Cease and Desist All Complacency

Whoa. It's my first post of 2011! I was just sitting here thinking... around this time, four years ago, I started my life at Disney. Where am I today? Still in the exact same place doing pretty much the exact same thing. Kinda sad. Don't get me wrong. I still looove the job, I looove the people, and sometimes the guests aren't too bad either. I just never would've thought when I started my College Program four years ago that I would still be here to this very day. Makes ya think... what if I'd done things differently? I try not to dwell on it. I agree with most of my life decisions thus far. But, ya know, what if? What if I hadn't come down here on my program at all? Would I have finished school? One of the reasons I moved down here was because I realized school just wasn't for me at the time. Nah, I would've at least worked my program here. I simply cannot imagine what 2007 would've been like without Disney in my life. 2008 is where it all changes.

You see, after my program ended that January, I went back home because I was gonna go back and finish school. What did I accomplish that spring? My most successful endeavor was a lil bit of choreography I put together for The Studio, my former ballet studio. If that makes it sound like it was MY ballet studio, well, that's because IT WAS! Mwah ha ha! Naw, but I did choreograph a piece, and it was selected to be performed at the Southeastern Regional Ballet Association (SERBA) that year. Good times! Other than that, I spent spring of 2008 either sitting around watching movies or vacationing with the family. After 2 or 3 Disney vacations, I decided yet again to ditch school and move back down to Orlando. I did in June of 2008, and I've been living down here ever since.

Here's another "what if." What if I hadn't moved back down here? The plan was to continue my studies at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). I had already toured the area (LOOOVE Savannah), booked a room, and was trying to figure out how on earth to pay for the next 3-4 years of my life when I came to the decision that it just wasn't worth it. There was no way I could afford school, and I actually missed Disney too much, so what did I do? I did what I always do. I took the easy way out. And look where it's gotten me. Again, I'm not saying I regret my decision. What else was I supposed to do? What I regret is how long I've been so complacent going through the motions for the past... 2 1/2 years (It'll be 3 in June) of my life. That's what I plan to change in 2011.

I won't go into detail because that another blog entirely. Here's a list of things I plan to do this year:
1) Go to church. I have become so used to NOT going over the past few years that come Sunday morning, I just sleep in. This is NOT okay. I gotta stop making stupid excuses, wake myself up, and GO! Services start at 10. That isn't early. At all!
2) Go back to school. Even if it's a class a semester at a local community college, at least it would be something. I have to finish college at some point in my life. I turn 25 this year. I still have at least 3 years of college left. Mom was right. Young Ann and I WILL graduate college around the same time. Especially at this rate. (For those of you who do not know, Young Ann is almost 9 years younger than I am. If we graduate college at the same time, it would be epic but mostly pathetic.)
3) Be more active. Disney has once again decided that instead of giving me a full-time job, something I've been trying to get for 3 years now, they would rather say that I am "over-utilized." Guess what happens to "over-utilized" cast members. They become "capped." Capped is this nasty, evil limbo given to only the best part-time and seasonal cast members, and they are only allowed to work up to 24.9 hours a week. 24.9. How am I supposed to live off that? I mean, I do have my seasonal job at Universal, and I am trying to get yet another job, but still, this is simply and utterly ridiculous, and it's one of the reasons I'm debating how long I want to waste my life working at Disney. Seriously, that is how angry this whole "capped" thing makes me. Moving on...
... Oh, wait, be more active. Since I do have so much time for myself, I need to find some way to stay in shape. Perhaps I'll join a gym. I've always enjoyed taking aerobics classes. It's a fun way to work up a sweat and build stamina. I used to have grrrreat stamina back in middle school through 10th grade. Since 11th grade... not so much.
4) Get back into dance. This does tie-in to the whole "be more active" thing. One thing I want to do at some point in my whole Disney career is get into Staging with Entertainment. It's been a few years since I've even taken any form of dance, yet alone a simple ballet class. Part of me feels like I've lost the touch I used to have. In order to get into Staging one day, I feel I need juuuust a littttttle more experience. I mean, why on earth would Staging hire me over 7-ish years of dance, one (pretty awesome) 5-minute bit of choreography, and these past 4 years at Disney? Hey, maybe they will. Who knows?

So yeah, those are the main issues I want to deal with in 2011. First off though, I get to move. Yep, this whole month I've been saving whatever money I possibly could (grrr, Disney, grrrrrrr) in order to afford to move back in with one of my bestest friends I have here in Orlando. Sir Linus the chihua. Oh, and maybe Andie too. The search has been kinda stressful, but we have finally found a place! Yay! (Mom, I'll message you on Facebook with more info.) We'll be moving in at the end of the month.

Oh! And I do get to learn a new role here on property. Starting next Wednesday, I get to Move It, Shake It, and Celebrate It at Magic Kingdom with a silly ol' friend, Papa Bear! At first, I was not excited because, to be honest, I really don't like working at MK. (What? I don't. Sue me.) Overall, though, I'm excited to learn something different. Yay, variety! Now, if only Casting will train me in more over at Studios (grr, Disney, grrrrrrr).

Alright, I believe that is more than enough for now. I've been meaning to update this thing for a while now. Hopefully I'll remember to add another post before this month is over. Until then, tell momma I said "How y'all deeerin'," and every state north of Florida, try not to freeze, mmm'kay?