A year ago, I was ending the journey I started in January of 2015. In reflecting back on the past year and being back in Colorado, I have come to realize some things. Although I may not be living in Orlando and working for the mouse anymore, there is definitely still Disney in me. Not a day goes by where I don't stop and think about it or something happens that probably wouldn't have happened if I hadn't spent six months in the most magical place on earth.
Every time I go in for a job interview, that's the first thing that they notice. When you have Disney on your resume, it tends to be quite the conversation starter. I enter interviews with a new found sense of confidence after working for the Walt Disney Company. Knowing I was able to achieve my dream of being a cast member makes it easier to believe I'll succeed in scoring a part time job to earn extra cash. Working for Disney has also improved my performance in my job. The skills I learned from my time in Disney are still skills I use today. The superior customer service skills that the company teaches are applicable in any job I may have.
Some things followed me home that I didn't expect to. Every time I'm giving directions or pointing something out, I still use the famous "Disney point." More than once I've had someone notice that I point with two fingers and I ask me why. At this point, it's so natural that I don't even realize I'm doing it. I usually laugh and explain that it's something I learned in Disney and it just hasn't gone away. I also notice it when I'm talking to kids at my job at Build a Build, I instantly switch to my "Disney voice." It's something that's become unavoidable at this point.
Among my group of friends and even my co-workers at my job, I am known as the Disney girl which is 100 percent OK with me. The majority of my presents that I receive for holidays and birthdays are now Disney themed. My manager at my job decorated the outside of my locker with Belle stickers. I have received messages from acquaintances asking for Disney suggestions which I am always happy to give. Being tagged in Disney related posts on Facebook happens on almost a weekly basis.
Whenever I see someone wearing Mickey or Minnie related apparel, I almost always smile and get happy inside. Just the other day I complimented a customer at work who was wearing a super cute Minnie Mouse tank top. The little things remind me of the magic and I can't help the smile that naturally forms on my face.
Anyone who has seen a Disney movie or been to the movies with me when a Disney trailer comes on has pointed out the smile or happy tears in my eyes that form when I see that familiar castle logo come up. I see that logo and think, "That's home."
I may be on the other side of the country from Walt Disney World at the moment, but that doesn't mean that Disney isn't still part of me. My life was changed forever during the six-and-a-half months I spent working for the mouse. Disney will always be a part of me and I cant wait until the day that this Disney girl gets to back and live in her Disney world.
