Dealing With It

In the past, I've been asked whether or not I go to a therapist or a counselor and I say no. When I am feeling really down, I do one of two things: write in my journal or turn to Disney.

I used to draw, but that hasn't been enough for a while. I can't express or flush out my feelings in a drawing of a figure or a landscape, but I can verbalize it in a journal entry.

Photo by Alex Perez on Unsplash

And, when my life is really getting heavy, I escape to the Wide World of Disney and forget about my issues and sympathize with a princess who never knew her parents until she escaped from her captor or one that has an unpredictable power that injured her sister or one that works 20+ hours a day to achieve her dream of entrepreneurship. Those are "real" problems, so I forget about me for a minute and dive into the heartfelt stories of mostly fictional characters. You may think this is ignorant or silly, but it is my way to stop my brain from constantly shifting from one idea to the next and just relax, and maybe even sing.

Lately, I have felt a lot of stress and pressure, which comes with the territory of interviewing for a job 1,200 miles away and then getting said job and uprooting my family of four to move an hour away from that job where there are 496 new people to meet and figure out how I can make their job easier while also boosting the reputation of my employer. Then, there was figuring out how to buy a house and support a family of four on one income and enroll my child in an appropriate school knowing that he has had specific needs in the past.

I did not invite you to my pity party, but I have been internalizing a lot of things lately and they make my stomach hurt and keep me awake some nights. So, instead of making myself completely sick or getting super fat by drowning in pints of Rocky Road, I have decided to turn to happiness. I figure that's the healthiest way to deal with things.

After reading one of my countless magazines, I started a journal entry that lists all of the things in my life that I am grateful for. This has helped me realize that my life is rich and I need to stop focusing on what I lack. I smile a little bit more with every list item.

After a meeting with my colleagues, I have also decided to watch TED Talks and read books about what inspires others to get my creative juices flowing. Americans are reading far less books than they have in the past and I personally refuse to be one of the reasons that libraries and bookstores are struggling. Reading is another escape that I enjoy, but variety is the key. Non-fiction for self-motivation. Fantasy for imagination, and romance to urge me to sit up a little straighter.

The escape is key. When I leave work, I don't talk about work unless someone specifically asks. I have to keep that work-life balance and the best way for me to do that is to make sure I leave home at home and work at work, unless there is an emergency that overlaps the two.

My tactics may not work for everyone, but so far, they work for me and I needed something to help me cope with all of the stress and developments occurring in my life. Let me know what you do to chill out or deal with the stress in your life. 

A Reminder of My Regret, or 'Planes: Fire & Rescue'

Planes: Fire & Rescue Theatrical Release Poster

The weekend that Planes: Fire & Rescue came out, we decided to take Jackson to see one of the first showings of the day at a local theater. Fortunately, when we pulled into the parking lot, it was empty. Jackson's ticket was free because he is only two and the children's ticket age starts at 3 years old. Maybe that should have tipped me off that 2-year-olds are too young for the movie theater.

TK kept Jax outside in the lobby area until the previews began. It may have been better if he waited until the actual movie started, but Jax sat and watched the previews and liked them all. One was for Annie. Another one was for Big Hero Six and another for The Book of Life. There were a few others, but I cannot remember which ones because I just wanted them to end so that the movie could start. That was out of character for me because I love the previews; sometimes they are even better than the movie. I just knew my toddler's clock was ticking and the longer he was happy, the longer we were happy.

I love animated features and my favorites are made by Walt Disney Studios. So, the fact that my son loves them too, makes me very proud. Fortunately, I was able to pass this hobby on to him already because he will sit and watch Cars, Planes, Toy Story, Frozen and even Finding Nemo. I love it and one of the main reasons is because I've loved drawing since before I started school. It is one of my biggest regrets that I did not go farther in animation than the 3D rending class during my junior year. I had a professor that didn't have the patience to teach me the things I was having trouble with. So, after I barely recreated a mug using a step-by-step process, I could not get it exactly how it should look or get any extra help, so I withdrew from the class. That was basically a turning point in my life. I had to settle with the fact that I would not become an animator or work for Disney and Pixar. It crushed me, but I went along with my art degree, which I don't actually use in my current day-to-day life, and this is where the regret lives.

As we watched Planes, I was completely captivated by the backdrop of each scene. That's exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to be the person that drew the elaborate background settings for animated features. One of my favorite scenes from an animated feature is when Peter Pan, Wendy, John and Michael fly over London and you can see the whole city lit up at night. It is just a beautiful piece of artwork. At one point during the movie, Dusty flies by a waterfall and I felt the tears well up in my eyes. I was overcome with emotion because I felt like I really failed myself and my passion. I love my family and my life, but I just wish that art (my real passion) was a much larger part of my life.

After an hour and five minutes, Jax decided that he had enough and didn't want to sit any longer. Unfortunately, we did not get to see the last 20 minutes of the movie, but we know that we will see this movie a hundred times, just like we've seen the first Planes almost a hundred times. Planes: Fire & Rescue was a good movie, from what we saw. The artwork and characters were well-developed and the jokes were funny. We would love to see the rest of the movie, and we are sure it will be part of our collection shortly after.

