"Thanks for the adventure. Now go have a new one. " - Ellie, Up.

OKAY SO WOW! So much to say!

I flew out from Melbourne at 11.45am on Thursday the 5th of Jan. We felw viz New Zealand, so it was a long flight. But after a 2 hour stop over in NZ it was time to board the flight to LAX!

I landed in LAX at 10.30am Thursday the 5th of Jan! Kinda went  back in time a little it's definately a strange feeling!

And since i landed in LA, everythin has been pretty jam packed! After meeting Liz at the airport, we headed to Downtown LA to meet Naomi and Alana for lunch, and then jumped on a train to Hollywood and spent the afternoon exploring the Holloywood Boulevard, we walked the Hollywood Walk of Fame,

did some shopping ...

and met a Taylor Lautner look alike!

After a super busy day in LA, we got a 10.30pm flight to Orlando! Which was a horrible flight :/ and we got absolutely no sleep at all! From the airport we got Disney's Magical Express to our hotel for the night, Disney's All-Star Sports Resort!

After an awesome day at the Disney All-Star Sports resort, we had a pretty early night as we had to get up early to go to check in for our apartments the next day, and now, im sitting here in my lovely new apartment, my new home for 12 months!

"The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all" - Mulan

The time is nearing, it is now 48 hours exactly until I board that plane and fly to the other side of the world for the adventure of a life time. And I can't wait!

Yesterday, I spent the day packing. It was a struggle, I did as my mum said, and picked out everything I wanted to take from my wardrobe and lay it out in piles, and then put half of it back. Had to make some serious decisions about what I was going to take, and what I was leaving behind! And this, is what I was left with:

I didn't realise I had so much stuff! How the hell was I going to get all of this under the weight limit for the plane? Let alone fit it into ONE suitcase! Desperate times called for despermate measures, and my mum came to the rescue. With even more cut backs and some tough decision making on my part, as well as some rational thinking on my mothers part, we did it. We managed to fit it all in!

Once the suitcase was packed, it was time for a going away bbq with all my close family friends, the people I've grown up with, the people I've known since I was born, the people who are pretty much family. And thankfully, the weather was amazing for it! We spent a lovely evening in the pool, and around the bbq, a traditional Australian send off I like to think of it as. It was amazing, until everybody had to head home, and the goodbyes began. It's the strangest feeling knowing I'm not going to see any of them for over a year! The good byes were tough, but we got through them. Everybody wished me well, and told me to stay safe and look after myself while I'm away, and they all told me they're planning on coing to visit! Which will be amazing if they can!

And today, mum and I are off to the shops to organise all my last minute things: my travel card, my international licence, the cancellation of my phone, and to get some last minute items that I need to take with me! Can't believe that in 2 days I'll be getting on that plane, to experience the most magical place on earth for 12 months! It will definately be the experience of a lifetime!

48 hours and counting!

abbiej xoxo

'Love is a song that never ends' - Bambi

I know I said in the last post that next time I post I would probably be posting from Orlando. But I lied, sorry! I had things to say - a couple updates to give, and some things to get off my chest.

To start off, my updates! 

So, I FINALLY bought my insurance (after about 4 months of putting it off) which is a huge weight off my shoulders. I know, I know, I shouldn't have put it off for so long, BUT I wanted to make sure I was getting the policy that best suited me, and that I could afford. A lot of people ended up going with Covermore for their insurance, as Covermore had the most comprehensive policy, with unlimited medical an unlimited dental. However, when I went to flight centre to see if they would do a price match for Covermore with the OneCover policy, they wouldn't do it as to do the price match it had to be 'apples for apples', that is, the policies had to be identical, which they weren't. So I ended up going for the OneCover policy, which still has unlimited medical and emergency medical services, it just doesn't have unlimited dental, it only has $500 dental. Which is ok for me, as I have never had a history or dental problems, and I have been told by my dentist that the onyl issue would be if my wisdom teeth came through, he then informed me, that I should be ok with that, as there appears to be enough room for my wisdom teeth.

Secondly, I bought some of my 'business attire' to wear for Traditions and for my classes today! I know it would probably be cheaper to buy it in the USA but, I didn't want to have to worry about it for traditions, as I only have one day when I arrive before traditions. So I just wanted to get it organised before I left, so it's one less thing to deal with when I get there! 

I bought a dark grey (almost black) buisness style skirt (the correct length as required by Disney) and two cream buisness style short sleeved blouses (and of course, they meet the Disney Look requirments). I also bought some new black slipon/flats that I can wear as my 'business style' shoes, as I don't want to be wearing heels all that time!

