Day One Done And Done

Thank you so much for all the calls and texts today! It meant so much to me knowing that all my friends and family were thinking about me!

This morning started out with the alarm going off at 4:50, ouch! I was dressed and downstairs for free breakfast by 6:30 A.M. The airline has a van that picks us up and drives us to the training center. I've spent two weeks studying hard core for today's test and was super nervous all day. I def thought I was going to throw up when I first arrived.

There are 16 of us in the training class, and we have two instructors. We started off our morning by introducing ourselves, then we ate donuts that the instructors brought in for us and visited. Then we filled out a bunch of paperwork, and went over some basic info (the layout of the various planes, guidelines, etc.). Then we had lunch, note to self, the cafeteria is actually two vending machines, bring lunch tomorrow. After lunch we took notes on various airlinish stuff, went over airline terminology, city codes, and military time. Then we got fitted for uniforms (black dresses and black skirts with red or white long sleeve button down). After that our instructors checked to make sure our suitcases, shoes, purse, and flashlight were within regulation. Then we took the test. I was WAY nervous, but I was actually very prepared and felt pretty confident while taking it. We were all instructed to place our tests in a basket in the front of the room when we completed it and then wait in the cafeteria until they had graded all of the test. Nerve racking fo sho! After about 10 minutes our instructors brought us back into the classroom, I flipped over my test and I got a 100%! I was beyond excited!!!!!

The only bad news of the day was that I found out I have class on Saturday, which means no half marathon :( I'm pretty bummed about it, but am reminded of a classic Gaily story... God instructs a man to move a huge boulder. The man pushes and pushes, and tries and tries, but in the end he is unable to move the rock. The man reports back and says God, you knew I wouldn't be able to move the rock, why did you ask me to do that? God replies, "I knew you would never be able to move the boulder, but I knew that the process of trying would make you stronger." So much like the man, who in the end was unable to move the rock, I feel like the process of training has made me way stronger, not only physically, but mentally as well. I'm proud of myself for training, and know that had I ran the race I would have been able to do it successfully.... It's about the journey, not the destination anyways.

My hotel is nice. I have a big room, and the bed is amazingly comfortable! I have a roommate who is from California. We actually ended up spending the evening helping each other study, which was really nice!

This week I have class Wednesday, Thursday, Thursday night into Friday morning (we're going to the airport to do stuff on the plane) Friday I am off, Saturday we have class, and Sunday we are off. Next weekend we won't have class, but we will all be flying somewhere individually to observe. Very excited about that!

I have about 3 hours of homework tonight, so gotta get hoppin on that. I love you all, and thanks again for the words of encouragement!!!!!

I'll Be Home For Christmas

Welcome to my first Christmas flying solo! It's actually not been nearly as tough as I thought it would be. I've been trying to do Christmasy things this whole week to get myself in the Christmas spirit, despite the lack of snow and family. One of the coolest things I did this week was going to the Candlelight Processional at Epcot with my friend Alex. There was a huge choir there they was composed of professional singers, cast members, and local high school students. The celebrity guest the night I went was Brad Garrett (the brother from Everybody Loves Raymond). He read the Christmas story, and did an awesome job! He was very funny too! Besides freezing my bum off, it was a very cool event and I hope to able to do it again next year! I also made homemade sugar cookies this week, a Schutz Family Christmas Staple YUM!

Last night for Christmas eve, nine of my friends came over and we had a candlelight lasagna dinner. This is also a Schutz Family tradition. I'm was pretty proud of myself for the whole meal turning out well. Look at me turning into Gail, one meal at a time. It was way fun having everyone over for the meal, and in a weird way eating lasagna on Christmas Eve made something that was so abnormal (me being away from my family on Christmas) feel a little bit more normal.

My friends and family have spoiled me soooo much this Christmas season. When my parents came down in November they very graciously bought me a new computer as my Christmas present, which was more than enough! Then this week, my mom and dad emailed me to tell me not to argue with them, but they wanted me to go to Epcot's Norway pavilion and get a new jacket and perfume. I guess my ogling over these items was a little too apparent during their visit. Throughout the past week I've received Christmas candy from my second Mama, Jackie Lam, lotion and lip balm from Stacy and the little girls, and Christmas presents from my parents, Genny, and Eric. Btw, it just seems that all is well in the world when your eating a Jackie Lam Peanut Butter Ball. So flipping good!

So with all the extra money my roommates and I have, we decided to go all out on decorating our apartment. And by all out I do mean we cut out paper snowflakes from paper we had borrowed from the recycling at work, put up garland one of the girl's mom had sent, and used green wrapping paper to cut out a Christmas tree that we hung on the wall. It's been fun to have all of our Christmas presents stacked under our pathetic little Christmas tree. On the bright side, no one has complained of stepping on pine needles....

