Where have I been?

Wow, I haven't updated this in quite some time. I guess with graduation, camp, and getting ready for Disney I didn't have much time to update. Well as you probably know, graduation went great. I had a lot of family & friends come to celebrate which meant a lot! Then, camp was 8 weeks of fun. I made some new friendships & learned a lot!

Now I have moved to Walt Disney World. It is so exciting & I'm going to try to explain it the best I can. My mom & I drove down on Tuesday, we stayed with The Matelings at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Early Wednesday morning, we woke up & headed to Check-In at Vista Way(one of the 3 Apt complexes for the College Program) When we got there it was very crowded, but well organized so we knew where we had to go. We went through a long line where we signed papers, got our Apt key & ID, etc. After we left Vista Way, we went & looked at our Apt at Patterson Court(the newest & in my opinion, nicest Apt complex for the College Program) Our Apt is very nice, it's a lot like my Apt at Bobcat Village. However, it's a 3 bedroom with 6 girls. The rooms are a decent size so we're not too crowded. Kari & I share a room & then there are 4 other girls. They all seem very nice, which is very good! We didn't have long though because we had to catch a bus for Casting. Casting is a huge, really cool building where all of the interviews & hiring of WDW happens. We went there to find out our job position and do a lot of other job-related things. I didn't find out my position because I had to pass the swim test first. We spent about an hour there & got a whole lot of paperwork. From there, we had a short break to eat & unpack. But not too long after that we headed to a Housing Meeting where we learned what & what not to do at the Apts & how extremely safe we are here! It seems like a long day, but guess what? I still had to take my swim test at Mickey's Retreat(The Cast Member Recreation place...there are pools, a lake, tennis court, basketball court, etc only for Cast Members!) I was very nervous at first, but when I got there I met 2 girls who were very nice & we all calmed each other down. The test consisted of 4 parts. The first was a 20/20 vision check which was simple...I read one word from a distance & passed. Then we swam 8 lengths of the pool(200 m), I was a little nervous but was fine. Next, we had to retrieve a 10 lb brick from 8 ft and that wasn't bad either. Lastly, we treaded water for 2 mins with our hands and head abovve the water. Thankfully, I had been practicing all summer because I passed that too. Luckily, I can swim & I passed all 4 parts of the swimming test! Right after we dried off, they brought us papers that said where we are working...I am at Typhoon Lagoon!! I'm a little nervous because I have never guarded in that type of environment, but very excited too!

So that was my first day which was very informative, busy, and overwhelming. Kari & I made our beds, didn't unpack a thing and just crashed. The next morning(Day 2) we went to breakfast with our parents, said Goodbye to my Mom, then went back to the Apt to get settled in. We signed up for classes...I am taking a class(not for credit, just experience) that is Disney's Exploration of People Management, or something like that. It is once a week for 2 hours starting in September sometime. It sounds interesting & will give me some insight! After that we just hung out & continued to settle in.

We didn't get much sleep, but had to be at the bus stop Friday morning at 6:45 am. We had to dress professionally & this was for our 4 hour Traditions class. It is like a Walt Disney World historical orientation. It was interesting, informative, but long. We got our nametags, Cast Member IDs, and a lot of other information. After Traditions we went & spent the day at Epcot & then Magic Kingdom(for free!) We saw Wishes, the firework show at Magic Kingdom & I feel like that made it official that I will be living and working here for the rest of the year!

I have today off so I will probably spend it unpacking, organizing, and grocery shopping. I have Recreation Training Sunday 1-5 then Lifeguard Training Mon-Wed 8-5! I will be very busy training, but I am excited to get started!

Kari & I both have made some friends from all over The US already. I have enjoyed it a lot & really believe that it is going to be a great experience! I miss everyone in GA & my family in other states already, but I'm sure it will be over before I know it. Especially once people start visiting! I will keep in touch & keep everyone updated :)