What to do before I kick the bucket

A few weeks ago I participated in a small bucket-list project. It was simple, share the top 10 things on your bucket-list with others. 

Easy, right? It’s things you dream about as a kid and an adult – anything is possible! Maybe take a step on the moon, reach the top of Mt. Everest, live in the African Savannah for a month…the list could go on forever.

I like to go a little bit more, practical, if you will.

Now before you roll your eyes and say that’s not the point of a bucket-list, let me explain. This list should be composed of one’s ambitions, things that we strive for every day.

And let’s be honest, if I don’t ever attempt to climb Mt. Everest – my life will go on. If I don’t find happiness in my career and have a family – my life won’t be what I want. 

I want to blaze a trail in the communications and business world for women, I want to make a name for myself. I also want a family one day that is full of love…and slightly crazy. Because really, who doesn’t love a family slightly off their rocker?

Bucket-lists should be what YOU really want in life, not something completely outrageous. Yes, I want to skydive in Australia, but celebrating a 50th wedding anniversary is more important. If I travel to Australia and happen to skydive in the process, even better.

Standing in the Four Corners, seeing a lion in the African Savannah and toasting life on top of the Eiffel Tower are on my to-list when I visit Europe, but my bucket-list falls a little closer to home.

Here are ten things I want to accomplish before I “kick the bucket”.

1) Run five half-marathons (one completed…four to go!)
2) Swim with dolphins
3) Adopt a dog
4) Have a fabulous wedding followed by a fabulous marriage
5) Celebrate a 50^th, 60^th maybe even 70^th wedding anniversary with the same person
6) Take my children to Disney
7) Take my parents on a cruise
8) Live to be 100 and have a cake with 100 candles
9) Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Times Square
10) Visit each of the 50 states (includes seeing Mt Rushmore, The Grand Canyon and the Golden Gate Bridge)

Side notes:
-I can even modify #7 to take my parents to dinner. This does not include my boyfriend and I attempting to pay for our own part and creating a small scene…just treating my parents to a nice dinner.  Shouldn’t be too difficult – but in my family, treating others isn’t always the easiest! 
-I also have another list that is full of professional goals for my career. That is its own list that I WILL accomplish before I retire.

After working at Walt Disney World for nine months I am a true Disney Princess. I can’t wait to take my children to this wonderful, magical world and let them experience everything. For those of you that know me, I will be that mother running faster than her children to stand in line to see Princess Cinderella. You need to be on your A-game at Disney!

Someone asks what happens after I complete one of the tasks on my list…that spot  gets filled by another. After a few years of workings maybe some bigger dreams will make the top 10. But right now, I am excited to live in Columbus and have small, mini-adventures in surrounding cities. I want to go to Chicago and Nashville, and I think celebrating New Years Eve in Time Square should happen in my 20s.

I would love to know what’s on your list! Bucket-lists are such interesting concepts! Is your list full of adventurous items or do you focus on one specific event?

Thanks for reading!

I trained, I ran, I conquered

Approximately three weeks ago I ran the Cap City Half-Marathon.

That’s right folks – I ran 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 47 minutes. OK, well I actually ran about 12 miles and walked (a brisk power walk, may I add) the other 1.1 miles.

finished my first half-marathon in 2:47!

And I am pretty darn proud of myself.

I only stopped once to open my GU packet around mile 9, and let’s not lie, once I passed the 8 mile marker I was thinking about quitting, simply stopping right in the middle of the street. I wanted to join the runner from the “A Corral” that had already finished the race. They were starting to come back down the course and cheer on the ret of the runners –  with delicious bagels and tasty coffee in their hands.

That’s right…I was tempted by a bagel.

However, I didn’t let the delicious Panera bagel stop me! I kept right on moving my feet: I moved them from downtown to the Lennox Town Center, to campus, down High Street, to the German Village, then to the beautiful finish line by the State House.

And I was supported all.the.way. All glorious 13.1 miles.

I think that is what made me love the half-marathon so much – the incredible support from Columbus, my friends and my social media family.

whooo-hooo! First half-marathon! Check out my nervous self at 6:45 in the morning.