This morning I went to work, and we were SUPER busy! I just wanted to scream at these people, "WHY ARE YOU HERE?!?!" The Magic Kingdom reached full capacity by noon and therefore no one else was let in the park. I bet it was really fun to be inside the park when it was at full capacity!

Thanks to Skype I was able to have Christmas this afternoon with my family and Eric. All I can say is being good all year really paid off! I received horseradish (odd, unless you really know me), running clothes, an awesome running watch, bodyglide (again, I actually am really excited about this), a backpack, an ice cream maker (YES!!!!), pajamas (yes, all my sisters did in fact get a matching set), an awesome running watch complete with GPS, and a Kindle! Once again, way too much! I'm beyond grateful to be so loved!

Weird to think that this may very well be the last blog I write as a Walt Disney World Intern! January 1st is my last day of working. Don't worry though, until then I'll be working EVERYDAY starting at 7:30 or earlier! January 3rd I will be moving out of my current apartment and heading down to Ft. Lauderdale. I've been studying my city codes as well as airline definitions. I'm eager to hear back about the specifies of flight training. I've heard the training schedule really varies, so I'm praying there won't be class on January 8th, as that is the day of my half marathon. I'd be pretty devastated if I'm unable to run in it. Not only did I spend over 100 fat ones on the entry fee, but it's something I've been training really hard for (ok, maybe not really hard) and I REALLY want to run in it. Either way, the training has been a great experience!

Merry Christmas everyone! My love to you all!

Peanuts Anyone?

-So I don't have much of a clever prelude to this blog, because I'm so flipping excited! As of today I am officially as a flight attendant. On Monday I had my second interview with the company. This was done in a group format, where there were eight of us in a room with three recruiters interviewing us. We each had to read an announcement in front of the group and answer several questions. As I was driving home I got a call from one of the recruiters who congratulated me and invited me back for an interview today. Although I was dreading doing the drive again, (3 and 1/2 hours each way) I was way excited to be asked back. So today I started off my morning at 5:00 A.M. This time the interview was held at the corporate headquarters. Side note, I had to double check the signage once I arrived because it looked like I had pulled into a BMW dealership, rather than a parking lot! I was expecting this interview to be very in depth, but it was way relaxed. I met with the director of in flight services, who was young and very bubbly, and it felt more like a conversation than an interview. At the end of our time together, she said, "Well Kelsey, I can tell your passionate about this field and I think you'll make a great addition to our team. Congratulations." I, of course was freaking out, but was able to stay composed long enough to thank her. I then had to fill out my I9 and other paperwork, which felt way adult like. January 4th I start my flight training in Ft. Lauderdale, which I've heard from lots of people is very intense. This works out crazy amazing because my Disney internship ends January 3rd! Couldn't have planned it better if I tried. The company will be paying for my hotel for the first month, and then I will need to find a place in Ft. Lauderdale. I am elated!

-So that's my big big news. Since I wrote last, I went to Universal Studios with my guy friends. It was very cool! I loved all of the coasters. The Harry Potter World was neat too, but since I've never seen any of the movies or read any of the books, I wasn't super stoked about it. None the less, it was an awesome day!

-The Zanolla family, who I used to babysit for, was at Disney World last week and it was so fun to hang out with them! I offered to take the boys for an evening so that David and Leah could have a little time to themselves, and I have no idea why, but they eagerly accepted my offer ;) These kids are hands down some of the cutest kids I've ever met. Jacob, who is five (as of today actually), NEVER meets a stranger. The place we ate dinner at was packed with people and there were literally no open tables for us to eat on. I saw an older looking couple sitting down at a table that had two open seats. I approached them and asked if the boys and I could sit down, promising not to disturb them. They agreed, and as soon as we sat down Jacob started in with, "This is Kelsey. She used to be our babysitter and now she's just our friend." The couple obviously thought he was cute and chatted back and forth with him for awhile. Then without them asking any questions he says, with peanut butter and jelly on the side of his face, "My mom and dad are out to dinner for their anniversary. They were married the day before I was born!" The southern bell's mouth opened and all she could get out was, "Oh my!" I had a good laugh, before I reminded him that they were married FOUR YEARS and one day before he was born. Ahhh there's never a dull moment with the Zanolla boys!

-I really miss my piano.
-It doesn't feel very Christmas ish without snow.
-I love that I'm still so close with all of my friends from different stages of my life. Whether it's a random text, Drea leaving a voicemail of her singing Back That Ass Up, Evan leaving comments to let me know she reads my blog, Allison sending me cards and letters, Eric skyping with me, Landre keeping in touch after all these years, Heather dedicating her status to me, Kristen answering her phone at all hours of the night just so I can vent, and all the other things that those of you I love so much do....it all just makes me soooo thankful for having friends that make me feel so loved!