Jackson's First Trip to Disney Day 1: 11/22/13

Friday, November 22, 2013 is the date we have all been waiting for. It's been months and months since we started planning for my son Jackson's first Disney vacation. Our trip members included: me, Tom, Jackson, Nonna (my mom) and Poppy (my dad) from N.Y.; Aunt Rosie and Uncle George from N.J. and Georgie, Paige and Garrett from FL.

The Jambo House Christmas Tree

Our flight from NY was at 6:15 a.m. We took the earliest flight to get the fun started immediately. I scooped Jackson out of his crib at 4:30 a.m. as my dad knocked on the door. The car was already packed from the night before, so we only had carry-ons to lug along with us. We headed for the airport and Jackson was awake already, and he was soaked. As soon as we got into the airport, I changed his diaper and his clothes, and then we sped over to security. We let him run around in the airport before boarding because we knew he would be confined to a seat once we were in the airplane. On the plane, we put the portable DVD player on and started Cars 2. And, then we heard from our angels as the flight attendants said we could leave all electronic devices on throughout the flight. YES! He watched the movie and had some snacks, which kept him nice and comfortable. About one hour into the flight, he fell asleep and we laid him on the seat between us that was left empty, for obvious reasons. No one wanted to sit next to a crying baby for more than two minutes, never mind two hours. Jax didn't even cry once. He remained quiet and didn't wake up until we landed.

Upon departure, we got our stroller at the gate and made our way toward the Magical Express terminal to bring us to our resort. Uncle George and Aunt Rosie met us there and my mother handed out the Magic Bands to all of us so we could use them as our ticket aboard. Jax fell asleep again as we made the drive to our resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village. We had to make stops at Pop Century (we stayed there in '04 and '07) and the new Art of Animation Resort (more on that later on in the trip).

Walt Disney World Railroad Station

We finally made it to the resort and saw all of the decorations, including a huge Christmas tree decked in African animals and animal print. It was gorgeous! We could already see zebras on the savannah from the lobby windows, which is what makes this resort so special in my eyes. Unfortunately, we found that our room was too far from the lobby, bus stops, etc. for my aunt who just had back surgery, so they kindly changed our room to a more suitable location the next day. By the time we got to the room, we were all hungry, so I changed Jax and we headed to Jambo House and Mara for lunch and to get our refillable mug. We chose the "Length of Stay" option for $18, but only bought one mug for Tom and I. (I had the Carved Turkey Sandwich, but for more on what I ate, visit yumness.wordpress.com.)

After lunch, we went back to the resort to see if my cousin, his girlfriend and her son showed up yet. They just got there when we did and we were able to talk a little bit and then get ready to head to Magic Kingdom, since we had MVMCP tickets for that night. Tom and I decided to stop at the concierge to put a credit card on our Magic Bands for easier purchasing. Our dinner reservation was at 5 p.m. for Tony's Town Square and we were able to get in with our tickets at 4 p.m. After dinner, we decided to ride Pirates of the Caribbean because it's a favorite, and I was glad it was Jax's first ride.

Afterward, we headed back to Main Street to claim a spot for the show and parade. While we waited, a few of us got hot cocoa and cookies in Tomorrowland. After both events, we were super tired, so I decided to take Jax into the baby center and then make our way to the front of the park for the castle show and Holiday Wishes. Uncle George and Aunt Rosie left and Georgie, Paige and Garrett went on rides. The castle projection show was awesome. We were able to do a little shopping after and then leave the park.

Unfortunately, we missed the dance parties, but that just leaves some things to look forward to the next time we visit.

 

 

I Don't Wanna Grow Up

This is my favorite part of the year. It is the part when I start planning a vacation with the hotel and the flights already booked. So, I know I am definitely scheduled to hit the road.

In August my family and I will be heading to Walt Disney World. For me it will be the 14th time I have traveled to my second favorite place on this great planet we call Earth (My first is Hawaii. It was sick and I am going back in 2012.). I just love going to Disney because it is just so much fun and I can be as immature as I want with little or no repercussions. For example, in WDW as an adult, I have:

• Seen my father, husband, cousin and uncle in costume on a hot summer day
  
• Eaten an ice cream pop while having it drip down my arm
  
• Skipped leisurely through Fantasyland
• Strapped a stuffed Mickey Mouse tour guide to my backpack and listened to him give tips and advice throughout the day
• Raced through Epcot barefoot in the rain to get to a dinner reservation on time
• Eaten an ice cream sundae named The Kitchen Sink after partaking in a seafood buffet (three family members got sick, one quit and TK and I sipped the remaining liquid through a straw to finish it)
• Worn a Goofy pirate hat
• Sang "It's a Small World" with a British accent like Zazu from The Lion King
  

Yea, I have no shame and apparently, no boundaries. I think living this way allows you to really, truly experience what fun is. So, let your guard down and have a great time...even if you need to pay Mickey a visit in order to do so...I'll even send you a sample itinerary.