My boyfriend drove me to the starting line and stayed with me until we were told to make our way to the proper starting corral. He also kept me calm as I worried about what to eat, what to wear and about not even crossing the finish line (being THAT person that was going to slow and was pulled from the race).

I had prepared for it all, everything but the amount of support and love I received in less than three hours.

Members of the New Albany Walking club calmed my nerves and we waited for the race to start, random people yelled my name and told me to keep going along the way, my wonderful friend Elizabeth gave me the much-needed encouragement at mile 5 when I was starting to feel winded, and my incredible boyfriend and amazing best friend clapped louder than anyone for me at mile 11 (and tempted me with Starbucks). My friends on Facebook and Twitter sent me encouraging posts the evening before and during my race…and every single volunteer at the water/GU stops told me to keep being strong.

The finish line was slightly emotional, so much cheering and support for EVERY SINGLE runner that crossed the finish line. Even better, look at the awesome medal I received!

I officially have the “running bug”. I signed up for the Color Run 5k in July and the Columbus Half Marathon in October. Once registration opens up for the 2012 Cap City half, I am going to register for that one as well. I am not the fastest or the steadiest runner – but I am determined to make each race a LITTLE faster and a LITTLE bit better. I am moving from Corral E to Corral D for the next half marathon – so I already feel like a champion.

Thanks everyone for your support!

sometimes you need a reminder…

sometimes we all need some girl power after a long day – imperfection is beauty

 

Disney magic overcomes cancer

Stay strong Sean.

Three words – one simple message to a brave 10-year old boy battling cancer.

Stay strong Sean, because everyone here at Walt Disney World wants to see you.

Please take a minute and check out this video my fellow Cast Member Andrew made for his younger cousin Sean who is currently receiving cancer treatments. How do you tell a little boy he has the entire Walt Disney World standing beside him during this tough battle? Easy, you show him. Take a look…

It makes me so proud to not only personally know Andrew, but to work for WDW. Every day I go to work at a place that encourages magic and happiness for people of all ages. The characters in this video need no introduction – Mickey and Minnie Mouse, the princesses, Winnie-the-Pooh  and all the other Disney characters are know instantly.

Perfect example of true Disney  magic and why I love this company. The characters and Cast Members you see in the video are real and have one message to share to Sean – STAY STRONG.

This video brought me to tears (not exactly the beautiful, classy tears either because I watched the video for the first time on Andrew’s phone in our break room), but tears because the world isn’t fair. How is okay that a little boy sits in his hospital bed fighting both against the side effects of chemo and for his life? How is it okay that while the world has made tremendous scientific leaps in the past year, the biggest battle this boy will ever face, like so many in today’s world, is in his own body?

It’s not fair.

But at Walt Disney World, it doesn’t matter. There is no room for doubt or sadness, only the belief that everything will be alright, and in the end Sean will be able to come back and say hello to all the princesses and Mickey himself. That right there is real magic.

Cast Members from the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios to Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom now know Sean’s story. Four people and a piece of paper are making an impact and making sure Sean knows that he is not alone in this struggle.

When I see some guests come into the Disney parks and smirk at the mention of magic and hope I can only shake my head. Because, in all honesty, what would the world be today without faith, trust and pixie dust? How do you look at the video and not believe you are witnessing real magic? Disney magic is real – and it will help Sean beat his cancer.

I hope that you watch this video and say a prayer for Sean – because he will overcome this obstacle and we will see him at Disney in the future.

Go the distance with a smile

Recently I posted a blog about long-distance relationships and the “joy” they bring. The phone  calls, the Skyping, the texting, working around two schedules and pretty much figuring out if the love is strong enough to cross miles.

Whole lot of ways to communicate – but there needs to be a balance. Couples can’t text too much and forgot to put down roots in their new town, but they also cannot forget that they are in a relationship and need to keep that strong.

Awesome. How could people possibly not love long-distance relationships?! However, the response to my first post was simply incredible. Distance can be across the country, thousands of miles away, states away, hours away or working with opposite schedules. One reader even shared her own form of “distance”: her husband travels two weeks out of every month and lives in her hometown the other week.

