DCP- Fall 2012

I have 12 days until I leave. I cannot believe how time flew. When I was accepted March 5th it was around 172+ days. I couldn’t wait that long at the time, but now only 12 days left.

I haven’t packed, but I have a suitcase piled with things I think i’ll forget. I have all my electronic chargers and other small things set aside. I decided on not bringing a comforter, since it’ll be too much to pack into my 2 suit cases and carry-on. I’ll be bringing a large fleece blanket since it takes up less space.

I need to find time to say by to my family and friends, but I need to work at the same time. As of now, this week I am off Monday/Thursday and working every day until Sunday…then I will have Mon/Tues/Wed as my last days of work, Thursday to pack and then leaving around 6am the 17th to Philly airport to head to West Palm Beach for two days, then driving with my roommate the 19th to Orlando to our hotel across from Vista, then check-in on the 20th!

I will have checked into Disney, partially moved into my apartment for the next 5 months and have met my 5 roommate (if we all get to stay together).

I can’t believe time has gone by so quickly. It feels like just yesterday I got my congrats email sitting in the Disney presentation at my school, and promptly freaking out to my friends who were there.

I started packing today..and boy am I in for it. I’m so stressed just looking at clothes and my suitcases. I don’t know if i’m packing too much, too little…do I need this, do I not need this? Is two suitcases too much? 

I’m definitely over-thinking this. I feel more and more stressed as the countdown goes down, realized that I’m leaving my family and my boyfriend of 3 years. We had a long talk the other day about me leaving, and it definitely made me happier and more relaxed about going. We are going to Skype as much as we can given our work schedules, and hopefully he can visit me at least once.

So much to do, and only a month left in PA! AH!

Down to 42 days before I leave for West Palm Beach to meet my roommate! I cannot wait! I remember when the countdown was at 178 or something, it wasn’t that but it was definitely somewhere around there.

Once its gets into the 20’s I’ll start packing up some more. I have some small things but not everything. I need to find a second large suitcase. I plan on taking two large and 1 small, but we’ll see what I end up taking after packing gets closer.

I can’t believe there’s only 42 days left. I get more and more nervous and scared the more I’m around my boyfriend, the more i’m around my family. I don’t know what this is going to do to me. It’s going to be really tough. 

I’ve will have been with my boyfriend for 3 years a week after check-in. I’m not going to like it. 

So I got a 2nd job to make up for the fact my other job wouldn’t give me a lot of hours. I was working at a hotel 2 days a week, and found a job at Plato’s Closet for the summer to make up for the rest. 

Worst job of my life. Never have I hated a manager so much in my life. She was beyond awful, she doesn’t care if you have a life at home. 

I clocked in yesterday at 9:30am, and didn’t clock out until 8:40pm. For the job, I tagged clothes, put away clothes people tried on etc. Well, apparently you have to have it all done before leaving, but honestly, 12 hours at minimum wage was not worth it. 

It really is slave labor for what they were paying me. The fact I only got a 30 minute break for that amount of time is insane. I should have gotten a 2nd break. If the store closes at 6, I should have left at 8:40. I can’t imagine how much money she loses by the amount overtime you can get. By staying 3 hours after every 8 hour shift worked, it adds up.

Oh well, maybe its better I only have one job, and Ill just put myself on call and take anyone’s shift possible. It’s just really frustrating that this is how she runs her business. I can’t imagine how her daughters feel about it as she slaves them as well. 

At least with Disney, even at minimum wage, I know i’ll have fun. I’ll have over 4,000 co-workers in the program and I think that’s much better. I know I won’t be working hours like that without more breaks, if not its whatever, I’ll still have more fun then the wackjob I was working for.

I booked my flight the first week of May when flights were cheap. I picked a flight based on the price and layover time. I decided on Philly to Newark, then Newark to West Palm Beach, where my roommate lives. Now, the layover allowed me to only pay $14 out of pocket after a voucher I used, and a 2 hour or so layover in Newark. I chose it so in case my flight from Philly was delayed (which can happen often) I would have time to run to the next gate. I got an email a few weeks ago stating they changed my itinerary to a 4 hour layover in Newark….a tad ridiculous if you ask me. So I promptly emailed them the next day inquiring about changing to a non-stop flight due to the long layover and terrible service using this airline (I only keep using it because of vouchers). So, United emails me back this afternoon offering a complimentary non-stop from Newark, which didn’t make sense as my original start airport is Philly. I ask for Philly, and she states they don’t offer non-stop service from Philly to West Palm Beach. I go on the website, and what do I see? Three non-stop flights from Philly to West Palm Beach for the day I am traveling, and then she stopped responding after mentioning that.

Whether I get a voucher or not from this airline again, I will not fly with them. Do they really think i’m dumb where I won’t find a flight with a website at my fingertips? I think they were trying for Newark non-stop so they wouldn’t lose money by changing from layover to non-stop, but its only a $25 difference!

Aside from that, the hotel I have worked at since the start of last summer, hired too many people before I came back from school. Even though I have seniority, and not to mention a degree in that field, he’s only able to give me two days a week, but give the people in HS and college full weeks? Boggles my mind.

