"I brushed my teeth, and I don't have cooties." An August DFTW and Disneymoon TR

[Tinks#2Fan]

Wow... I’m finally caught up, so sorry to hear you’ve had such a rough time and... yes, your Canadian is showing, imagine...apologizing to us for not finishing your TR when you juggle so much already. I’m sorry to hear about the rough spot your in. You have great friends here who wish they could help more and clearly an awesome support system in your lovely newly minted hubby and family. Clearly you’ve learned to pace yourself and lean on others, and maybe by now your school schedule has wound down and you can take a breath.

We leave for Home in 9 days and you and your coping skills come to mind often as I plan. You popped into my head when I watched Tangled during that last snow storm (Love your short blond look) And when I saw this dress in the store window on Portland St.



I look forward to hearing your experience with DAS. (But at your convenience, there will be future trips). I’m not sure what I will be able to take part in on this trip, we continue to tweak meds but I am also not sure if or how a DAS may apply or may aid my participation. I’ve scheduled FP’s and DH may get the benefit of extra rides which is OK. I’m good with people watching as long as I can stay upright.

Thanks for your TR’s and enjoy your May getaway!

 

[kastoney]

So sorry for all you are having to go through. Hope you are coping ok and taking good care of each other.

 

[missangelalexis]

I'm so sorry life has been so rough lately I Hope you are hanging in there!

I'm glad you and N can spend the summer together, I'm sure it's much needed!

Your hair looks fabulous! Looking forward to seeing what's to come

 

[missjackiemcg]

Oh, life...too cruel sometimes!!!

Glad you're keeping your chin up and your sense of humor in the face of it all!

I'll just have a few school days left working with my peers doing language assessments for preschool-aged children in the city...which is actually going to be kind of neat! It's out first opportunity to try our hands at some practical clinical work under the supervision of our profs. Then I finish up for the term that following week, and summer begins! I have chosen not to apply for a regular summer job, and to spend the summer working for Nathan and travelling with him. I'm looking forward to the chance for us to spend more time together this summer than we did last summer with him gone for work so much, and he could definitely use the help at his shows.

Getting to try out your skills with little ones will be awesome! I hope it's a great experience for you.

And I love the sounds of your summer plan. I bet the time together will do you lots of good!

 

[Lesley Wake]

I've also decided that, with all the stress I've been under as of late, that I will be abandoning my lost December trip report. It just wasn't meant to be, I don't think, and I don't feel up to re-writing it. Once I've finished this TR, I'll come back with a couple of posts about a few select things I really wanted to talk about from the December trip, including my feelings about using the DAS pass and why I use it—this is something I've been meaning to write about for a while, and I really learned more about myself and why I use it on the December trip—and also about our first experience runningDisney, and possibly about the strong feelings I have for the Finding Nemo the Musical show. We'll see. I'll share a few photos from the trip, and then wrap that up. I do hope, however, to write a separate short trip report about the 3 upcoming solo days I have planned between two of Nathan's shows in May. My stretch goal is to have all this finished up by the time we go away again in August for our anniversary...which is very likely to also get its own TR once we return. So yes, you'll hopefully be hearing from me again soon! Hang in there!

I think that's a good call for you! Trip Reports are supposed to be fun, so if it ends up being too stressful and annoying, there's no point!

I hope you're able to have fun on your solo days!

 

[amazingact21]

Thank you for sharing your struggles with us, Meghan. It's a compliment to all of us that you care to include us in the highs and lows of your life. And with that, I'm sorry to hear about everything you've been hit with in the last few weeks. It must have been a very stressful and painful time.

Your kitty is adorable...even with the new hairdo.

And you like fabulous as a blonde! I can't wait to see some Disney wall selfies with the new color on your upcoming solo trip.

 

[pooh'smate]

Love the new hair and looking forward to seeing how it changes. I am sorry for everything you are going through

 

[pkondz]

Anyway! Without going into much detail, I became aware that someone close to me has been having their life torn apart by addiction, and that the effects reach into the lives of the people who care about them, including me, in a very serious way. As if this wasn't enough to worry about, bad things tend to come in threes...or fours...or fives...well, you get the idea. Within days of each other I managed to pull something in my neck spinning my head around in Nathan's passenger seat when I was nearly hit by an oncoming truck in the parking lot the other day, and then I left the apartment too stressed and scraped the side of my own vehicle against a pillar in our parking garage scraping the paint. Shortly after, for a totally unrelated reason, my car died and had to hit the shop. (It's had issues from the week we bought it! I hate that car!) Then I found that our cat (who, bless her heart, has a ridiculously slow metabolism and has put on too many pounds...I can relate! ) ...anyway, she hasn't been able to groom herself properly and had become totally matted. It happened so quickly that we didn't even notice it until it was too late (the vet says it happens super fast with kitties as soft and thickly under-coated as she is!) and we had to take her in to get her shaved and put on a diet. Poor little monster.

Um.... holy crap!



Sorry to hear you're having to deal with all of this, Meghan.

"It's a good look... no... really...."

let me tell you, I'm having a time! School is hard!

