Oh hello there world!

Wellllll lots has happened since August. haha! I promise I haven't forgotten about this thing, but by the time I am done with work, classes, sleeping, laundry, other random things I barely have two seconds. I have had to journal everyday for my internship credit through GCSU so I have been keeping up with the work aspect of this experience through that, but I haven't posted it on here...maybe I will start....haha.

Anyways here are some highlights and I will try to be better at this thing!

• Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party- AWESOME! I have been to two. One with my family and one with Megan. I might be going to another one next week with a girl from work, but I don't have a costume and she wants to dress up, so we will see.
• I got to see my Uncle Don and Aunt Karen for the first time in 19 or so years. It was so wonderful and they are so fun! My uncle is JUST like my dad. Kinda scary, but Megan totally agreed. Oh those Mateling genes. ;)
• Food and Wine Festival- Absolutely incredible. I love this festival. Just trying all the foods from all the different countries and lets not forget those "slushies" in France. ooh boy! Those are my favorite! It lasts until November 5th so hopefully I will get to go a lot!
• Working in Fantasyland at Winnie the Pooh, Snow White, and Teacups. Sometimes its rough, but the good things definitely outway the bad things. I have met a lot of friends and a lot of my fellow castmembers are super nice. Of course Magic Kingdom has LATE LATE hours a lot of times and I never get to see Megan, but oh well what can ya do?
• Labor Day with the parents and boyfriend :) Fun times. More to come :)
• My favorite places to eat so far: Rainforest Cafe, T-Rex, Tijuana(spelling?) Flats, Earl of Sandwich(thanks to my aunt and uncle), Chili's (duh), and EPCOT F&W fest! haha
• Walking in the tunnels everyday is still really cool to me. It is just crazy to think that I am UNDER the Magic Kingdom. haha! how many people can say they have walked UNDER the castle? not many! I also like walking side by side with Cinderella or Snow White or any of the characters. That is so cool to me!
• Getting a real dose of the real world. It is crazy and overwhelming sometimes, but I think I might be starting to get the swing of things. I feel like I have already grown a lot and have become more independent. I still need my parents for things and I still get homesick, but that is normal. I miss my family so much but I know they will be here soon. I just have to take it one day at a time and when I start to feel down I remember that I am at the Happiest Place on Earth and I go to a park. haha. Usually EPCOT because it is so chill there.
• Losing 20 pounds! weee! That is a real confidence booster. I am almost back down to the weight I was my freshman year. I like where I am right now so I am not intentionally losing weight. It is just all the work and heat.
• Living with Megan has been great too. I am glad we are here together! I also like all my roommates they are all so friendly and fun!

Well that is all for now. I will put pictures up later! love, peace and mickey mouse!

Disney Dreams coming true :)

Oh my gosh! I am here in Disney World. Tomorrow I will check-in. AHHHHH! soooo many emotions going through my mind right now. It's crazy. Am I prepared? will I make friends? Will megan and I get to hang out or will we have total opposite schedules? Will I even have time for a social life between classes and work? Is hurricane season going to be scary? personally I am kinda excited about it...weird I know.

We are staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge right now. I look around at all these "guests" and think to myself...soon I will be the one they see telling them how to get around and telling them where to sit on rides. It's just all so surreal to me!

I left all my paperwork at home though and my insurance stuff so I am real idiot, but luckily it all worked out. :)

I am waiting on Megan and her mom to get her. Both my parents are sleeping. "too much Disney for them" hahaha!

This update is boring. I am hungry. Going over to Coronado to get some grub. Peace & Love!

"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality." -Walt Disney

well hello there blogging world!!

Its been about 3 months since my last update. CRAZY!

Summer camp has come and gone and left me with a ton of memories and new camper friends. I loved the campers! Their happiness and love kept me going all summer. Even when my counselors were mad at me, the adults were mad at me, and whoever else was mad at me, those kids would run up to me, yelling "CCK, CCK!! we LOVE you!" and those few words were enough to get me through the day! Not that everyone was mad at me ALL the time, but I am only human and I can't make EVERYONE happy ALL the time. ya know? For those who don't know, I was called "Crew Chief Kari" this summer at camp because our camp is a NASCAR themed camp. It is located right beside the Atlanta Motor Speedway so the theme fits. I had a great summer, but it went by super quick! I may write a longer blog about camp later, but for now I am trying to keep this "Disney-fied."

I can hardly believe that there are ONLY 17 DAYS until I move to FLORIDA!! ahh!!

I have SOOOOOOOOOO much to do before then, but for some reason I am not worried! haha

I went "business attire" shopping on Friday. I got a lot of stuff. Still gotta get some closed toed shoes and a cute business suit/jacket and I'll be set! I also bought some casual everyday clothes too. yay! :) I found a pair of sperrys that ended up only being $12 marked down from $60!! sweet!!

