-time at Disney.
9. Keep attending Disney auditions (I'm addicted to them).
10. Read the Book of Mormon in French.
11. Go on a date willingly.
12. Achieve the Arabic/Moroccan abs necessary to fly around on a magic carpet without tummy rolls.
13. Get hired at Victoria's Secret (it would save me a lot of money).
14. Call my grandma.
15. Visit BYU-ID so I can see Winston. And Suzy and Jacquie and Becca and Angie and Jake.
16. Hit up the Wizarding World again to snatch a time turner so I can get all my textbook reading done.
17. Learn to be a grown-up.
18. Spend more quality time with Pooh Bear.
19. Go to Yogurtland with Gabby.
20. Go ring/dress shopping for kicks and giggles.
21. Finish decorating my room.
22. Learn new recipes for our cooking-for-your-roommates-once-a-week plan.
23. Finish having lunch with everyone in Provo I have to catch up with.
24. Go to the temple.
25. Pay tithing.
26. Don't drool when I fall asleep in class (inevitable).
27. Get back that awesome habit of going to bed earlier to avoid falling asleep and drooling in class.
28. Exercise self-control when kicking around our devil cat.
29. Get a gym pass (but only if I pay for it myself).
30. Spend less money on room decor, plane tickets, and Disney merch so the future hubby won't gasp with exasperation when he sees our combining bank accounts. And I can save for...kids? More plan tickets? Jerusalem!!
31. Graduate.
32. Hit up the Park City outlets.
33. Learn how to ski.
34. Become a cook at INO.
35. Get a car.
36. Plan a trip to Palm Springs with Victoria and Peotter.
37. Keep up with Jessi's life in Spain.
38. Continue my progression as the  ultimate 5th wheel with Aric and Kim, and Brad and Kat.
39. Try all the yummy bagels at the BYU bookstore.
40. Go see Beauty and the Beast in 3D for the Tangled short.
41. Hang out with John Smith and Meeko.
42. Turn 21 so I can be on The Bachelor.
43. Catch up with Gossip Girl.
44. Go back to Color-Me-Mine.
45. Maintain individuality in the three bubbles I've managed to live in (Newport Beach, Provo, UT, and Disney World).
46. Find the "UP" house in Utah.
47. Grow my hair out.
48. Go to the Sundance film festival before I move away from Utah forever.
49. One day own/run Disney with Xander Casad and Phillip Blackburn (Rebekah and Suz could come too).
50. Be a good dancer. 
51. Fly to Rome, Italy for the temple dedication. 
52. Become a domestic goddess.


My Living Prophets professor told us today to have a good weekend and live happily ever after. And I think I shall.


I need to keep up my daily allowance of hugs


we have this weird thing for children



I could do this every day

miss my friendsies


Miss these ones too. They're running through the forest without me :(



what a weird stance

fabulous crew


miss Belle. I was her compass.


Last but not least, Pooh Bear keeping me on top of things. I wouldn't study so hard if he wasn't there to keep me motivated.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Surprising the Roommates!

Right now I am currently in the BYU library attempting to touch up some essays so I can turn them in and finish this dumb class. Yuck. In between editing and writing I am, of course, updating this fabulous blog that I use as an excuse not to be productive. 
So yesterday I up and flew to Utah for the weekend :) I only told one person (in Utah), my very dear friend Aric so that he could pick me up from the airport and help me surprise my roommates. And what a surprise it was! First of all it's freezing in Utah, and I couldn't believe I was actually going when I got on the plane, nor when I stepped off into the Salt Lake City airport. Second, we almost missed the girls on their way out to dinner and a movie. Aric and snuck up the stairs of my apartment while I waited outside the door and listened to Kim and Kat talk (oh, how I've missed their voices!) and then when he came back to open the door, he grabbed the camera from my hands as I walked in, Kim started screaming so loud Hannah's dad came upstairs to see what was wrong, and then Kat started crying. Best. Moment. Ever. 
I love my roommates so much!! Through a wonderful series of fortunate events (and the help of some very good friends) I was able come back to Provo for the weekend, and couldn't be happier :) 
We ran into a few more friends at Cafe Rio after (Mauri, Hilary) and then went to see Breaking Dawn, which is definitely the weirdest, grossest, and most entertaining of the Twilight movies thusfar. I can't say I'd necessarily enjoy seeing it again, but when we walked out of the theater is was SNOWING, big huge flakes of wonderful icy cold stuff from the heavens! We drove around in Kim's car, singing at the top of our lungs and laughing and gasping at all the beautiful Christmas lights now decorating the Riverwoods. I couldn't ask for anything more. 
But I got more--friends I haven't seen in what feels like an entire summer showed up at our apartment (I was exhausted from not going to bed the night before and traveling all day, but who cares! :) ) and played Apples to Apples with us, and then Skjelse and I shnuggled on a mattress pad thing all night, happily giggling til we passed out. I also finally got to see Trent in person, the one that basically made this weekend happen :) Finally! And that's a whole 'nother story.
they had no idea! Aric did well