You can do it!

I like! Very pretty!

 

[disneyshakeygirl]

I’m so sorry about everything is going on. A close relative of mine also severely battles addiction and it is so hard. So hard.

We’re all here for you.

Poor kitty!

 

[Winchester24]

I'm pretty new to this site and TR's, but I have really been enjoying them, especially yours! It's such a great way for people like me (who are big fans of WDW but have never planned a trip!) to get tips and tricks so thanks for sharing! Your TR also gives me some insight into what it is like to do Disney on a special/restricted diet and with physical limitations. I have a couple of chronic conditions that can strike and leave me sidelined and I'm a little (okay maybe REALLY) nervous about that, but seeing you do it gives me hope! I am insanely jealous of your wedding photos, how did you pick which ones you put up?! I don't think I could have, I'd have an entire room of my house plastered with them!

 

[Steppesister]

Love the new look, Girly! Looks super flattering on you! Hang in there, the work and effort will totally be worth it! You can do it!

 

[MeghanEmily]

I'm so sorry to hear about all of that. I always think of things in terms of taoism (yin and yang), you have this big bunch of negative/dark but you also have to balance it out with a big bunch of positive/light so I'm sure there's some coming your way. I'm sure. Side note, your little kitty looks weirdly cute with a huge bald spot. Love it. And you look fabulous as a blonde!

Looking forward to having you back in full TR form real soon!

Thanks, Timmy! I really like that way of looking at things. And I hope you're right—bring on the light!

And thanks! I'm having fun as a blonde (more than as a brunette? Not sure. Hard to say if that's a thing or not... ) But soon enough I'll have the pleasure of rocking some pretty fun new colours, so I'm looking forward to that change soon...

I am sorry to hear that. Most people don't realize that someone with a real addiction effects not just that person but lots of people. I hope whoever it is get the help they need! And everyone that is effected by it, can help and get the help they need.

It's very true! There's a ripple effect with addiction for sure. Thanks!

Ugh! That is the worst! I am a side scraper like that! Nothing terrible but just enough to make it super annoying...

It's the worst! I'm just glad that the damage is just cosmetic, and there was nobody else involved to potentially get hurt or have their property damaged, etc. So far we haven't even had it fixed because it's not causing any problems other than looking a little yucky, so not a huge priority.

Let me know if you ever make it to the greater, Philadelphia/Delaware/New York City Area! We are kind of centralized in that sense and could possibly maybe meet up if they moons aligned just right!

Will do! So far it looks like the closest we'll get is Boston, but if that changes I'll let you know! We'll be driving through on our way down to Orlando, but that's looking like a pretty tight timeline for driving so we probably won't be stopping along the way. You're located in a pretty good area then, with lots to do!! Nathan's still never been to NYC, and I haven't in years, so I'd like to take him someday.

You look beautiful as a blonde! Can't wait to see the "after-after". It is horrible how bad things just dog pile on each other like that. I hope your loved one finds recovery and that all those around that person find healing. Addiction is tough stuff, much less dealing with that on top of all the car and kitty woes. Glad for the updates and no rush on the report updates. Hate to hear bad news but I am glad you are healthy!

Thank you so much! I've been having fun being a blonde! But some fun, new, more risky colours are coming soon. And thanks so much for the well wishes. Bad things definitely seem to come one after the other, but I'm glad that it looks like things are looking up for spring/summer.

So happy to hear from you, but very sorry to hear about everything you've had going on I hope that the healing is going well and that everyone can get to a happier and healthier place very soon. Know that we're all thinking about you.

Loving the hair and excited to see where you go next with it

Good luck with the last push of school!

Thanks so much, Tracy! And as you know, it feels wonderful to have made it through the semester and to have a break from school!

Love your hair color very flattering on you! Your kitty looks so cute, shaved and chubby. Sorry about all the downs of late, it does sound like some fun things in your future so that is great! How nice you can work with N and spend the summer together

Thanks, Caroline! I've been enjoying being a blonde...though my dark roots are already coming in enough after just a few weeks to be getting on my nerves! Pretending to be blonde is high maintenance! The poor kitty is still pretty shaved, and she's never impressed with me when I've been limiting her food intake. But she looks pretty adorable!

I'm really looking forward to getting to travel with Nathan and give him a hand this summer! We should see lots of neat places and meet a lot of new people.

Wow, you really have had a series of bad incidents. I hope your friend is healing and getting the help your friend needs. I hope you're healing too. Poor kitty, it will grow back and I'm sure she'll feel better once she looses a few pounds too. Good luck with your finals. Danielle has finals the last week of April. Boy this year has gone fast.

Thanks so much. We're taking things one day at a time and things are slowly looking up. I hope Danielle is managing well getting through her finals—hard to believe the school year is already over!

 

[MeghanEmily]

I'm so sorry about everything going on......part of my family has struggled with addiction for years and we've lost quite a few members to it so I'm unfortunately familiar with the ripple effect it causes. I wish the best to everyone effected.