OK, sorry back on track...I also have to fill out about a bazillion pages of paperwork and I hear its basically like signing your soul away to the Disney company...YAY! Megan and I finally did the whole roommate confirmation thing so we are officially living together! double yay!! Still not sure where we are going to live, but neither one of us really cares...God will put us where he wants us! As I said a lot this summer, "If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans." I have gotten to the point in this whole process where I just let God place me where He wants. I think that is the best way to be.

My parents will be visiting every month but October...:) i love them!

If youd like to come along, just let them know! haha :) The more the merrier!

Thats all the Disney updates for now! See ya REAL soon!!

Shout out to Nick! Happy Birthday!! Can't wait to hang out with you and Cordi VERY soon!!!

So No One Told You Life was Gonna Be this Way...

I haven't updated in AWHILE!! whew! SO much has been going on. It's crazy! Since the last time I updated this is what has happened:

-My birthday...22...cool? Not really. But I am a young lady in my early twenties who has a lot going for her, so I can't complain much!

-Disney College Program Send-off Party: FUN! Free lunch and the meeting of other people who are going down there from GCSU for the DCP as well! I was the only attractions person there...pretty cool I think!

-Lifeguard Certification: I am still certified, but I went to help and I got to drown 6 times in a row at the end of the day on Saturday. I was exhausted, but it was a lot of fun too.

-Braves game: We lost to the Mets. Go figure.

-First GCSU Baseball game: We beat Columbus State! yay! :)

-FINALS: UGHHHH! Along with all the papers, projects, and other crap teachers assign at the end of the semester, I had to take multiple tests. I did okay I guess. My classes were all hard this semester.

-This week has been a week of "lasts." The last Bible Study dinner. The last time to eat at El Tequila. The last Thursday night in Milledgeville. Although I will be back here in the spring for one more semester, everything is coming to a end for our group of friends. Brittany and Brittani are moving to Athens. Megan and I are moving to Florida. Vanessa is moving wherever God leads her. Callie is staying in Milledgeville by herself...poor girl. Magen is getting married. Its just all happening so fast and I want it to slow down, but I am not sure how to make it slow down. I have felt this way A LOT lately. Sometimes I feel like I am watching my life happen through a window. Like I am a spectator watching a reality show. There are moments when I want to press pause and live in that exact minute for days and days. Like at El Tequila on Cinco de Mayo. All my girls were there and we were all laughing and just having fun. Sure, we all had stuff to do or work to be turned in, but for a little while we forgot about our stress and it felt like that moment would never end, but it too ended.

College is ending and it's terrifying. I don't know what I want to do with my life. I don't know where I will be living in a year. No I am not graduating, but in a sense I feel like I am. I am moving from my comfort zone to a whole different state. I won't be able to drive home every other weekend when I need a mom fix and a hug from my daddy. I won't be able to drive to see my big brother or sister in law when I want to vent about the stupid boy who is being an idiot. I won't be able to watch my niece grow or play peek-a-boo with her. There are so many things that I feel like I am losing and I am going to miss out on. That's the thing with life though. Once you finally get comfortable and gain a sense of normalcy something happens and it is all mixed up and changed. We have to learn to adapt and carry on, no matter how hard it may seem.

Through all the craziness though I can rest assured that there is one thing that never changes; the love my Heavenly Father's has for me. God is my strength. I know He won't let anything happen to me that He and I can't handle together. I know He will be there for me when I need my parents to hug and comfort me but are back in Georgia. He will listen to me and guide me when my best friends are thousands of miles away. God is everlasting and I know He will never leave my side.

Growing up is scary. As much as I try to fight it, it is happening and it isn't slowing down.

I love you ladies. Ya'll are some of the best friends a girl could ever ask for :)

Disney Survey!

I was tagged on Facebook to do this, but I am just going to make it a blog instead. Feel free to fill it out about yourself too!

