Sink or Swim :: The last two months

For the last two months I've been stressed with managing my life. From school and work, to my personal life and family I keep coming closer and closer to the conclusion that there's simply not enough time in each day to get to where I need to be.

After three years of serving at TGI Fridays both full time and on a seasonal basis due to my leave of absence for the internships I held with Disney, I felt that I out grew the environment that helped be develop my serving skills for the last few years and it was time to move on to a new if not better fit for me to continue learning and growing my resume over time. While struggling to maintain my new serving position at White Chocolate and maintaining my serving position at fridays and seasonal down at Disney I found myself more and more limited on time for my personal  life, school and my family... due to my poor planning I unfortunately had to miss my Mom and nieces birthday (although I made my mom an awesome cake, and niece her own personal Olaf )

It's impossible to maintain more than two jobs and school without sacrificing another essential part of your life. I wasn't happy, I was fatigue and always tired and not serving to my potential. So after finishing my training and feeling comfortable enough to take the leap and dive in, I placed my respectful two week notice in at Fridays and was ready to continue my new position at White Chocolate full time.

As if one challenge wasn't hard enough, that's when things started to get interesting. Barely surviving the transition of jobs and maintaining school, I had to report an identity theft for 600$ in my name for fraudulent activity on an online tire store and I receive my first statement from my student loans letting me know to start making payments on them as soon as possible when I was under the impression that because I was in school I was be differed the payments and accruing interest. I missed the fine print that it excluded less than part time students as I only have one class to meet the transfer requirements into Illinois State Universities School of Business program. So as a "strategy" my dad would put it (I say cheating the system), I applied for some credit cards.... not to go on a shopping spree but to do a balance transfer. By me transferring more than half of my student loan into this account I was able to eliminiate the interest accruing with a catch. After 18 month period of no interest, it rises from the original 3.5 % to a 13.99%.

With a new well paying job, budget plan I developed for the next 7 month period, I would not only be able to pay off the total amount on the student loan, but also attend EDC Las Vegas, Electric Forest, and Tomorrowworld and receive Two free round trip flights through southwest between the two cards I applied for. Developing a credit line over the last three years has allowed me to manage my life better and its finally coming together. With a nice credit line, school and my new job here, I'm so happy to see myself making huge progress with everything!1 ^_^

Allowing myself more time now to manage the areas of my life that fell short, I'm now full on track for school this spring. After graduating from Triton College this May with an Associates in Science,  I will be making my way to Illinois State Universities School of Business, pursuing a Marketing degree as I've just received my ACCEPTANCE LETTER :' )

and the cherry on top of this hard working last two months ? I almost have 1000$ saved up to invest into a secure mutual fund AND I only need 14.08 hours to maintain my seasonal status for Walt Disney World  until July AND my old friend Keith from the Disney EDM family was able to see me after missing a flight in Chicago to New Orleans :)))))

"Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life" 

2014 is MY YEAR!

 

Coke rant

over the last few days I've been stumbling upon many hateful posts online regarding this past Sundays coke ad during the super bowl and after seeing this video I applaud the news anchor for standing up and speaking up for all the misinformed people who spoke hateful words.

"the quote on the statue of liberty doesn't say give me your English speaking only, christian believing, heterosexual masses. it says give me your tired, your poor, your huttled masses, tempos tossed."

people need to truly think before speaking their mind before they not only hurt another person, but turn them self into a racial bigot. open your mind to love, unity and respect, don't close it with hateful remarks and actions.

have a great day everyone ^_^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHFp3xM2WcA

Snow in the south

ok now that I'm taking a break from school, and training for my new job, I had a second to get caught up with the world and come to find out a couple things. It snowed in the South ok I get that. just for the record I'm from Chicago up North.

All jokes aside about how the south is wimps for not handling 4 inches of snow, lets take a second to acknowledge some facts. people have died from this short lived "snow fall" where States in the south have been paralyzed from this event. Where some drivers have been reportedly stuck on the roads for more than 24 hours due to being un prepared where it was believed for the most part they didn't need to be prepared for this where States such as Alabama, where the past 30 January's, the past 30 years has not snowed 21 one of those times and out of those years effected it only reached over 1 inch, 4 of those times. where than lack of budget invested in snow plows and salt resulted in inexperienced drivers with ice, sleet, and snow and TONS of accidents on side roads, highways, throughways, and freeways resulted in a halt across the south, but silver lining to this whole ordeal, this optimism or light at the end of the tunnel is how stores reopened themselves where they could to provide warmth and shelter for those stuck out in accidents and traffic jams, and those who worked the longer hours at the hospitals with many reported injuries and deaths.