Kim, Kat and I in the SNOW :) And Brad on the phone


Skjelse's and my favorite Apples to Apples description: "Fat and Sassy." And man I missed my onesies


best sweater ever!! The story of my life in clothing, and you can't see it but #50 is the best: Hugs :)

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

The Many Adventures of Chip -n- Dale

Chip and Dale were at Camp Minnie - Mickey today in Animal Kingdom when something neat happened :) On their way back into Camp after a break spent stealing chestnuts from Donald, the chipmunks passed a whole group of people, and one woman exclaimed "Oh look, it's Chip and Dale!" Her companion, a blind woman with sunglasses and a walking stick turned her head in the direction of her friend's voice and replied "Oh really?" and smiled. Timing and spacing throughout the crowd synchronized perfectly, making a clear pathway for Dale to catch up with the blind woman, place a friendly hand on her shoulder, and give a her a loud surprise smooch right on the cheek. And the lady smiled again, wider, as Dale continued on his way :)
Chip got a wonderful key chain present from some very nice Japanese girls!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Ready for Next Week

.....but I'm actually not, because I forgot what it's like to not be counting down the days to something, waiting for the semester to be over, for finals to be over, counting down the hours til work is over, til class is over, etc. I stop counting down time because I'm having too much fun. I just love it here! I can't even describe it. And I do get to meet John Smith soon!!!!
The other day, the first day of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party in Magic Kingdom, my friend Jordan and I decided to stay til 6:15 for the castle-lighting ceremony. Basically the VIP's (Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy) all come out onto the castle stage, notice the castle is the one thing not decorated yet, and argue about how it should be decorated (Minnie wants candy canes on the towers, Goofy wants strings of popcorn, etc.) until Fairy Godmother comes out of the main balcony, Cinderella and Prince Charming walk out to help (since it's her castle and all), and Fairy Godmother grants Cinderella's wish to light it with magical icicles. Or something like that, but anyway, it's November 8th and at Disney that means it's official the holiday season, so as we watched the castle slowly light up with icicles...I thought I heard Jordan accuse me of crying (I totally was) but she was actually saying she was, and oh my goodness it was SO MAGICAL! Go ahead and mock us. But I'm not even much of a hopeless romantic anymore and it still made me totally wish I could be Cinderella as she leaned her head against Prince Charming's shoulder with his arm around her waist as they watched their castle light up together. So cheesy. I love it. 
Also of late, I went to Hong Kong auditions this week and that was fun :) Honestly it was, auditions are so interesting. To see who went, run into friends, meaet the casting directors, dance and act a little, it's a good time. 
I went to the Christmas party the other night with Belynda, Jordan, and Emily, which I think is not worth the money I'm paying for 'free' cookies and hot chocolate, but whatever. We basically just saw all our friends at work, it snowed foam a lot, and the castle Christmas show is my favorite, the chipmunks talk and are so cute! And it made me miss the Disneyland Christmas fireworks. I listen to that music every year for Christmas. 
Thanksgiving's in a week! I think we're all going to get together and try and whip something up, since most of us can't go home for the holidays. I'm also finishing my independent study class in a week (TG) and many other exciting things are coming up....ALSO, I found Pocahontas on Flickr for the first time ever!! Made my day. As always, I'm making new friends every day and finding more and more reasons to wish I could stay here past January. It's going to kill me to leave. But I'll be back :)
magical


Chelsea-Marie's birthday--and I'm obsessed with my new beret


Suz and I found Raja in Animal Kingdom!


love love love love


Prince Ali--probably my most favorite person to meet at the Christmas party


loooove Belle's Christmas dress, she's a colonial holiday goddess


I just love hugging Sulley--Kitty!

Friday, November 4, 2011

It's Been Awhile

I've been so busy trying to force myself to do school work! Ughhh I hate it, always have always will. This week has been crazy, we have cleaning checks soon and have to make sure we pass with flying colors this time although I have nothing to clean my bathroom with and my room is currently a mess after doing laundry, Halloween, and taking things off the walls (management demanded the removal of all decor). I was sick this week too, and working while sick SUCKS. One of my least favorite things in the world, most of all because I can't breathe and then it's just a mess. It's very hard to perform when you can't breathe, or talk without spreading disease, are exhausted, and can't sleep at night. Glad that only lasted a few days. This week we also went to the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party again, I finally got to meet Tarzan and my friend Rebekah and I spent our day off doing costume surgery to be Megara and Esmerelda. Jack Sparrow told me it was especially nice to meet me, and the picture I gave Tarzan with Pocahontas and himself on it made him laugh. Also, tonight my friends and I went to see Disney create a little Christmas magic, and it was AMAZING. So beautiful, so fun, and I am so ready for Christmas!! :) Haha. It even snowed!
my friend Steve got baptized last Saturday! he's in the middle

Paul drives me nuts. We're constantly battling each other.

everyone from UP!

I kind of love him

FINALLY
the picture I gave Tarzan
Snow White and I are good friends

we asked Flynn if Rapunzel's tiara was in his satchel

Happy Christmas :)

Main Street, plus snow