Plethora of Information

Thanksgiving was a success! I would give the overall meal about a B+. I did pretty well on all the food, but it was no Gail Schutz Thanksgiving. Regardless of the quality of the food, we all had a great time together!

I got a call back from the airline I interviewed with, and they called me back for a second interview. YAY!!! I head down to Ft. Lauderdale on December 13th for an individual interview with the recruiters. I'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself, but I'm really excited about this possibility. On the other end of the job spectrum, I didn't get the professional internship I applied for with Walt Disney World. It would have been nice to have that as an option, but I wasn't exactly crushed that I didn't get the position. The professional internships are very competitive and I really didn't go out of my way to meet with managers and executives within the company. So that's where I'm in the job front. In exactly one month from today I'm jobless and homeless. On the bright side, I do have a car with a recline able front seat!

Since I have moved to Florida I've become a treadmill running wimp! When I started training it was WAY too hot outside for this girl, so I started running on the treadmill. Then once it finally got nice outside I realized I had left my running watch at home in Illinois. It just became easier to track my time and millage on the treadmill, so that's where I've been running. This week the gym at my apartment complex has been closed, so I've been forced to run outside. Now, I used to love running outside. In Macomb I had my perfect little 5 mile path I ran on, where I hardly ever had to cross a busy street. Mostly because there are none in Macomb. Running in Orlando more so resembles a game of frogger, than a nice quiet evening jog. It really does scare me running outside here. I seriously almost got hit by a car like five times today. Not cool people, not cool.

Last night my friends and I went to a dinner theater show called the Hoop De Do Review. It was pretty much Branson, Missouri jammed into two hours. It was a little hokie, but I had a blast. We sat on wooden bar stools and were served all you could eat cornbread, cowboy beans, pork ribs, fried chicked, smashed potatoes, salad, and strawberry shortcake. YUM! While we ate there was a little comedy show, very Laurence Welk like. Anyways, it was a lot of fun and a good value for 30 bucks!

Hope everyone is staying warm in the Midwest. It's been in the low 60's in Florida this week...that's cold enough for me!

"If you want your life to be a magnificent story, then begin by realizing that you are the author and everyday you have the opportunity to write a new page."
- Mark Houlahan -

Happy Spanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying being with their families right now. I'm just sitting in my apartment all alone, thinking about better times....ok maybe being slightly dramatic here. My first big holiday without my family is actually not going so bad. This past Sunday a lady I work with invited all of us interns over to her house and cooked us a HUGE Thanksgiving meal. It was so nice to just be in an actual home, not a craptastic apartment. The food was amazing too, I was definitely stuffed by the time I left! Tomorrow I am working in the morning :( So, no Macy's Day Parade watching for this girl, nor the dog show for that matter. I do have plans to skype with my family during the afternoon, which I'm pretty excited about. Tomorrow night my friends and I are making Thanksgiving. We have several friends from Australia who have never celebrated the holiday before (obviously Australia doesn't celebrate the whole pilgrims meet the Indians shin dig). I feel like I should make it really special for them, like buy them all a Baby's First Thanksgiving ornament or something. The thought of cooking a whole turkey really intimidated me. I was planning on making one until I heard a rumor that there is a bag full of guts inside the bird that has to be pulled out. Ehhhh no thanks. So I settled for a turkey loin. Not sure what it is or how it will turn out! I've got a package of deli meet, just in case!

This year I am very thankful for all of my new friends who honestly feel more like family than friends. I'm also very thankful for the amazing memories I have of past thanksgivings...

-waking up to the combined smell of pinesol and turkey
-doing a half ass job of cleaning the living room, while mostly just watching the parade on tv
-Grandma Strang walking into our house and greeting me with her enthusiastic "Well hi love!"
-Grandma Schutz's cherry pie and ice cream cake
-using the blue plastic cups to make homemade rolls with my mom and sister at midnight
-Lindsey Fletcher and I Salsa dancing in the dining room at Grandma Strang's house
-Uncle Paul shelling all of my shrimp cocktail for me
-and last, but not least it wouldn't be a Thanksgiving without dad squeezing into his Mizzou intramural basketball uniform for the annual Kenny Schutz vs Bob Schutz Thanksgiving Football Game

In other news, the parks have been crazy this week! Apparently everyone and their dog thinks it would be a fantastic time to drag their arse to Walt Disney World, and every guest seems to be equally shocked to discover that, yes, Thanksgiving week is a busy time at the parks! I yi yi

Today I had a job interview in Ft. Lauderdale for a flight attendant position with an airline. I think it actually went well! In the next two weeks I will hear back from them either way, so keep your fingers crossed.

I love you all!!!!


May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
~Author Unknown

What Do We Have For Her Johnny....

A NEW COMPUTER!