Thanks so much. The reach for these kinds of things is really wide. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

been there, done that! Damn cats lol, that matted hair does sneak up on you! The cats don't care, they're like, "whatever, just let me eat and lay around" but they look so uncomfortable and just......yuck, and you have to do something. Whenever I notice a small matted patch on one of my cats now I'm like "OMG GET ME THE GROOMING BRUSH, WE MUST ADDRESS THIS NOW!!!"

Oh my gosh, and Stacey HATES to be brushed. She was a rescue kitty, and she's come a long way in terms of letting me pick her up and touch her, but she's still pretty standoffish when it comes to anything that's not on her "OK List," and brushing is NOT! She's having to learn to live with it in small doses, and I'm having to learn to get in and get out as fast as I can! I can't even bribe her with treats as much as I would have before because she's so chunky and on a diet now! Poor baby.

Best of luck finishing school, Blondie

tehehe Blondie for now...but not too much longer! Thank you! Feels great to be done school!

Wow... I’m finally caught up, so sorry to hear you’ve had such a rough time and... yes, your Canadian is showing, imagine...apologizing to us for not finishing your TR when you juggle so much already. I’m sorry to hear about the rough spot your in. You have great friends here who wish they could help more and clearly an awesome support system in your lovely newly minted hubby and family. Clearly you’ve learned to pace yourself and lean on others, and maybe by now your school schedule has wound down and you can take a breath.

We leave for Home in 9 days and you and your coping skills come to mind often as I plan. You popped into my head when I watched Tangled during that last snow storm (Love your short blond look) And when I saw this dress in the store window on Portland St.

View attachment 316568

I look forward to hearing your experience with DAS. (But at your convenience, there will be future trips). I’m not sure what I will be able to take part in on this trip, we continue to tweak meds but I am also not sure if or how a DAS may apply or may aid my participation. I’ve scheduled FP’s and DH may get the benefit of extra rides which is OK. I’m good with people watching as long as I can stay upright.

Thanks for your TR’s and enjoy your May getaway!

Your comments are so thoughtful, and I'm really touched! You're so right that I've got a wonderful support system, both here on the Dis, and at home. I feel very blessed for that!

Also, you absolutely should not have shown me that dress because now I'm considering an excursion over to Dartmouth.

I have thought of you and your trip often, and I hope you're having a wonderful time! My "new normal" has meant changes in a lot of things, including how my vacations look now. I'm sure that'll be the same case for you. It'll never be the same as before, but I've still had some wonderful trips since there and I hope you will, too!

So sorry for all you are having to go through. Hope you are coping ok and taking good care of each other.

Thanks, Kari! Taking it one day at a time, with lots of self care, and glad to see things slowly looking up.

I'm so sorry life has been so rough lately I Hope you are hanging in there!

I'm glad you and N can spend the summer together, I'm sure it's much needed!

Your hair looks fabulous! Looking forward to seeing what's to come

Thanks so much for the well wishes and the compliment! I'm definitely looking forward to getting on the road soon and spending some time with Nathan and seeing new places!

Oh, life...too cruel sometimes!!!

Glad you're keeping your chin up and your sense of humor in the face of it all!

Thanks, Jackie! Sometimes life seems to like to kick us when we're down. But things have been starting to look up!

Getting to try out your skills with little ones will be awesome! I hope it's a great experience for you.

And I love the sounds of your summer plan. I bet the time together will do you lots of good!

It was really adorable working with the littles! And it was also a great experience to start to make connections between what we were learning in the classroom and how it actually manifests in real live human kids. Definitely a great experience, as well as a little nerve-wracking.

I think that's a good call for you! Trip Reports are supposed to be fun, so if it ends up being too stressful and annoying, there's no point!

I hope you're able to have fun on your solo days!

I agree! I had a few things I wanted to talk about from the winter trip, which I think I probably still will, but TRs should be a fun way to re-live the trips we take!

Thank you for sharing your struggles with us, Meghan. It's a compliment to all of us that you care to include us in the highs and lows of your life. And with that, I'm sorry to hear about everything you've been hit with in the last few weeks. It must have been a very stressful and painful time.

Thanks so much, Alicia. It was definitely a struggle, and still continues to be, but things are looking up. And I've had wonderful support, both from this community and at home. It amazes me how people come together and rally around each other, even in an online community like this one.

Your kitty is adorable...even with the new hairdo.

Poor Stacey! She's pretty cute...but her style is a little unconventional these days!

And you like fabulous as a blonde! I can't wait to see some Disney wall selfies with the new color on your upcoming solo trip.

Thanks! I'm having fun with it! But also looking forward to some some fun new colours soon and the associated wall selfies that will inevitably follow I'm getting all my fun hair risks out of the way now, before I go back to school in the fall and have to start some professional types of placements.

Love the new hair and looking forward to seeing how it changes. I am sorry for everything you are going through

Thanks so much!

Um.... holy crap!



Sorry to hear you're having to deal with all of this, Meghan.

Yeah, it's been wild! We're actually fairly religious/spiritual in our household, but I heard someone say something a while ago that was just too fitting and hass kind of become my new running joke and mantra as of late: "If there's a god up there, she's got a funny sense of humour!"

