This is my last hoorah until next fall. Next semester, I have decided to participate in the Disney College Program at Disney World in Orlando, Fla. I will be working in the food and beverage services, taking classes at Disney and living there from January to May. I decided to apply when I heard about it just to see if I could get it. My thought process was, if I don’t get it, oh well; and if I do, I’ll decline and apply later since I’m only a freshman.
When I got my acceptance letter, the thought process completely changed. Sitting in my hands was a chance to embark on a tremendous experience. But I felt like I had just arrived at college. I’m not supposed to leave yet, right?
Wrong. What am I waiting for? There is no better time than right now. College only lasts for so long (for some, longer than others). After graduation comes a job or graduate school and before you know it, a new chapter begins. But right now, make the best of this chapter. Fill every page with an experience, good or bad. Who wants to flip back and reread boring pages? I know I certainly don’t.
I held the letter and pondered some more. There is a possibility that I could absolutely hate every second of it and wish I were at State. But also, there is a possibility I could make friends from all around the world, love working in one of the most desired places in the world and learn more about my aspirations and myself.
Either way, it is an experience.
A few summers ago, I did a backpacking trip in Colorado for two weeks. No showers, crappy food, hiking with a 60-pound pack all day and being with the same people constantly. Needless to say, I was counting down the days until I could take a hot shower, eat good food and have some alone time. But not a day goes by where I don’t think about that trip.
Whenever I forget my cell phone or my iPod dies, I know I don’t need those things. I learned I actually don’t need a lot of things I thought I did. But I would most likely not have realized this if I didn’t go through that experience.
The bottom line is there is no room for waiting. The right time is now. We are young and have so many opportunities available to us through school. If you have been dreaming about study abroad, start the process now. Start researching and planning when and where, why and how. If money is the issue, start working. If time is the issue, start planning. Make it happen.
And opportunities don’t have to be as big as going to Disney World for a semester or doing service in the Dominican Republic for a few weeks. It could be joining a club that you have wanted to be a part of or going to a football game for the first time.
To sum everything up, in the words of Walt Disney, “All of your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.”