So Wednesday I picked my parents up from the airport. Moment number 810 where I feel like out of no where I realize I'm an adult. It was so fun to get go into the airport and see them! After I picked them up, we went out for lunch at a really elegant restaurant named Fuddruckers, home of the one pound burger! While we were eating my dad does his lil I'm-trying-to-be-nonchalant-but-I-have-a-trick-up-my-sleeve grin, and he says, "So would we maybe have time to go shopping this afternoon?" "Shopping for what," I ask. "Oh I don't know maybe some groceries for the week, sunscreen, and don't you need a new computer?" Heck ya I do! So I got a lil early Christmas present from the rents. It was very unexpected and I'm VERY appreciative. The new pc is complete with a web cam, so I'm now on Skype! Side note, if you think skyping will force me to shower more and in general look more presentable on a day to day basis... you're wrong.

The week with my parents was great! It was so fun to get to show them all of Disney, and my life here. We did all four parks, The Boardwalk, and Downtown Disney. I was also working while they were here, and was worried they would be bored without their hostess. So on one of the days I had to work starting at 7:30 A.M. I called at about 11:30 A.M. to check on them, and make sure they weren't too bored.... and I woke them up! So needless to say I think they returned to Illinois well rested!

I dropped them off at the airport Monday night. Goodbyes are never fun, and it was definitely a teary event on all three accounts. We had an awesome time together though, and we're all only a plane ride away!

Last night I ran the highest millage thus far in my training. It took me 80 long minutes, but I ran eight miles! Holy Chafing, and I will leave it at that!

Last week four of my friends and I went apartment shopping. It only caused me to have a minor panic attack, no big deal. I'm still waiting to hear back about a couple of different job possibilities, but as of right now I am homeless and jobless on January 4th. I figure I have two choices. I can freak out about this, be totally obsessed with coming up with a life plan, and possibly miss out on a lot of fun opportunities these last two months of my internship. Or I can be grateful that I have so much freedom in my life right now, fully enjoy the time I do have left here, and know that something will come along. I think the later sounds like more fun! Now, in no way shape or form am I being lazy about the job search, I'm actually being quite proactive. I just feel like there are boundless opportunities out there and that life is such an adventure! I'm still very young, and just want to keep living life in a big way! So on that note, I'm just about open to any job that does not go hard core against my moral or ethical beliefs. So, if you all hear of any sort of job opening that sounds bizarre and exciting, think of Kelsey!

“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise.” -Robert Fritz

I Vacation More Than I Work

The cruise was AWESOME! My roommate's passport did arrive on time, and thankfully she was able to make it onto the ship before the final boarding call was made. We cruised to Freeport, Nassau, and then to Norwegian Cruise Line's private island. Nassau was probably my favorite stop, although they were all gorgeous. There were 21 people in our entire group, and surprisingly enough, there was very little drama during the trip. There seemed to be basically three different groups of people on the cruise: old people, couples, and us. To say we were slightly obnoxious would probably be an understatement. Although for the most part I think people viewed us as free entertainment. I dazzled the crowd by combining both my tap dancing and cheer leading skills on the dance floor. Be proud mom, be proud. Also if anybody has recently lost weight, I think I found it for you on the cruise. All you can eat buffets do not exactly encourage one to practice self control. So to sum up the cruise experience, I'm tanner, heavier, poorer, and had a flipping blast!

Right now at Epcot the Food and Wine Festival is going on. During this time they also have a concert series going on called Eat To The Beat. Basically they bring in one hit wonders every night and they preform. Last night Boys II Men was the group singing, so my friends and I decided that in our usual go big or go home fashion that we would wait in line for two hours so that we could sit front row! It was very warm waiting in line, and yes, we did all have sweat stains on our shirts, but we got our front row seats and it was worth the wait. Right behind our seats was the reserved section for Boys II Men's family. It was neat that they sat right behind us, but it kinda took away from the experience having one of the group members' 15 year old daughter sitting behind me while he sang I'll Make Love To You. Awkward.

In exactly two months from yesterday my internship with Disney will be over. It's crazy to think that I've already been here for five months! Last year I was really stressed out about what I was going to do post graduation, and coming to Disney was kind of something random I did on a whim. I have absolutely no regrets about my decision to move down here. Even if I don't stay with Disney, it has opened up doors to tons of opportunities I otherwise would have missed out on. I still have no new news on the job front, but honestly I'm not stressed out. Something will come along, and things will just work out. They always do! January is approaching quickly and the closer I get to that month makes me lean more towards staying down here in Florida for awhile longer. Several of my friends are staying down here, so I'd still have my friends. I really love the weather down here, and the thought of moving back to Illinois during winter makes me cold just thinking about it. This isn't a concrete decision, but I'm about 80% sure that I'm going to stay down here....for awhile anyways.

I could really go for some catfish fritters from the Barefoot right about now. Feel free to ship them to yours truly, if that's even possible....

Whirl Peas!!!!