In all seriousness, life ebbs and flows, and we're just taking things one day at a time. I'm taking good care of myself. And starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!!

You can do it!

Thanks!! Indeed, I DID do it! (Wasn't sure for a little bit there... ) Now as long as I've passed all those exams and assignments I slaved over, then we'll be good to go...

I’m so sorry about everything is going on. A close relative of mine also severely battles addiction and it is so hard. So hard.

We’re all here for you.

Poor kitty!

Thanks so much! It really is so hard to watch someone you care about go through something like that, and also to be hurt by their actions because of it. But I've had such wonderful support, both here and at home, that I consider myself very lucky!

Love the new look, Girly! Looks super flattering on you! Hang in there, the work and effort will totally be worth it! You can do it!

Thanks, Liesa! Sending those same good vibes back your way now as you prepare for your exam!!

 

[MeghanEmily]

I'm pretty new to this site and TR's, but I have really been enjoying them, especially yours! It's such a great way for people like me (who are big fans of WDW but have never planned a trip!) to get tips and tricks so thanks for sharing! Your TR also gives me some insight into what it is like to do Disney on a special/restricted diet and with physical limitations. I have a couple of chronic conditions that can strike and leave me sidelined and I'm a little (okay maybe REALLY) nervous about that, but seeing you do it gives me hope! I am insanely jealous of your wedding photos, how did you pick which ones you put up?! I don't think I could have, I'd have an entire room of my house plastered with them!

Thanks so much for the kind feedback!! I hope you continue to find lots of great entertainment and tips on the Dis! And it was definitely a challenge to choose our wedding photos because Amanda did such a fabulous job with them! It was such a special day. I had a photo book made to keep in the living room, and even then it was hard to choose which photos to include.

Wishing you all the best as you plan to travel with your health conditions! If there's ever anything you think I might be able to help with, or any questions you have that I might be able to answer, feel free to send me a message! I still get nervous travelling with my issues, and when things are at their worst it can really have an effect on a trip. But I've found Disney to be the place that I feel the safest and most at ease while travelling. The DAS system works great if you have a condition that affects your ability to be in a regular line environment, i.e. due to sensory issues, etc. Or if your conditions are mobility-related, nearly all the queue lines are accessible, and if they're not they'll still accommodate you at the ride. I highly recommend renting a wheelchair or ECV if you think you'll have any need for it. I haven't used one myself since my concerns aren't related to mobility for the most part, but I've known people who've had to use them for various reasons (some who even did not have a disability but who had injuries while on vacation, etc.) and the feedback I've gotten about it has generally been very positive about how it helped them get through the day and the lack of stigma/negative attention they got, etc. That's what those types of accommodations are for! In terms of dining with dietary restrictions, Disney is the only place I feel safe outside of my own kitchen! I'm still always careful, and once in a while I've come close to having an issue due to a mistake on the part of a chef/server, etc., but my experiences have been overwhelmingly positive. It's amazing to be able to eat normal food on vacation, and not have to stick with "plain, steamed _____" for dinner every night. Best of luck with your plans!

 

[pkondz]

Yeah, it's been wild! We're actually fairly religious/spiritual in our household, but I heard someone say something a while ago that was just too fitting and hass kind of become my new running joke and mantra as of late: "If there's a god up there, she's got a funny sense of humour!"

In all seriousness, life ebbs and flows, and we're just taking things one day at a time. I'm taking good care of myself. And starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!!

Good! Glad to hear it.

Thanks!! Indeed, I DID do it!

Yay!

Now as long as I've passed all those exams and assignments I slaved over, then we'll be good to go...

I'm positive you passed.


Positive.

 

[MeghanEmily]

I'm positive you passed.

Positive.

I hope you're right! It's so tough! A pass is a 70 in my program, and I typically get grades a lot higher than that, but once in a while a course is really tough and we're all a bit concerned. If you fail one course, you're automatically removed from the program, so the stakes are high! I'm feeling okay for the most part, and I already have marks back for 3 of 5 courses where I've gotten some variety of A's in each of them. I just have one course, my Research Design class, that I'm worried about. *fingers crossed*

 

[MeghanEmily]

Wow! You guys are prolific! Especially, it seems, when I'm away from the Dis and busy. If I've been following your TR, I'm finally caught up on it! (With the exception of a few that are on my "watch list," but that I haven't started yet. You folks are next in my plan of attack.)

I also just want to acknowledge that you, my friends, know how to RALLY! I've been truly overwhelmed by the kind comments and messages I've received from many of you over the last couple of weeks as I've struggled to keep things together, deal with some heartbreaking personal stuff, and make my way through the end of my school semester. It really is very special to have friends like you all, and I don't take that lightly. Sending love and light, and many thanks, to all of you who've been thinking of me or giving me encouragement.

In all the craziness, I didn't even notice this thread surpass 1000 posts! This is a big new milestone for one of my TRs, and I credit it (aside from my many rambling wedding posts) to your wonderful stories and comments. Thank you for participating in this thread and making it a spot I love to hang out! I didn't get to post anything special for the 1000th post, so instead here's a big:

HAPPY POST #1017!!




