2015: Year in Review!

00:22 seab458 2 Comments

It's that time of year again!

2015 has been a whilwind year for me...from graduating university to moving to florida and back I would definitely rate it in the top 5 years of my life! There have been many tears shed, laughs had, and lessons learned about myself, ministry, and following God through it all.

Let's start with New Years Eve. The end of 2014 and a new, fresh start. Coming off of my last full semester of classes for my degree, I had a really great Christmas break. It was my nephew's first christmas, so we had a lot to celebrate! New Years Eve was spent at a friends playing games and laughing and just having a ridiculous time. Probably the best way I could have spent my night.

I tried to do this month by month, but to be honest, they're all a little fogged in my head. So I'll go by season I guess!

Winter: January/February

Winter semester I started my internship in Springdale. This was one of the most nerve-wracking things I have ever done, and I remember driving home crying after my first sunday from the overwhelming pressure I put on myself to be someone I wasn't. Over my 4 months I learned a lot of what it takes to be a pastor - and that no one is really cut out for the job. That's where the grace of God comes in and saves the day. I also learned that if you really need to, you can fake it til you make it. Pretend to be a people-person long enough and you might just find yourself liking people a little more than you thought you would. I also learned that working and taking courses at the same time sucks and you have to be a lot more disciplined than I am to make it work.

In January I also had my interview in Toronto for Disney! After feeling so down on myself after the first couple of weeks on my internship I got to take a couple of days off and visit my baby "sister" and visit the Disney offices which was so incredibly cool. My trip started out rough (like a snow storm and potential cancelled flight) and finished up not so nicely (like coming back to a dead battery in my car and snowed in with no shovel), and I was convincing myself it was all a waste of time....but it wasn't! A week later and I had my offer letter for Custodial! January/February was a pretty exciting couple of months.

Spring: March/April 

March and April kind of melt together in my mind, But in April I finished my internship and early May I finally graduated from Tyndale! That's right, you're looking at (reading from?) a BA. Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies, that is. I packed my bags and headed home for a couple of weeks. Just long enough.....

Summer: June/July/August


To move to Disney! Summer 2015 was arguably the most incredible summer of my life because I spent it in Florida working at Disney (If you want to read, or re-read, about my adventures check them out here). Endless days at Magic Kingdom, in the florida sunshine (and humidity), with some of the greatest friends I have ever met from all over the world.
I learned to be fearless. I learned about my flaws. I learned how to make magic. I learned the location of every restroom in Magic Kingdom. I met the most magical people - and those were just the cast members. I memorized every second of the Electrical Parade even though it was the worst. I dealt with some disgusting situations and learned that watching wishes with your friends is the cure to a terrible day - and that iHop tastes the best at 3am when you're overtired and laughing with your favorite co-workers.
  I could seriously go on forever. Man, I miss it. It was the perfect summer to end off my university career.

Fall: September/October/November

Okay, I'm going to include this with "Fall", but I really had already gotten my job at Claire's around the end of July after a facetime interview. The day after I had gotten home, still with pixie dust in my eyes, I started working. It took some time to get used to it after not having worked in retail before, but I adjusted and put the skills I learned from traditions and my Disney training to good use. I learned how to pierce ears and adjusted to living with my parents again for an undetermined amount of time. 

It was during the fall that I started to panic a little. Over the past four years I had always had a plan. I knew exactly where I would be an what I would be doing. I would memorize my class schedules, plan out when my papers needed to be started and finished, and counted down the days until the end of the semester. Now I had no plans....this was my life for an undetermined amount of time.....since I graduated from high school I haven't lived in one place for more than 4 months at a time. So being able to settle and commit to things is still a big, scary thing. On top of all of that, I got hit with a big bout of the post-disney-depression. Night and day missing disney and missing having things to do after work. In florida there were literally endless possibilities - I could spend every waking moment doing things and I still wouldn't have been able to do it all - so coming back to my small town was kind of a disappointment. 

But, I'm learning to deal with it. Picking up new hobbies, obsessing over the Hamilton soundtrack, and beginning to pay off my student debt. As always, there are days I am up for anything, and those when I am paralyzed at the thought of the future. Right now I get to teach Sunday School under the leaders who raised me up in God, and to lead kids in Worship every sunday in KidsZone, which is my happy place. 

So there's a quick glimpse into my 2015. What will 2016 look like? I have absolutely no idea. If you have any ideas or know what I'm supposed to be doing, please let me know ASAP. Do you have any exciting plans or resolutions for 2016? Let me know in the comments! I'd love to hear from y'all!

love + pixie dust,

sarah

2 comments:

  1. Hey Sarah!
    I've been reading all your posts about the CEP at Disney over the past summer and so excited for you, looks like you had a blast!! I'm also a fellow Canadian and got a first round interview for the program. I'm super nervous and have no idea of what to expect.
    What are interview questions like? What's the interview like in Toronto?
    Happy Holidays!

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  2. Hey! Thanks for reading! :) Congrats on the interview!! I know most people (myself included) are terrified over the interview, but you don't need to be! I was sooo nervous on the subway ride there but it isn't as bad as you think it will be. My interview was pretty short compared to others I've heard, the CM confirmed my personal details (where i go to school, etc), asked me about any tattoos/piercings, and went over the role checklist I had submitted to confirm the jobs I was interested in. He asked why I wanted to work at disney (make sure you have a reason besides you like the movies/park), and about my previous work experience. I ended up talking a lot about my work because I was/am training to be a children's pastor and had a lot of experience working with people and he seemed to be really interested in that! He then made the suggestion that I switch my role preferences and put custodial as my top choice because that was where they needed people and it is one of the highest guest interaction roles!

    My biggest advice for the interview is to be prepared. Have an idea of what you can say about your work experience and how it will help you at disney, why you want to work for the company, and how the program will help you succeed in your future career. Most importantly, let your personality shine through. Disney prides itself on having genuine Cast Members that are able to relate and interact with guests from all over the world. the Interviewers know when you're not being yourself, so try not to be too nervous and let your personality shine through :) Let me know if you have any more questions! i love to answer DCP questions here or on my tumblr sarahdoesthedcp.tumblr.com :)

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