So how can you overcome the distance and still put-down roots in the new place? I know, personally, I am struggling with making Orlando my new home but remember my best-friends thousands of miles in Ohio. I want to establish myself with Disney and make Orlando my home, but I also have a boyfriend back in Ohio.

Make it work.

Here is a list of 10 tips & advice of handling long-distance relationships from readers:

 

1. Face the situation. You are now in a long-distance relationship and could (possibly) be in this situation for an extended period. It’s.going.to.be.FINE. Sulking, having a sad disposition, complaining and crying is going to hurt both people in the relationship and those around you.
2. Not telling the other person you miss them CONSTANTLY. Again, this puts a gloomy cloud on the entire relationship and stress on the relationship. Of course you miss the other person! Make sure you talk about other things besides the fact that you “miss” the other.
3. Set clear guidelines & expectations right away. What do you expect from the other communication/visiting/commitment wise? Seems like a pretty simple conversation, but it can be awkward to ask the first question. Are both people in the relationship aware that this is a serious and exclusive relationship and some time of communication is expected every day? The more you discuss at the beginning the less heartache you will have down the line.
4. Talk at least once a day – and try to really talk. Set aside fifteen minutes to focus solely on your boyfriend/girlfriend. Ask about their day, work, classes, plans for the weekend, friends, your day, your plans…anything! Talking about new things is a great way to keep the conversation moving and stops you from going back to the “miss you” statements.
5. Utilize all forms of communication. A quick text during your lunch break, a Skype date after a long day of work, a cute email waiting for the other Monday morning at work are all great ways to stay strong. It doesn’t need to be complicated, just from your heart.
6. Don’t be controlling or jealous. I’ll admit, this can be a hard one for me to remember. When the other person has plans when you don’t or can’t talk when it is convenient for you – it can be very hard to not get frustrated. Also, if your partner hangs out with a groups, large or small, and other girls/boys involved …again, that is ok. No jealousy! If there is no trust in your relationship it doesn’t matter if you’re one thousand, one hundred, ten or one mile away – the relationship will only prevail if there is 100% trust.
7. Have a date-night. Just because you are apart doesn’t mean you can’t do things together. Watch something together (one reader says she and her boyfriend stream a movie online every Thursday night at 6:00 p.m.) Or Skype during your favorite comedy show on Thursday night. It may seem silly and a little ridiculous, but it will keep your relationship strong and help keep that “alone” time strong. Couples can also play games together online and listen to music. My friend and her boyfriend have “music wars” when then Skype – she plays a song and picks a certain word in the lyric, and then he needs to find a song starting with the lyric she picked. Again, silly, but keeps the atmosphere FUN.
8. Support one another in all challenges and hurdles. Even when your partner is miles away, they still need your support, strength, respect and love during hard times. Be available to your boyfriend/girlfriend when they need you, and expect the same from them.
9. Have faith and include the other in your “new” life. You’re going to make new friends, both at work and in your personal life, and it may become slightly awkward when the two worlds meet. Let it be awkward and push through, the situation will become easier. It is OK to build your own life away from your partner – and then combine the two worlds.
10. Visit often and appreciate every moment together. I don’t even think this needs an explanation. Enjoy the time with the one who love, and keep the smile on your face when they leave. Life is supposed to be full of happiness, find joy everyday. long-distance relationships can and do work out.

“Distance never separates two hearts that really care,  for our memories span  the miles and in seconds we are there.  But when I start feeling sad,  because I miss you, I remind  myself of how lucky I am to have someone so  special to miss.” – This is the quote my boyfriend wrote to me in a letter that I received a few days after I moved to Orlando. This is what I remember when the days become a little rough, but the moment of sadness always passes and I now have my new Orlando family to to keep my strong.

Thanks for reading!

“Distance means so little when someone means so much”

This morning I dropped my boyfriend off at the airport to head back to Ohio after four fun-filled days in Orlando.

We hopped around some magical parks, ate at fantastic restaurants, saw beautiful fireworks and traveled around the world at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival. It was a perfect five days and over way too quickly. Before I could blink, it was time to head back to the airport.