Think twice before you say something online people of the north, because I for one have tons of loved ones who live down there and I care about them a lot.

have a great day everyone and stay safe ^_^

White Chocolate

I have a tendency to become comfortable in certain environments (mainly work) where your content with something your familiar with and I feel like a lot of people are like that. We become passive and desire less when we reach a certain goal, in which case for me is a job.

I've been going through the phases of waking up, going to work, serving and selling myself short because.....why?

It's convenient, its close, I'm still happy with the money, I enjoy the people I work with -for the most part ;) -

But with the New Year here, its time for change. I'm one class away from receiving my Associates in Science and meeting the transfer guidelines to Illinois State Universities Marketing program!!! So with new opportunities around the corner I decided its time to move forward, get ready for the next chapter of my life and save.my.money. for school, for my future plans, and for me.

Without further a due, say hello to White Chocolates newest member of the serving team :D

Holding two jobs (not including my 3rd one at Disney) will be challenging on top of going to school part time to get that degree, but I'm motivated.... and I'm happy.

That's all that matters :) 

Happy Saturday everyone!

Frozen Tour Guide

After making the journey back in one take or roughly 17 hours, I found that my butt was numb from sitting for so long, and it was extremely cold, but I was happy. I was happy to be home safe and ready to start getting on track with everything I want to accomplish this year!

So After cleaning out my room and finding old letters from Mom, flight tickets to when I traveled to Spain and Paris, and even the practice questions to prepare for my interview for the Disney College Program, I went on a Photo Adventure.

Not just any adventure, but one with some recent graduates of the Disney College Program :3
Playing tour guide with my peeps from Australia, New Zealand, and the UK we went and got Chicago style Hot Dogs from Gene and Judes, Italian Beefs at Johnnies and finally a Chocolate Cake Shake at Portillos only to freeze off the calories over the Chicago skyline at North avenue Beach :)

Here's a few from the last couple days!

 

 

Pessimist vs Optimist

After living here for almost a month it's almost time for me to leave... not for good, but to continue my second life back home where School is becoming a dream to go back to and finish while serving tables and spending time with my family at home.

My time here over the last month showed me people who are very open and closed minded to life. where almost 8 months has gone by and nothing has changed, in yet so much has changed. Some people are naturally optimistic and others are sometimes by choice. On the flip side some people are naturally pessimistic and others by choice.

I could've been a "debby downer" and talked about how I was upset that I got sick for one week out of the month I was here and didn't work. How I didn't get the shifts I wanted through out my time here, how I hate being seasonal with the rolling calendar guidelines I have to deal with. How some of my friendships have dwindled down to barely a hello when I see them at work after being a lot closer months ago. How drama consumes all of entertainment from the "he said, she said" to the misleading double standards depending on the MOD or the park I'm working at for the day. How I have to leave in a couple days to go back to school and drive 1100 miles And lets not talk about the air mattress I have to sleep on.

But instead I choose to be optimistic, I choose to look for the good in a situation, in a person, in life. So instead I choose to think about all the adventures I went on with my new friends and old friends, How I got to work at Walt Disney World again with my favorite Characters both old and new. How I got to work my first Disney race with the half marathon and didn't care about working from 1:45am to 11 in the morning. How goofy received his first gift at the circus from a little girl that was in fact a Goofini penny (SO COOL). How I received 3 fanatic cards in the last two days from both families in the parks and fellow cast members I had the privilege to work with. How I was fortunate enough to partake in one of the last Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade down Main Street. How I have a bed to rest on every night because of awesome friends willing to take me in. How I get to travel with my amazing car (not the lambo but my little hyundai for clarification) back north and go on another adventure. How I'm finishing school by choice and pursuing a foggy dream that isn't clear yet, but ultimately has a pinnacle.

To be happy, because that's what life's all about, being happy! 

Don't let the negative people and thoughts consume your life because

"The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it"- J.M. Barrie -

Challenge yourself to do more. 

Have a great day everyone  and here's some photos from the last couple days :)