Amy, your post really struck me. I was part of the crowd of women with post-race bling and tiaras firmly on our heads. I never dreamed that I would want to participate in a half marathon, much less run a mile. Maybe this isn't really how WDW has changed my life, but really more how my love for WDW helped me find some of my greatest friends.
One paragraph into this and I am already a lost cause. Bring out the tissues because here it is! We found each other through one similarity - a great love of Disney. Had that foundation not been there, we would have never found the DIS, much less each other. Yep, we all met on the DIS (THANKS DIS!!). We planned going to the Princess for nearly a year. Well, mostly it was them. I said from the get go that I would be their cheerleader at the race. I even had sign designs in my noggin that I was going to make for each of them. I was the outsider of the group meaning I was the only one they hadn't met yet. I also had a ton of doubt swimming in my head. Fear of failure. It was insane and it was a huge demon, but that doubt became less traumatic (With a little help from my friends).
One day, I finally got the courage up to commit to the race.
Once the entire team arrived at WDW, it was like we were old friends just picking up where we left off. I know that without this wonderful group of friends, I would have never entered the race, much less finished. Even at mile 13, I didn't think I would finish. We laughed and cried together many times that weekend. Without a doubt, my life is forever changed through this group of women that I love with all my heart.
In less mushy and sentimental news - Nobody puts on a race like Disney! The character interaction was amazing and all of the people who lined the route (from the CM's at the MK entrance rooting us on, to the drummers near the Contemporary, Deb from Allears with her sign, the Fairy Godmother kicking off the race, and who could forget the Green Army Men ushering us up a nasty little Florida hill near).
One paragraph into this and I am already a lost cause. Bring out the tissues because here it is! We found each other through one similarity - a great love of Disney. Had that foundation not been there, we would have never found the DIS, much less each other. Yep, we all met on the DIS (THANKS DIS!!). We planned going to the Princess for nearly a year. Well, mostly it was them. I said from the get go that I would be their cheerleader at the race. I even had sign designs in my noggin that I was going to make for each of them. I was the outsider of the group meaning I was the only one they hadn't met yet. I also had a ton of doubt swimming in my head. Fear of failure. It was insane and it was a huge demon, but that doubt became less traumatic (With a little help from my friends).
One day, I finally got the courage up to commit to the race. Once the entire team arrived at WDW, it was like we were old friends just picking up where we left off. I know that without this wonderful group of friends, I would have never entered the race, much less finished. Even at mile 13, I didn't think I would finish. We laughed and cried together many times that weekend. Without a doubt, my life is forever changed through this group of women that I love with all my heart.
In less mushy and sentimental news - Nobody puts on a race like Disney! The character interaction was amazing and all of the people who lined the route (from the CM's at the MK entrance rooting us on, to the drummers near the Contemporary, Deb from Allears with her sign, the Fairy Godmother kicking off the race, and who could forget the Green Army Men ushering us up a nasty little Florida hill near).
Jamie
