I feel so guilty it has been such a long time since I have updated my poor little Claireytale!
It's because the next post should have been 1st August, my big bro's wedding. It was such a great day and we did so much that I just kept putting it off and with it being my last weeks working at the Rose & Crown and having all my family out there, I just had no alone time whatsoever. Until now nearly 9 months later! I do love that I've been too busy to update this though, shows I've been out really living my life.
I have decided to just sum up in this post, as briefly as I can, the past 9 months without boring you! I will add a few pics too.
So following my brother's wedding I was spending all my time off in the parks getting all my family in and making the most of my CM perks. Then came my best friend Sophie and my last day at the Rose & Crown. We were SO sad! It was such an emotional day! After we finished we had a drink in the Rose & Crown as is tradition and the hat lady had made me a cake!!! So sweet of her. We then went to Magic Kingdom for our last Wishes.
2 days later on 16th Aug - 21st Simon and I went on a trip! We went to Baltimore, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Toronto and then the best bit Washington DC. We had such a great trip. Especially DC. Simon loves American History as much as I do so we spent hours looking around the monuments and museums!! Walked up to see Abe each night :).
When we got back to Florida, Mum Dad Simon and I all went to Kennedy Space Centre for the day and then a final day at Disney World. I then went to Celebration for an interview for the Disney Cruise Line!! I got it!!! Simon and I spent my last two nights in Florida staying at Disney's Polynesian Resort and eating in Ohana's - that really was something else!!!
Mum, dad and I all came home and the next day was my brother's wedding reception for everyone who couldnt come out to Florida for the wedding. I took the whole of September adapting to UK time again, catching up with all my school and uni friends and going through the long application process of Disney Cruise Line. What a fantastic year it was to represent the UK in America. I have never felt so happy, so healthy, I met the love of my life, I had an amazing job and I managed to save a lot of money. My family came out 3 times while i was there and we did so many new things. That year will be a hard one to beat!!!
In October I got a job working at the Disney Store in Liverpool!! Knowing Simon wouldn't be back to England til January I was glad I had a job in Liverpool so that I could have Christmas and New Year at home with Mum n Dad since it had been 2 years since I had done just that. And it was perfect, one of the best Christmases ever!!! Plus my bro and sis in law had big news ;).
Mum, Dad and I took a little over night trip to Portmeirion before our 2 night stay in the Lakes for New Year. I also was lucky enough to fly back to Florida for a week to see Simon and to see Disney all decorated for Christmas. It was an amazing trip, Simon really spoilt me! The Disney Store got me all excited about seeing Frozen and Saving Mr Banks so Mum, Dad and I went to see them - two of the best movies ever! Simon finished his Epcot contract in Jan and came to live in Liverpool with us for a while. On Jan 10th we all went to Center Parcs for the long weekend! One of my favourite trips ever and already dying to go back! Relaxation spa, cycling, archery, golf, table tennis, badminton, swimming, the list goes on! Such a fun adventure holiday! The Disney Store asked me and only one other person from the October hires to stay on but as I was hoping to start DCL soon I said I could only stay one more month. The Disney store was such a brilliant experience and I would love to go back one day, maybe go up the ladder there. But for now I had other dreams to live!
Simon's Cruise Line application was going quickly so we decided to ask to be on the same ship. This, however, meant that we had to wait a bit longer. After we got our visas and everything was sorted all we had to do was wait. We went for a day trip to Harrogate and then I decided to do a short two week contract at Disneyland Paris while we were waiting for a DCL date. It was a tough two weeks as I was contracted to do the split shifts so I was getting up at 5am every day for the Sequoia Lodge breakfast shift then onto Bella Notte. But it was SO good to be back it had been 2 years since I was last there! I spent nearly all my wages on Disney merch! So worth it ;). On my last day, Simon came out and we had a few days holiday in the parks and seeing Paris itself. It was a brilliant trip.
After only a day back we were on the move again and we went to visit Simon's parents in Bridlington. We were there for a week and I saw some lovely places, Bridlington, Scarborough and Beverley. Hope to go back again soon.
The next day Simon and I went to Berlin!!! We stayed there 3 nights and saw ALL the sites. We literally did everything! We then spent two nights in Dresden! Where I had lived and went to uni for a year. It felt SO amazing to be back. It was as if nothing had changed! It was great to show Simon it too, he loved it. We spent the day in Sachsische Schweiz which was definitely a highlight of the whole trip.
I sorted out a Disneyland Paris contract for Easter but I didn't book anything just in case we heard something from Disney Cruise Line.
Then on the day before my birthday, 28th March we were walking home and Simon was singing a song by Elvis that had the word wonder in it, I can't remember the song. Anyway we got home to discover we had been accepted onto a contract starting beginning June on the Disney Wonder, leaving from Vancouver!!!!! I screamed and genuinely didn't stop for a few days at least! We will be doing the Alaska cruise!!! Which then crosses the Panama Canal and does the Bahamas and Caribbean!!
The day of my birthday we went to the Lake District for the night. Mum, dad, my bro, Simon and I had a lovely day doing a walk, going to the Low Wood and doing other favourite Bowness things. Then at night we had SUCH an incredible meal which ended with us all ordering sticky toffee puddings :D. Dad me and Simon went on a pub crawl where we ended in the Royal Albert hogging the jukebox blasting Country all night :). Great birthday.
The following week I spent catching up with friends and now knowing the date of DCL I was able to do a final contract at Disneyland Paris. Every day off was spent in the parks and I have to say having just finished it was definitely one of my favourite contracts. Much less stressful than doing the split shifts and knowing it was the last contract ever and last visit for a while I really tried to soak everything up and take everything in.
Now it is today, 29th April and Simon and I are off to join our families in Florida the day after tomorrow with our Disney Cruise Line adventure starting 29th May. SO much to look forward to!
What a year! Hope I've kept this brief enough!!! I'll add a few photos now, thank you for reading :)
Mine and Sophie's last day!
Carol the Hat Lady made me a cake!
February contract Sequoia, Bella
Pizza Planet, Easter contract