If anyone knows me, they know I love anything and everything having to do with Disney. I remember my first time walking down Main Street among the hustle and bustle of all the other visitors, with the smell of the confectionery sweetly enveloping me as I stood before Cinderella’s castle. As a young 8-year-old, I couldn't believe I was looking at one of my favorite princess' castle. It made my heart jump with passionate excitement. That same excitement still continues to affect my life, 11 years later. No matter what I am going through, when I see that magical castle it makes the real world and its troubles melt away, even if it is for only a small moment. But it is in that moment that my world is yet again filled with the magic of amazing possibilities all over again. It has a wonderful way of warming my heart.

I probably associate my love of everything Disney with the happy and magical memories of my time spent at the parks with my amazing family. While talking about them would constitute a whole other story, I'll just leave it here with saying they are the best. Just thinking about them has a way of putting the biggest and most genuine smile on my face!

I have always been more of a dreamer, enjoying my time spent reading books that transported me to far off lands, where I could imagine myself as queen of the realm, as a lost orphan who ran wild in the woods, or lived in a castle beneath the torrid ocean. Though it may seem like mere childish fantasies, I am a wholehearted believer in allowing myself that little bit of guileless happiness sometimes. It gives me a chance to leave the real world behind and to enter into a new, which, to me at least, has a way of being far more thrilling.

Disney's films, music, and worlds all offered me a home away from home. They let me escape for a little while into places of make believe. Walt Disney introduced magic and wonder to the world. He created his characters, movies, and parks to be places where no matter your age, you can be a part of all of it. When I stood before Cinderella's castle, I saw families, couples, grandparents, 20 somethings of every race, background, and country there smiling and celebrating alongside each other. It is a beautiful representation of how there is still a child-like wonder in all of us.

One of my favorite quotes by Walt Disney is, "Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.” While I never really wanted to grow up (and kind of still don't want to), it is through my growing older that I can appreciate the world of Disney so much more. I still laugh, I still imagine beautiful places far off from the world, and I still strive to pursue my dreams with all my heart.