*DISCLAIMER*….I took not one note this whole trip. Not.A.One. I am going totally by memory and let’s hope it stays fairly sharp!
Day One/Part One
Ahh, travel day. In general, I really do not enjoy this day. First off, flying is definitely on the bottom of my list of favorite activities. I mean, I am not at the point of self medicating but I could think of a hundred other things I would rather do than fly. However, since it is the quickest way to get to my destination, I can tolerate it.
This day, well, was definitely different. I have to back track a bit here. I am sure many of you picked up my anxiety vibe before this trip. In fact, I was seriously nearing a really high level of anxiety about this whole celebration.
It was funny, I wasn’t worried about the guests or the family, I was pretty confident WDW would wow everyone. It was my MS, I was petrified it would show up as a very uninvited guest! At some point, I think I just accepted the fact that there was nothing I could really do to prevent it and I would just deal with it if it made an appearance. So, that morning, I woke up with the most amazing sense of calm I have ever had before leaving on a trip. I was very pleased and just tried to enjoy this new sense of peace!
The ride to the airport and flight were uneventful and smooth. The kids listened to their I-pods and I sat down to finally try and write my speech. I had been putting this off for weeks but I sort of had a working idea of the sentiment I wanted to convey. Well, I sat with pen and paper and fiercely scribbled down what I could. I must have looked hysterical to those around me because as I was writing and refining and practicing, I was bawling and sniveling away.
Finally, I put everything away and managed to compose myself….I was glad I had not yet put any makeup/mascara on or else I probably would have scared the poor kids around me!
Once at MCO, Paul ran ahead to get the rental truck and we met up with my parents and in-laws…convenient we all were landing within a few minutes of each other. Hugs and kisses were exchanged all around
as we made our way to our vehicle, a Dodge Durango. It was a seamless ride and within a half hour we were making our way into the bubble!
We landed at 11:20 and were pulling up to the GF at 12:30; what could be better than that? Since we were part of conventions, we were met at the curbside by two CMs. One brought my parents and in-laws to their rooms in Boca Chica. The other led our family, upstairs, into the main building, which was a great surprise! We had a beautiful room with castle view and, if you looked to the left, a view of the monorail.
We were starving so we headed down to Gasparilla’s and met up with the rest fo the family to enjoy lunch at the marina. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm but not at all hot. We were pleasantly surprised by the offerings at Gasparilla’s; the food was quite tasty and the quality was good. A few of us had a jerk chicken wrap with cucumber salad and it was very filling and refreshing. Izzy, was enjoying her first of many Uncrustables….it was so great that she could eat peanut butter, finally. Andrew enjoyed a chicken sandwich and Paul chose a taboulleh wrap with cole slaw.
Afterwards, Andrew and Izzy gave our family a bit of a tour around the grounds and the pool areas. The grandparents then took Izzy for a swim while the boys and I headed to meet up with our planner and rabbi for a brief walk through.
Up Next….an unofficial backstage tour….