While I was shopping I also bought a power adaptor! I think the best thing for me to do is just buy the one adaptor, and then take my power board that I use at home, so I can plug in all my Australian appliances with just the one adaptor.

Okay, so updates over and done with. Just a few more things to say!

I decided that I needed to seriously start thinking about packing and what to take, and what to leave behind. And I realised that I'm absolutely terrifed to leave, don't get me wrong, I'm so excited that I cant even find the words to explain it, but I'm really scared at the same time. I suppose the reality that I'm leaving so soon finally hit, especially on Christmas Day, when I realised I won't be with my family next Christmas. It's just going to be such a big change in lifestyle, and the reality of that definately hit me.

I'm so excited to do the program, and to experience the American way of life, and to see everything America has to offer, and I honestly cannot wait to get there, it's just the leaving part that scares me. Saying good bye to my friends, that's what scares me. Being at the airport, and saying goodbye to my parents and my sisters, and my grandma, and boarding that plane, leaving my entire life behind, that part scares me too. But at the same time, I'm so excited, and so ready to experience this great adventure, the adventure of a life time. I can't wait.

9 days til lift off!

abbiej xoxo

"Darling, forever is a long, long time, and time has a way of changing things" - Big Mama, Fox and the Hound

WOW! So hard to believe that 6 months ago I was applying for the Disney ICP program, and now, in 2 weeks time I'll be getting on that plane to spend 12 months working at the most magical place on Earth!

This year has gone crazy fast, I hope next year isn't over as quickly as this one!

In terms of Disney, nothing much has been happening! Had dinner with Amy, Cory, Jess and Daniel last night, and watched Daniel's icehockey game (getting a taste of one of America's favourite pass times!) Which was good fun!

Also, the other day I got my Disney hoodie in the mail! Which, by the way, looks amazing !!

Well, that's really all I have for now! Next time I post I will probably be posting from Orlando! YAY!!

14 days to go!

abbie j xoxo

"The very things that hold you down are going to lift you up." - Timothy Mouse

WOW, two posts in two days?! God I'm good at this whole blogging thing!

But, I had to post today, becausee something very exciting happened!!

I received my ICP tshirt came in the mail!

YAY! 21 days to go!

abbiej xoxo

"A dream is a wish your heart makes" - Cinderella

EXCITING NEWS!

One of current Aussie Cast members recently posted on ouy facebook group saying that our job locations are listed up on their hub! So everyone has been bugging them and bugging them since they posted that on our wall for them to look up their job locations for them.
And I found out that I will be working on the East Food Stands in the Magic Kingdom!
So, everyday when I go to work I will be able to see Cinderella's Castle (the BEST part of Disney World!)

So, because I'll be working on the East side of the Magic Kingdom, I've been told that means I'll either be working in Fantasyland or Tomorrowland! YAYY!

Sooooooooo exciting!

22 days to go!

abbiej xoxo

"Someday I will be a beautiful butterfly and then everything will be better." - Heimlich, A Bugs Life

Okay, so I definately owe a massive apology for the severe neglect of my blog lately! Wow I'm going to struggle with it next year! But to be honest, I have good reasons for not blogging recently!
I've been working full time at one job since I finished uni for the year, and I've still been working nights and weekends at the other, so I've hardly had any free time at all!
So yes, I'm very sorry for not blogging!

But since my last blog (which was so long ago!) not too much on the Disney front has been happening, I've just been saving like crazy so that I can do a little bit of travelling while I'm in the states. Last weekend I went to Sydney for a motoebike expo I was working at, and was rather disappointed that I didn't get to meet any of the Sydney Disney kids! I was really hoping I would have some free time to meet them, but I was too busy working the whole time I was there!

And, I'm completely shattered that I've because I've been working so much lately I've been missing out on so many little catch ups that a few of us do every Wednesday. But last week, I finally had my Wednesday night free (YAY!) and met Liz, Lauren, Amy and Jess at Fountain Gate to see the new twilight movie! And Friday night (last night) we had dinner at a restaurant called La Camera at Southgate, which was supposed to be one of our big 'Melbourne Meet Ups' but so many people couldn't come so it ended up being only 6 of us there (Liz, Lauren, Suzanne, Me, and two newbies, Clare and Allan) and after dinner we went to the Lindt Chocolate Cafe for hot chocolates! yummmo!

So as I said, not much has been really happened in terms of Disney lately, all I have left to do is organise my insurance (which I'm doing tomorrow) I will probably be going with itreck, who will cover me for 13months (which will cover me if i decide to stay in the states for a little bit after my program finishes) for $925! Once my insurance is done I'm all sorted!

34 days to go!

abbiej xoxo