There are a lot of articles about the Disney college program and the experience and even a lot of articles about the post dcp depression but you don't see many articles describing how it feels to go back for the first time after your program ends.
In January of this year I was lucky enough to take a trip back home for the first time since my college program ended in of last year. I had missed my magical home so much and couldn't wait to be in the place where my dreams came true once again. On my flight I was decked out with a castle alex and ani bracelet, a t-shirt that said home is where the castle is and my Epcot sweatshirt. I remember how i felt when we drove under the welcome to Walt Disney World sign that night on our way to Disney Springs. My eyes were full of happy tears because i was just that excited to be home.
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The beginning of my trip was full of happy tears as I revisited places where I had made so many magical memories. I even got to stop by ESPN Wide World of Sports which was my first Disney home.
I think I probably cried at least ten different times my first day back because I was just so happy. Being surrounded by the magic once again was such an amazing feeling. My first day ended with once again watching Wishes and sobbing because I felt just as lucky to be there again.
Being back in a place where its socially acceptable to wear Minnie ears all the time and where the Starbucks baristas don't give you a weird look when you ask them to write "Princess Tess" on your cup just felt so natural. After spending 6.5 months living in that world going back to that life again was quite refreshing.
But it definitely wasn't the same. After spending half a year being able to bounce all around whenever I wanted, the realization that I had just four days to play in the parks was a hard one. I couldn't just simply skip an attraction and come back it to it next week because the next week I would be back in Colorado not knowing when I'd be back again. I had to jam as much as I could into those days. I remember sitting in the front of the castle on my last night watching the kiss goodnight and sobbing because I didn't want to leave the kingdom again. It was so hard to leave again not knowing when I would be back.
It was weird being in the parks without being able to show my blue id to receive discounts or being able to refer to mickey as my boss. I'd gotten so used to living that life and hadn't been in the parks without being a cast member in a really long time.
Although it was hard to leave Disney again, I knew it wasn't goodbye. In the words of my favorite mouse it was "See Ya Real Soon".
