love life

yesterday and today were my days off this week. yesterday was so nice. me and all the spanish roommates went to florida mall. there were endless stores that i'm sure we could have spent an endless amount of time in. charlotte russe was the first stop and i could have spent a million dollars in there. however, i controlled myself and bought only two pairs of earrings for $10 - it was a sale with the majority of the jewelry. i was so proud of myself. we then went to cotton on (with a few stops in between) where i bought a top, and then we went to forever 21. oh my lord, forever 21. it was HUGE! i got a huge shopping bag and made my way around the entire store. i got tons and tons of stuff, and even tried them on, but when it came time to check out, i only bought two tops. it was the least i'd ever bought in a mall. i was so proud of myself. after that, we went to the outlet mall which is directly opposite one of the housing complexes. we just window-shopped there and got back home relatively early.

today i just "blugged" around the house all day up until it was time to get ready for my first day of class, namely, corporate analysis.  this is a class whereby we look at the walt disney company and learn about its history, culture, performance among other topics, like innovation, technology, globalization, and diversity. since i'm not getting any credits for the course i chose, i was really quite open about my choice, and decided to pick the one that taught me most about disney since i'm here working for the company. some classes are held at my housing complex, but this one isn't - it's held at another one. so i figure i should be responsible and leave a bit early so that if i get lost i have enough time to recover without being late. of course, i'm the first person there like a loser! but i walk in, with no shame and introduce myself to the teacher. after a little while, she came back to me and asked "do you by any chance work in magic kingdom?" i told her i did, and she followed by asking "any chance on main street?" i agreed to that too and she said "at work on monday, were you colouring with a little girl?" and i replied yes to that as well, and after she very excitedly told me "oh my god! what a small world! you were colouring with me and my daughter! i knew i recognized you! and i recognized your watch too! (p.s. thanks dad) you really made her day!" that was the day, that i think i mentioned before, where i had to perform magical moments? i can't remember if i wrote about that in a previous post, but basically each store has a magical moment that they do, whereby the cast members give guests a magical moment, free of charge. so i went to the cinema, where art is sold, and i got to colour with little children (that was the magical moment i chose to do, because it's my favourite) and then i fill out a certificate for them whereby i say they are the "future disney artists" and i write their names on them and the date. so my teacher, remembered me and told me i was already her favourite.

our teacher is so funny. she is so energetic and really knows how to talk to us, keeping us engaged the whole time. i really like her, but like mum told me earlier, i really haven't met anyone yet up here that i don't like! the three hours of class really flew by.

after class, i came back home and realized i desperately needed to go to the supermarket. have i ever mentioned how much i miss my family? dad, this specifically goes to you. i deeply apologize for calling you nearly every day saying i need you to get me something from the supermarket. i didn't realize how much of a pain in the ass it really is until now (except it's a bit easier for you since you get the luxury of a car, and i have to take the bus.) but that is so besides the point. when i first got here, i was so excited to go to the supermarket, but even though it's only been twenty-four days, i'm already sick of it. also, my laundry is piling up. but i think it only looks like a bigger pile because my costumes are SO HUGE with skirts longer than me (yes, i do trip up sometimes)that they take up about 7/8 of my laundry hamper. i seriously commend all adults. nobody gives you enough credit for just living. honestly, i have no idea how you save money AND live at the same time! i am finding it excruciatingly challenging. especially those who have school fees, and medical bills and car insurance, and electricity and water and phone and tv and internet and maintenance and all those ungodly bills to pay? you are my heroes. seriously, give yourself a pat on the shoulder or do something uncostly that makes you feel good about yourself because you deserve it. it is so hard to  save my money and all i pay is rent, supermarket and entertainment. it is definitely a shock. but, i did not come here to make my millions, i came here for this opportunity, which i am still enjoying ever milisecond of. even when i sometimes get slightly angry, i'm still not really very angry. it's quite pleasant.

today, my brother's dream came true and he bought a car of his own. he wanted it to be a surprise for me, but i really don't know how he expected a "surprise" like that to last for six months in this day and age. but ben, i'm so happy for you, and happy that i still have carlos all to myself. you now have to think of a name for your baby, maybe carly, or carmichael, or carson, or carter (you get my point, it obviously has to have "car" in it.) ben i wish i could be home to see one of your dreams come true.

today also might have been significantly difficult for many of you at home. god received a great man into his home today. i am sure the majority of you who are reading this knew shane. i only had the pleasure of meeting him once, a few months ago. but from the time i was little, i had heard stories about him. in fact, not stories, but praises. i have heard his name come up in conversation many times, coupled with the beaming smiles on his friends' faces. i know that he was one of my mum's friends growing up, and i know all of my mum's friends are truly special. i believe shane is now in a better place, where he no longer has to suffer, but it is a reminder that time is short and you should really make the most of everything you have. i didn't really know him personally, but i knew of him, and i know that he had a special zest for life that is rare to find. he truly appreciated his time here and he did so without force. he was content and that is a quality that more of us need to find within ourselves. we complain about the minor things in life, like a bad traffic jam, or spilling something on a new shirt, or when we get a minor scratch on our car, but these things are so insignificant. we all need to learn how to look at the bigger picture and really be appreciative and seek out the good things, instead of constantly reminding ourselves of the "bad" things that happen. i believe that everything happens for a reason, even though the reason isn't easy to find at the moment it happens. i also sincerely believe in trying to make your dreams come true. it is NEVER too late. it doesn't matter how old you are, or how many children you have, or how many expenses you have. there IS a way to make your dreams come true and there are always possibilities. if something matters to you, go for it. do not hold back because of guilt, becasue of pressure, or because of any other reason today, becasue you never know what could happen tomorrow. i know shane will be deeply missed by many, many people; and he should be an inspiration to everybody to just love life, and to enjoy everything you do. we all need to stop taking life, love and even smiles for granted. we need to be more thoughtful. we could all be a little bit more like him.


i love and am missing my family and friends tonight, like always. i hope everyone remembers to tell everyone they love that they love them. and just smile. smile because of everything. smile because you're alive. and give kisses. give hugs. give high fives for that matter.


tomorrow i work in the confectionery, so i get to wear the truly beautiful and, i'm sure, very flattering, yellow costume, complete with a skirt that comes short enough that you can see about four inches of my legs from my feet, showing off beautiful black "hosiery", and an absolutely gorgeous pancake hat. it really is a stunning costume. but i don't mind! guests love them! i hope everyone reading and their families are safe and sound. I LOVE YOU.