As of yesterday, I'm done with the first year of my master's degree. If I've been successful in all my courses—which I should find out within the next week or so—then I'll suddenly be minus a lot of stress, and will be headed into my second year as a Speech-Language Pathology student. This last week I had the opportunity to participate, as part of my coursework, in language screenings for preschool-aged kids. It's part of an outreach program we've partnered on for families in underserved populations of the community, and we got to administer some assessments and hang out with some littles as part of a team that checked up on their speech and language development, hearing, dental hygiene, and behavioural development, etc. It was an awesome experience, but also a little heartbreaking at times. We learned a lot about our roles as health advocates for our patients, as we had several kiddos come to us who were in desperate need for services and who had been turned away by various professionals when their parents had concerns or were looking for referrals. We were proud that our professors were able to step in and go to bat for these kids, and hopefully help get them on a path toward the intervention they needed. It was a very humbling experience!

Alright folks....now on with the show! Let's do this! ...this is also the point in the TR where I've suddenly run out of fun-quote-chapter-titles. ...it is what it is.

Busch Gardens
Disney Day 9 - Part 1

We'd been up late and had done a lot of walking the day before, so we decided to sleep in a bit this morning. I believe Busch Gardens opened at 10am this morning, and our goal was to arrive around that time. We drove to Tampa and got to Busch just after 10.

You may recall that our tickets to Discover Cove from earlier in the trip included entry, among other places, to Busch Gardens. I hadn't been since I was a kid, and N had never been, so I wanted to go for a day. My biggest priority was getting tickets for their behind the scenes safari experience where you get to hand-feed giraffes from an open-air safari truck, and by arriving at park opening we were able to secure a safari time earlier in the day. This was important because I didn't know how long I'd last in the heat. We parked the car, and got on the tram to the park entrance, taking a tram selfie (obviously!). Then we showed them our Discovery Cove passes, got our park tickets, and added the safari experience.

It was super warm that day, even worse than typical, and I was struggling a little. My plan was to make it through to the giraffes, and then play it by ear whether I needed to call it an early day. Since I hadn't been to Busch in over a decade, I didn't have the benefit of knowing it like the back of my hand like the Disney parks. We got a park map, but still wandered and got lost a few times before we oriented ourselves.

Many of the rides at Busch are too intense for me to be able to ride (or they're at the other extreme and geared for small kids), so I was encouraging N to ride some things without me, while I enjoyed other parts of the park like the shows and the many animal exhibits. This worked out just fine because the park was nearly empty and most of the lines were very short. One of our first stops was to watch the penguins taking their morning swim:

We decided to head toward where our safari would take place to make sure we knew how to find it. On the way, we saw the most magnificent ginormous tortoise.

I'm typically pretty adamant that the best topiaries are the ones at Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival...but I have to say, this giraffe topiary takes first prize! Just the best.

We also got to see the asian elephants, and they were pretty fun to watch, tossing hay onto their backs to keep the sun off them.

We still had lots of time until our safari, so I took N over to what I wish had been his first rollercoaster experience: The Scorpion. My parents used this ride to introduce my step-sisters and me to rollercoasters as kids, so I wanted N to ride it. It's a great first rollercoaster because it's pretty short and only has one loop, but it's more intense than more kid-friendly rides like Big Thunder or even Space Mountain. N liked it, but he's ridden bigger coasters before so he wasn't too phased by it. Then we continued to wander, and I was really enjoying the bright colours and theming at Busch. It's no Pandora, or Wizarding World of Harry Potter, or anything, but it's a really lovely park.

Then we saw the Falcon Fury, which is kind of like a Doctor Doom's Fearfall type ride, which lifts you up high into the sky, then drops you down once fast. The seat tilts outward a bit, so your legs fly up a little. N took one look and joked about how there was no way he'd ride something like that. ...So, of course, I told him to ride it. And, of course, he did. He said it was pretty terrifying.

We made our way back to the Serengeti Outpost where we'd check in for our tour. But we were still early, so we popped in to the Animal Care Center and chatted with some of the staff there. They had a surgery planned for later on, but it was during our tour, and I get a little squeamish anyway, but it was really neat to see the facility.

Finally, it was time for our safari. We checked in, and loaded all our stuff up into lockers. They loaded us onto the truck, and there was just enough room that everyone in our group (probably a little over a dozen?) could stand along the edges of the rail inside the vehicle and look out at the animals. The guides were great, and they told us all kinds of interesting information about the animals we saw. Of course, now that it's been over 8 months, I remember absolutely none of it. So here are a bunch of pictures of animals! (Most of these photos I took, except for a few nice ones that came from the wildly expensive photo CD we bought.)