1. Your name?: Kari
2. Are you legal (over 21)?: yes
3. Male or female?: Female
4. Gay, straight, bi (optional): straight
5. Where do you live?: Georgia
6. What role will you have at Disney?: Attractions
7. What are your arrival/departure dates/program (fall, fall advantage, fall quarter)?: Fall 09 Aug 19th-Jan 8th
8.Which apartment complex would you prefer to live at? Do you prefer wellness or non-wellness (if over 21)?: Dont care. Non-wellness probably
9. How many roommates/rooms would you like? (1-7 roommates, 1-4 rooms)?: 3-4 rooms, 5-7 roommates
10. Do you like to party? Will you be hosting parties in your apartment?: Not really a party-hardy type person, but I like to meet new people. Megan and I are known for our themed parties! :)
11. What's your favorite food, and more importantly, can you cook well?: I like any form of potatoes! Mashed, fried, baked, etc... I can cook well when I feel like it and have time
12. If your friends could describe you in three words what would they be?: happy, funny, friendly
13. What kind of music/movies do you like?: Adventure, Comedy, Chick-Flicks
14. Do you smoke, and if so, inside or outside?: I have asthma. If I smoke I'll die.
15. Are you a night person or a morning person?: Night
16. Are you driving or flying down?: driving
17. What do you do for fun?: sleep, scrapbook, hike, lay-out
18. What is your favorite quote?: "His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts." Isaiah 55:8
19. What are you most excited about in being in the WDWCP?: Working for Disney, meeting new people, being able to call Disney World my "home"
20. Favorite things to do when not working: uhh sleep, scrapbook, hike, and lay-out
21. Name one good quality about yourself: friendly and always smiling
22. Name one bad quality about yourself: very critical of myself
23: Your college: Georgia College & State University
24: Your major: Business Management
25. Any medical conditions (optional): Asthma
26. Are you messy/tidy?: Both
27. Anything else you want to state: I cant wait for this semester to be OVER.

The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique. -Walt Disney

eeeep!!! SO good news my presentation is OVER and my paper is turned in!!!!!!!! I am so freakin relieved I feel like running around my house. oh wait I already did. haha!

Dr. Flynn's feedback was that I swayed too much during my presentation. Other than that she surprisingly gave somewhat nice feedback. I prayed she would be in a good mood and she definitely was. yay God!

Anyways- After class I went to Dr. Flynn's office. I signed all this paperwork for the DCP and she told me what classes to take while I am down in Florida. I will be taking HR Management, some hospitality class, and something else? I probably should of paid more attention, but I was still in nervous presentation mode and I couldn't really think. It was really hard for me to even tell her the classes I am in now. So yeh I guess she is going to take care of other stuff? She didn't really tell me what to do next...haha I guess I now just try to figure out which apartments I want to live in.

I did learn that 22 people applied from GCSU and so far she has only heard about 4 others getting accepted...Me being one and Megan being another. WOW! I feel really special.

RANDOM:
Lately I have been obsessed with some REO Speedwagon. OLD SCHOOL. love it.
I love finding really cheap/tacky earrings on sale.
Braves Baseball: 4 days until the season opener. 9 days until the home opener!

Life doesnt get much better than this!

Adults Are Only Grown-Up Kids Anyways- Walt Disney

Soooo there isn't much going on, but I felt like updating a little.

First off: My WONDERFUL parents sent me flowers and a balloon for getting into the Disney College Program!! It was such a nice surprise!! Here is a picture of the beautiful flowers...I look like poo, but the flowers are perfect :)

I am going to talk to the Disney advisor on campus sometime this week. I will probably talk to her on Wednesday after I give a presentation in her class. UGH. stupid group projects always put a damper on EVERYTHING.

Anyways- she is going to tell me what classes I need to take while I am down there and what I need to do between now and August.

Megan Francis Bailey and I are going to be roommates while we are down there!!!! EXCITING!! We are also going to be doing a Vlog (video blog) sometime this week, so ya'll should all be pretty excited about that!!

I am loving all the new friends I have been talking to on facebook, disboards, and AIM. Its so great knowing that there are other people who are going through the same things I am going through! They are also really helpful in telling the new CP's what to bring and stuff. I was able to find a church to go to (if I have time off) while I am down in Orlando on the program. AND I have found some people who are interested in doing a bible study!! YAY!! Jesus+Disney+friends = LOVE!!

Megan told me about this book called "Dream Factory" by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler. Its about two people people who are working at Disney. Its so cool, because its about kids my age. My mom ordered it for me and it arrived in 2 days!! Its fiction, but so far I love it! Its kinda sad, but for some reason I think its going to end really happy, because well thats how Disney is. We shall see, and I will let yall know :)

Random: We have had a ton of rain lately and I love it! It was my spring break, but I really did enjoy just doing nothing and sleeping a lot. Although, I was working on a paper and presentation for the majority of my break, so that was kind of a bummer. yeh-the same one that I was talking about up there. I CANT WAIT TO BE DONE WITH IT. Once I am done with this project I can focus on happier things for a little while, before finals start.

I know my parents are going to miss my cookin' after being home for this entire past week. Dont worry Ill be back for Easter and my birthday! Not sure how I feel about turning 22...it seems so much older than 21. :/ at least I'm not too old for Disney. right?

My family waiting to watch Its a Bugs Life at Animal Kingdom. Love them all and yes my brother and dad are special ed. hehe just kidding :)