#daklife

As I'm waiting for my next program, God has brought to my church a man who is a pastor in Kenya. I try to contain my excitement, because a lot of people don't know my history, and would probably think I'm weird. But I'm very excited because he reminds me of my home park, Disney's Animal Kingdom. The first thing that this man said to the congregation was a song that I heard daily while working in Africa in DAK. And I was able to sing along. "Jambo, Jambo bwana, Habari gani, Mzuri sana. Wageni, Wakaribishwa, Kenya yetu  Hakuna Matata." Of course, I'm so excited on the inside because I find out that they use this song as a church welcome song in his country. This song that I've been singing for a year of my life is a church song in Kenya. I couldn't believe it, I wanted more. He spoke for a Sunday and then became part of our congregation. He then went back to his country to close out some business, but he said he would be back. He sent my father videos of Kenya and pictures of a real life savanna and his homeland. Today, he is speaking in our church. He will be teaching for the rest of the summer. He's so full of God that sometimes I get intimidated. I wish sometimes I was more like him. But I'm very excited to hear more of his songs and stories. They help me feel a little closer to my favorite park.

Morning is pretty sweet in the Prehistoric Era. #DAKlife #latergram #dinosaur #animalkingdom (at DinoLand U.S.A)

Gorillas are so lucky, they don’t have to worry about anything. No school. Or work. Or driving. Mostly no school. Gosh, they’re so lucky...

I haven't been able to look at this blog on a proper computer until now, and I didn't realize until now that I actually have a following of several people. I wanted to say thank you for riding this crazy ride with me, whether it's been from the beginning or just starting out. I'll still be posting occasionally as a sort of Post College Program diary, so there will still be more content. Don't go away, we may even have a comeback in the future 💖

It's not a goodbye... It's a see ya real soon.

It’s just going to be so hard to leave... I have so many great friends here. So many memories I’m going to cherish forever. So many laughs, so many tears. I’m going to miss it all.

Today, I will make magic happen. Today, I will make magic happen. Today, I will make magic happen.

My favorite part of my day is when I get to make magical moments for guests when they least expect it. Yesterday, I was trading pins with a couple on their honeymoon and they mentioned how much they love The Lion King. I asked if they had a fastpass for Festival of the Lion King, but they'd already hit their three pass limit. So, knowing they of course had to see the show, I whipped out a paper fastpass for then to use, and they were so excited. The wife even started shaking from excitement, and the smiles on their faces made my day ten times worth it. Today I got to experience that joy again with a family of four. They were on their annual visit to Walt Disney World, stopping my Tusker House for breakfast before going to Epcot. I asked if they had anything they were gonna do today, and they said Festival of the Lion King, but the dad said all their fastpass were booked for Epcot. I pulled out my last paper fastpass and I told them to go enjoy the show, and the mom gave me a hug with the biggest smile on her face. It's worth it to make the guests smile. It honestly makes my day a hundred times better to see my random acts of kindness bring joy. Today, I will make magic happen. Today, I will make magic happen. Today, I will make magic happen.