At one point, the driver stopped the truck, and then he climbed out and tried to retrieve something from the ground. "Huh!" he said, "a new iPhone!" We had just driven under one of the park's rollercoasters. The guide said that they're always picking up things like phones and sunglasses, and that this is exactly why you're told to empty your pockets and remove loose items before getting on rollercoasters. People grumble about it and think it's unnecessary, but people are losing things all the time. The guides joked that a while ago they had excitedly found a working iPod, and that that particular area was the best for finding electronics, wallets, money, etc. So a lesson to you all: empty your pockets on rollercoasters when you're told to! Not only does it stink for you to lose/break your valuables, but at a place like Busch it could likely end up in an animal's habitat.

The guides had also given us a lengthy lecture about how it was important to hydrate in the summer heat in Florida, and about how if we were feeling faint at any point to alert one of them. They went on about it so much that I was beginning to get nervous! Apparently it's really common on those tours for tourists who aren't used to the Florida heat to pass out due to having to stand up in the open sun for 30+ minutes. Fortunately, there weren't any heat-related incidents for anyone on our truck.

Then we turned a corner and came back around to the giraffes again, and it was time for the part of the tour I'd been waiting for! We got to get up close and personal with a giraffe!

This was our giraffe friend, and she was magnificent.

We all got a chance to feed her and get some photos taken. I also took some pictures, and I got N to man the GoPro for me.

(This one was from our photo CD, but I really liked it.)

This is where our giraffe almost ate my hand, and it was awesome:

And this is what pure giraffe-feeding joy looks like:

She was real funny, by the way. She knew she would be fed enough to be able to be picky, so she wouldn't eat any of the gross white ends of the lettuce. She just spit them on the ground like eating the bottom half of lettuce was beneath her. What a qween.

After everyone had their turn, the truck took us back to where we checked in, and N and I forked over the cash for the stupidly-expensive photo CD, and for a commemorative pin of a giraffe for my collection.​

 

[MeghanEmily]

Busch Gardens (continued)
Disney Day 9 - Part 2

I had done well surviving on pure giraffe-induced adrenaline to this point, but once the tour was over I started to feel a little woozy. We decided it was a good time for a break and for some lunch. I knew Busch had allergy protocols, based on my research, but I wasn't sure exactly what it would be like eating there. We asked about allergies at the first food-type place we came to, and they directed us to a food court-style restaurant, called Dragon Fire Grill, that was best equipped to handle allergies in the park. It took a while to find the right person to help me out, but once I found a manager she was able to go over my options with me and get me a great lunch. N had chosen a "southwest salad" (which was basically like a taco salad in a giant hardshell taco bowl,) and I got a burger with a gluten free bun, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a side of steamed veggies with butter. You don't know how amazing it felt to eat REAL VEGETABLES at a theme park when I wasn't feeling well and needed real food. It was a simple meal, but everything was fresh and delicious. I also liked that the gluten free burger buns were kept sealed in plastic to prevent cross-contamination. I was probably eating all kinds of toxins after the bun had been warmed up inside the plastic...but I'm not allergic to microwaved plastic as long as it's gluten free, so whatevs!

Once we sat down I was starting to feel dizzy, and N suggested we leave once we were done eating, but we worked our way slowly through lunch and I had gained a bit of a second wind by the time we were ready to leave. There are also periodic stage shows inside the Dragon Fire Grill, and we'd just caught the tail end of one as we were coming in to order, but sadly we weren't up for sitting there long enough to watch the next one.

After lunch, N was ready to leave for my sake, but I told him I was doing okay and since we only had one day here I wanted to see how much more we could squeeze in before I was really done. N is a huge fan of dippin' dots, so he got me to pick a flavour for him to try. I think it was probably cookies and cream? Either way, he said it was good. Then we decided to go in and see a show that was about to start so I could get a little more time in the A/C. The "Turn It Up" show was getting awesome reviews in the theme park news world, and it was about to begin in the Moroccan Palace theatre, so we checked it out.

It was an indoor ice dance show, with probably about 10-12 skaters, doing cool choreography to popular radio tunes. And let me say...it blew us away!! It was AMAZING! (There was also this gorgeous super-talented skater with long dark hair who was a featured soloist in several numbers, and wore this awesome, bright, hot pink costume, and I was totally smitten with her, and had to remind myself that I was now already married to a wonderful partner and was no longer available to court beautiful skating show stars. Fortunately, I think N was probably also a little in love with her, too, so he didn't judge me. ) But yeah. Turn It Up. 10/10 would recommend.

After the show, N headed for the park exit, but I was feeling pretty great considering and wanted to hit a few more things first! I put N on the Cheetah coaster, and then also sent him on the monster I remember refusing to ride with my mom and step-sister as a child: Montu. It's a coaster with an overhead track where your feet hang, and it's pretty long and has 7 loops. N thought it was fun. And he made sure to empty his pockets first!!

Then, with the last bit of steam I had left, we did the Edge of Africa animal trail so I could see some more of the animals. Unfortunately, my camera died right before this point, so I only took a few substandard pictures on my phone. But the experience was still awesome, even without awesome pictures to prove it.

(If you can't tell in this picture, there are giraffes on the ridge behind me. This trail went along the edge of part of the area where we'd gone on the tour with the safari truck earlier that morning, so we could see the trucks coming along and people feeding giraffes behind us.)