So due to that, I went in search of another job to fulfill the hours i’m missing. Most places won’t hire for two months, but I found one! I randomly heard on the radio about Plato’s Closet locations in my area, and said hey why not? I went to apply and the manager approached me while I was filling it out, asked to interview me the next day followed by a short trial of putting clothing outfits together for end caps, and I did awesome and was hired on the spot! She was a little apprehensive about me being there only 2 months, but with a degree on my belt and a great personality so she says, she wants to make me a keyholder and do a quick week of training! How awesome will that look on my resume?!

Countdown is down to 61 until I leave for West Palm Beach, meeting my roommate, and starting this awesome journey!

Welp, it’s the 70 day mark. I am beyond excited. I only have one worry, and that’s leaving my boyfriend of what will be by the time I leave, a 3 year relationship.

We’re obviously staying together throughout my time away, but i’m beginning to realize how much it’s going to suck. I’m going to be working tons of hours (hopefully) and he could have a job by then, meaning skyping will be extremely limited. Honestly, even once a week would be fine, and then phone calls/texting in between those skype calls. 

I really hope my decision to do the program doesn’t hinder our relationship, as it’s been not horrible, but slightly rocky the past few months. That could have also been because I was borderline failing a class and was taking a lot of the stress out on my family and my boyfriend. I was also having roommate problems, which I wasn’t until finals started, go figure. Nothing against those under 21, but this girl is 20, but acted as if she were better than everyone, acted as if she were a child..a very young one at that, and she also never took her own trash out, left things to rot and mold in the fridge. It was an experience to say the least. When your 24, going on 25, your moral and maturity is much higher than those younger (most of the time). 

I can’t wait to get down to Florida in 70 days. I’ll finally meet my suitemate and spend a few days at her home with her mom, who offered her house to me few days early so it would be a cheaper flight and easier trip. Well, it was going to be an easier trip, then my airline emailed me that my flight times we changed. Before I checked i was like hey, maybe its a shorter layover. Nope, longer. I was originally supposed to leave at 9:59am from Philly to Newark..now it’s 8:59am. I’m okay with that change. However, the layover in Newark went from 2h20min to 3h51min. Rediculous right? Newark airport is only 2 hours away by driving, an hour by train. The only reason i’m doing Philly is because no one would drive me to Newark, and the trains don’t have room to carry bags, and especially by myself. I plan on 2 large bags a carry on and a personal bag. 

Now the start of packing, if anyone wants to reply with a great packing list, please do. I’m never a good packer, except when I went to Florida last year, I managed a week in a carry-on. How I did that? I have no idea. I’m not a light packer. I also did a week in Italy on a carry-on, that was a bad idea being the souvenirs I was bringing home. I needed the extra room..and it was free bag check so it was a dumb move. I won’t be able to bring my TV via plane, so hopefully a roommate brings one. If not, we’ll split on one and then figure out who wants to take it home. Or I may have my dad ship it if its cheap enough. Back to packing..I think I’m going to go shopping for new clothes come August once my bank account goes back up. I’ve heard by word of Facebook that I don’t really need to bring a lot of clothes, but you never know. I’d feel more comfortable with 2 bags, if anything, 1 large bag (maybe duffle since they hold more) and 1 carry-on and a personal. We shall see.

I kind of wish I could bring my car, but financially, it’s much easier to just use the buses. Yes, I know they aren’t reliable, but I’m 100% about doing this internship correctly with no points. I will probably plan to be at work an hour early regardless of the time, so I know i’m not going to be late. I think it’ll save me a ton not driving, and if I need a car, my suitemates i’m sure will let me borrow (mainly to food shop).

I really hope to use this internship to it’s best. I plan on networking through other opportunities other than classes. I won’t be taking classes, as I just graduated. Yes, it could boost my resume, but I honestly don’t have the patience to sit through classes again. It took my 7 years, 3 too many, to graduate and I don’t want anymore. I’ll network other ways.

Til the next major countdown…peace love & pixie dust!

I have finally graduated! After 7 long and stressful years of changing majors, moving schools, I have finally graduated. My mom was so happy, she cried at both my graduation and convocation, it was really touching. It’s been a rough 7 years, as I don’t do well in classes, but this past year and a half I was gifted with a scholarship from my dad’s work for those still in college after people were let go. For an out of state school and the $35,000 plus a year school, I basically went for free. I could not have been more lucky.

Now that I have graduated, on to working all summer long. I will not be taking any days off unless needed for a doctor appointment or family emergency, so I can save up every bit to take down to Florida in August. I leave in 80 days to West Palm, then driving to Orlando that Sunday.

I have a container in my room where I’ll be throwing all my “may need in disney” items throughout the summer. Small things I may forget, or things I won’t need this summer, but will definitely need in Disney. I think in August i’ll make sure to re-vamp my wardrobe in fun sundresses, and a few sandals. 

Can’t wait! 

Just had my sorority senior bar crawl, and it was so much more than I expected! Who would have thought jumping in a fountain would be so much fun?! Can’t believe my time at UD is over, but it’s on to a new chapter in life..summer, then Disney for 5 months!