Disneyland

In less than thirty days (okay.. in twenty-nine.. which is still less than thirty!) I will finally be on Spring Break. I will be boarding a plane – hopefully not missing a lot of rehearsal, which I am a tiny tiny bit worried about.. but will figure out how to cross that bridge when I get to it – and flying towards Burbank, CA where I can begin my week of sun and fun. This past week has been pretty nice weather-wise, but I am still reluctant to say spring is here. Technically spring won’t be here until March 20, but my Canadian friend likes to rain on my parade whenever I get excited about the warm weather by saying that spring doesn’t really get here until April.

To which I say – Spring should come in March! The trees should be blossoming! Birds should be singing! I should feel sunshine on my face!

And as I have been told by multiple friends back in California, the trees are blossoming, even the smelly white “popcorn” trees that are so characteristic of the landscape back home. So for the last few weeks, I have been in a constant state of California dreamin’. Even about those smelly white trees.

What makes me even more excited to pass the under thirty day mark for Spring Break is the prospect of yet another Disneyland trip. Even typing those words make me all excited and giggly on the inside – yes, like a little six year old girl – but really. I am so excited. My love for Disneyland (I knew how to rewind and play Beauty and the Beast three times in a row at 18 months old) and my perpetual insistence that “the magic will never die” is just one of many, many signs that I will probably never really grow up and become a mature, serious adult. Oh well. There are times and places to be mature and serious, and for the rest of the time, it makes life more fun to be excited over things like going to Disneyland.

Since I was a freshman in college, I think I’ve taken a trip to Disneyland every single year. No, I take that back, I have taken a trip to Disneyland every single year… and maybe some years twice… As my mom likes to complain to me, I’ve gone so many times without her.. oopsies. Each time has been different, and always fun, and I’m looking forward to making new magical memories this time!

1. Freshman year spring break (2010): road tripping down to SoCal with Cathy and Justine and the first time the “if one wants to, we all have to” rule came into play.

2. Summer after sophomore year (2011): A super-quick planned weekend getaway during the summer I had my internship at Safeway (the one and only office job and technical internship I ever had…) where we found out that six is the best number for Disneyland. (Also known as the summer of the stye leading into the year of the stye. Sigh.)

3. Junior year Winter Break (2012): Following a week of visiting SoCal and hopping around different Livingwater sisters’ houses with Sharon. The time Elizabeth had her appendix taken out and had to sit in a wheelchair and we got to cut certain lines!

4. Senior year Valentine’s Day weekend (2013): A much needed weekend escape to visit friends at UCLA and go to Disneyland with Justine. Also when we realized that we were getting older – in other words, the teacup ride was quite nauseating. Also, we matched. Also, #getonmickeyslevel was born. This was the best trip.

5. Summer after senior year (2013): My first two-day Disneyland trip! Again, bodies getting older. Need to take things slower. But going for two days let us go on all the small random rides and watch shows that normally we wouldn’t, which was fun. Also I witnessed bros taking a selfie in front of the castle. Priceless.

And as a final treat, the best picture ever taken at Disneyland:

Always ready for the camera.. right.