At this point we both decided that it was time for me to stop pressing my luck, and we made our way back to the park exit. We rode the tram back out to our car, then made the drive back to the Orlando area to the timeshare. I dozed off and on while N drove and started to recover from the busy day we'd been having.

We didn't know how long we'd be at Busch, so I hadn't made any other firm plans for the day. I had some FPs at the MK that night and had considered going back to see HEA again, but neither of us was really feeling like another park that day. (See what I meant about never getting back to see HEA again on our trip after the first night?) After a short rest, we decided to go to Disney Springs for some dinner and to do a little shopping. We went to Cooke's of Dublin, and I got one of my favourite junk food meals: gluten free fish and chips!

This is such a novelty because it's nearly impossible to eat battered/fried foods after going gluten free. The only other place I've eaten fish and chips in the last five years has been at a cute little authentic shop in Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island in Canada. (Highly recommend it!) Other than being undersalted, which can be fixed at the table, the gluten free fish at Cookes of Dublin is pretty amaze-balls! And N and I both love the thick-cut chips they serve here. N got the Chicken and Mushroom Pie, (I think they had two pie flavours available that day?), also served with chips:

After a bite to eat (or many, many bites...these portions are big!), it only seemed natural to go buy MORE food items, so we went to Erin McKenna's and stocked up on more GF goodies. (At this point I was out of leftover wedding cupcakes. ) We wandered around Disney Springs as it started to get dark and did a little shopping.

I had been eyeing the small leather crossbody Dooney bag in the sketch pattern that matched my backpack, and I decided that you [ideally] only honeymoon once, so I'd buy it for myself at the Marketplace Co-op. We also bought some new soaps and bath salts at Basin. Some of which have already been happily used, and the last of the soaps are making their way out as Mother's Day gifts in a couple of weeks...which, to me, just means that we'll need to go to Basin again when we go back in May. Obviously.

We were both ready to crash at this point, so we drove back to the timeshare and called it an early night. The next morning would be an early one, and for a very good reason... ​

 

[pkondz]

I also just want to acknowledge that you, my friends, know how to RALLY! I've been truly overwhelmed by the kind comments and messages I've received from many of you over the last couple of weeks as I've struggled to keep things together, deal with some heartbreaking personal stuff, and make my way through the end of my school semester. It really is very special to have friends like you all, and I don't take that lightly. Sending love and light, and many thanks, to all of you who've been thinking of me or giving me encouragement.

But that's why we're here!

As of yesterday, I'm done with the first year of my master's degree.

Yay!!!

If I've been successful in all my courses—which I should find out within the next week or so—then I'll suddenly be minus a lot of stress, and will be headed into my second year as a Speech-Language Pathology student.

Oh, I know you've been successful.

This last week I had the opportunity to participate, as part of my coursework, in language screenings for preschool-aged kids. It's part of an outreach program we've partnered on for families in underserved populations of the community, and we got to administer some assessments and hang out with some littles as part of a team that checked up on their speech and language development, hearing, dental hygiene, and behavioural development, etc. It was an awesome experience, but also a little heartbreaking at times. We learned a lot about our roles as health advocates for our patients, as we had several kiddos come to us who were in desperate need for services and who had been turned away by various professionals when their parents had concerns or were looking for referrals. We were proud that our professors were able to step in and go to bat for these kids, and hopefully help get them on a path toward the intervention they needed. It was a very humbling experience!

Wow. That's really inspiring. Very pleased to hear you did this.

this is also the point in the TR where I've suddenly run out of fun-quote-chapter-titles. ...it is what it is.

We drove to Tampa and got to Busch just after 10.

So you must've left around 9 or so? Little earlier?

You may recall that our tickets to Discover Cove from earlier in the trip included entry, among other places, to Busch Gardens.

I do remember that!

I hadn't been since I was a kid

Me too!

Er.... might be a bit longer since I was there than you, though.

It was super warm that day, even worse than typical, and I was struggling a little.

One of our first stops was to watch the penguins taking their morning swim:

Okay, now that's fun.
I remember watching some swim in an aquarium. There was one little guy who was swimming as hard as he could.... and not going anywhere because his nose was pressed up against the glass!

I have to say, this giraffe topiary takes first prize! Just the best.

That is pretty nice.

We also got to see the asian elephants, and they were pretty fun to watch, tossing hay onto their backs to keep the sun off them.

Also... cool!

We still had lots of time until our safari, so I took N over to what I wish had been his first rollercoaster experience: The Scorpion.

That may have been the one I rode way back when too. And at the time it was their top coaster.

Then we saw the Falcon Fury, which is kind of like a Doctor Doom's Fearfall type ride, which lifts you up high into the sky, then drops you down once fast. The seat tilts outward a bit, so your legs fly up a little. N took one look and joked about there was no way he'd ride something like that. ...So, of course, I told him to ride it. And, of course, he did. He said it was pretty terrifying.

I've done one of those (at Marineland).... it's pretty intimidating. I think I'll pass on future rides.