This is the second time I’ve embarked on a long distance relationship – the first occurring my freshman year of college. As much as I’d like to tell you that I was the mature woman I am today at the tender age of 18, I think we all know that is far from the truth. I grew both mentally and spiritually during my four years of college, so I feel that my relationship now is completely different.

Long distance.  Whooole lot of meaning packed inside two small words. Long distance can meet from Ohio State University to a branch campus, Columbus to Cincinnati, Ohio to Florida, Alabama to Florida and so many more. Trust me, between my myself, my friends and my new roomies have lived through it all.

We are trying to overcome not only miles between the ones we love – but also leaving a boyfriend/girlfriend in an old environment and entering a new situation. It’s hard when my boyfriend is now in a “big-boy” job and no longer living on campus while I’m over 1000 miles away in Florida. My roommate is also seeing her boyfriend enter into a Master’s program, again – him leaving his own comfort zone and his friends to a brand new world, while his girlfriend is hours away in Florida. Situations also come where the boyfriend is still in college, used to going out with his boys but now changing his schedule to accommodate a long-distance girlfriend.

So what do you do? How to you work together to seamlessly flow together two lives in different states – but keeping each individual their own? I don’t want to fall into that trap of becoming THAT couple (you know which one, the couple that is always texting each other, always on the phone and can’t seem to establish a shred of independence or two distinct personality).

Where is the line between the proper amount of communication to keep a relationship strong, but not becoming fixated on one another? I see so many couples constantly tell the other how much the love and miss one another it almost seems to make the situation worse.  Is it age? When do you finally turn the corner and become an “adult” and have the maturity to handle the responsibility of a long-distance relationship?

What do you think? I hope this blog can become a bucket-list of advice for ways to handle long-distance relationship, please tell me your thoughts!

Check out the advice from readers on ways to make long-distance work!

We remember 10 years later

Tears in my eyes all day.

Truly, with how many American flags in front of stores, restaurants and on t-shirts, how could one not feel patriotic? I saw men and women wearing shirts proudly stating they were firefighters, police officers or part of the United States Armed Forces.

I watched footage from September 11, 2001 this morning and couldn’t stop the tears. Hearing the confusion, fear, anger and sadness of fellow Americans hits home for so many. Because we were there. We felt the same emotions. However, I was in Ohio and knew that my parents would be home for dinner that night – while others desperately tried to call their loved ones and confirm their safety.

I am so proud of my country for moving forward these past ten years.

I was to dedicate this post solely to the men, women and children that lost their loves ten years ago. Thank you to all firefighters, police officers and military service men and women, home and abroad for fighting our fight. 9/11/01 – 9/11/11

true friendship

One of my favorite quotes is “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out”  by Walter Winchell. Simple and to the point, it seems to say that fulfilling the duty of a best friend should be easy. But it’s not.

10 years and counting...

We all need that one best friend who we can call at 2 a.m. No matter if we saw the ex-boyfriend and sent a text, embarrassed ourselves at a party, failed a test, need to gossip about a Facebook post, got in a huge fight with mom, potentially screwed up our ENTIRE future by messing up an interview or need advice on what shoes to wear to said interview.

Want to know something great? I have a friend like that, and have been lucky enough to know her since the 6th grade. After becoming a buckeye, I have picked up a few more.

In high school my views on friendship (no matter how shallow this may seem) focused more on quantity over quality. As the years passed and I graduated from high school, and now college, that immature veneer disappeared. I have gathered a few more best  friends in college, and can tell you with 100% certainty, I couldn’t be happier with my close-knit group of friends.

No matter how many friends you have on Facebook or listed in your cell phone, when in trouble you call one person – your best friend.

There will always be the friends who you meet for coffee or go out with on a Friday night, but when you have tears in your eyes and feel like the world is moving underneath your feet, you call your best friends.

They know when to listen to you cry or complain, and when to gently give you advice. You can pick up right where you left off, even if it has been a couple of weeks without talking. It’s almost like no time has passed.

As I matured through college and am slowly finding my balance as a graduate, I am thankful for my best friends. I know my future with the Disney College Program and attempting to turn this opportunity into a career I will make mistakes and fall — but I have incredible people around me to catch me.