The guides were great, and they told us all kinds of interesting information about the animals we saw. Of course, now that it's been over 8 months, I remember absolutely none of it.

8 months? I went on a tour two weeks ago and can't remember anything!

Well, hi there!

Kinda in love with this shot and your reaction.

And loving your reaction there too.
Um... Meghan? You're petting a freaking giraffe!!!!!

This is where our giraffe almost ate my hand, and it was awesome:

I bet!

And this is what pure giraffe-feeding joy looks like:

Love this too!

She was real funny, by the way. She knew she would be fed enough to be able to be picky, so she wouldn't eat any of the gross white ends of the lettuce. She just spit them on the ground like eating the bottom half of lettuce was beneath her. What a qween.

a commemorative pin of a giraffe for my collection.

Worth it.

I had done well surviving on pure giraffe-induced adrenaline to this point,

I can totally see that!

once I found a manager she was able to go over my options with me and get me a great lunch.

I was thinking of this....
It wasn't very long ago that if you had allergies... you just didn't eat out. Ever.

You don't know how amazing it felt to eat REAL VEGETABLES at a theme park when I wasn't feeling well and needed real food.

I also liked that the gluten free burger buns were kept sealed in plastic to prevent cross-contamination.

Huh! I hadn't thought of that at all. I just assumed it was because it was from a different bakery or something. Huh.

I was probably eating all kinds of toxins after the bun had been warmed up inside the plastic...but I'm not allergic to microwaved plastic as long as it's gluten free, so whatevs!

After lunch, N was ready to leave for my sake, but I told him I was doing okay and since we only had one day here I wanted to see how much more we could squeeze in before I was really done.

Oh, boy. Hope you know what you're doing!

N is a huge fan of dippin' dots,

Really! I've tried them and.... meh!

It was an indoor ice dance show, with probably about 10-12 skaters,

'Cause as a Canadian, you can never have enough ice and skating.

And let me say...it blew us away!! It was AMAZING!

Really! Huh! Skating in Florida. Huh!

(There was also this gorgeous super-talented skater with long dark hair who was a featured soloist in several numbers, and wore this awesome, bright, hot pink costume, and I was totally smitten with her, and had to remind myself that I was now already married to a wonderful partner and was no longer available to court beautiful skating show stars.

And yet... no photos!
What kind of infatuation is this???

Montu. It's a coaster with an overhead track where your feet hang, and it's pretty long and has 7 loops. N thought it was fun. And he made sure to empty his pockets first!!

Sounds like a lot of fun, too!

"Don't take my picture. I is pooping."

We didn't know how long we'd be at Busch, so I hadn't made any other firm plans for the day. I had some FPs at the MK that night and had considered going back to see HEA again, but neither of us was really feeling like another park that day.

I can believe that. Florida heat is not normal Earth heat.

We went to Cooke's of Dublin, and I got one of my favourite junk food meals: gluten free fish and chips!

Yay! Glad you could have that.

That looks really interesting. Was it good?

Beautiful shot! Doesn't look like DTD at all. Looks like someplace in the forest.

The next morning would be an early one, and for a very good reason...

Oh? Can't wait to find out why!

 

[MeghanEmily]

Oh, I know you've been successful.

You're more confident about this than I am. But many of my friends are in the same boat, so hopefully they won't fail all of us! We had one exam with one professor that was pretty horrendous. Anxiously awaiting that grade...

So you must've left around 9 or so? Little earlier?

Yep, just a little before 9. By that point there wasn't too much traffic. It took us a little over an hour.

Okay, now that's fun.
I remember watching some swim in an aquarium. There was one little guy who was swimming as hard as he could.... and not going anywhere because his nose was pressed up against the glass!

8 months? I went on a tour two weeks ago and can't remember anything!

Fortunately, I have some video to refresh my memory, but I haven't been through it yet. It's a stretch goal to get through all the video from that trip at some point this spring/summer and edit/organize it for ourselves into something watchable.

Kinda in love with this shot and your reaction.

100% shock and awe right there!

And loving your reaction there too.
Um... Meghan? You're petting a freaking giraffe!!!!!

Best. Day. Ever.

Well...I mean, after getting married and all I guess...

I was thinking of this....
It wasn't very long ago that if you had allergies... you just didn't eat out. Ever.

Absolutely! It's awesome how far we've come on these things. I'm still cautious, but it's great to have options. And I did my research before we went to make sure there would be something for me there. Often if we go somewhere unfamiliar I'm limited to what I can find in grocery stores. But there are SO many tourists going through central Florida that I think a lot of these places have caught on.

'Cause as a Canadian, you can never have enough ice and skating.

I felt like I'd found my people!!

And yet... no photos!
What kind of infatuation is this???

...there may be video of the show.

That looks really interesting. Was it good?

Nathan liked it! But, again, he's often blinded by his infatuation with all things English, so take that with a grain of salt.

Beautiful shot! Doesn't look like DTD at all. Looks like someplace in the forest.

Thanks! I'm not sure how I feel about the changes to DTD, but there are definitely some nice new views.