Long Time No Post...

Literally I haven't posted any real content in almost a year. I guess my priorities have shifted away from this blog.

A lot has happened in the past 9 months. When I posted all of my Celebrate the Season pictures in January I was in a very different mindset. I was very hopeful that CTS has opened a door for me and that I would hopefully be trained in more things. I was also confident that I would finally be getting that full time call. I thought it and so many other opportunities had to be just around the corner. Things didn't pan out quite like I thought they would. Not that that is surprising, life rarely does what you think it will.

I was scheduling a re-audition or SECPS/Color coding in February where my animation and movement codes stayed the same. But I was excited and hopeful about being scheduled since I was part time and didn't have to be scheduled one. I got in contact with Entertainment Casting in March and set up a phone call to discuss some things but mainly to get feedback and hopefully a feel on what sort of plans they had for me. I ended up finding out that Casting felt that I did not "pick up choreography cleanly or quickly" and really wanted me to work on that and go to another SECPS to show them my progress. Basically until I worked on my dancing, they didn't feel comfortable training me in anything.

At that point I made a life decision, partially based on that information as well as other things going on in my life, and decided that my time with Disney was coming to a close. A few weeks later in late March/Early April I was contacted about helping Mickey at this year's Star Wars Weekends. Unfortunately I had to turn down the offer because I would be back home in Houston getting my wisdom teeth removed on an important day. I don't have any regrets in turning down the SWW offer. I spent 2 wonderful weeks with my Mom and of course getting my teeth removed.

At some point in the April/May time period I decided that I was going to move back to TX at the end of September. I got a call in June for a very special training that I got to do in July. I can't say what for as it has still not gone into operation but I will come back and post about that as soon as it does officially open. As a result of getting chosen to be a part of that training I finally got a call I had been waiting on for 2 years. On July 28th, I finally became a full time cast member. Almost exactly 22 months to the day after I put my name on the full time list. Finally getting full time, not getting trained in the super secret project I can't talk about, was what made me decide to push back my moving date till the end of November. End of November is an odd time to move when you are so close to the end of the year, but it is when my lease is up so that is when I will move.

I was cast in the super secret project and hopefully it will open by mid October. Sadly that means I will probably only have a month to perform in it but I am very much looking forward to moving forward with my life. I love Disney and my job, but I love it less than I did 2 years ago. I can look back at this blog and just feel the excitement oozing out of my posts. I honestly don't feel that anymore. It is sometimes there, but my role that so many other people covet, has just become a job. Also two and a half years in characters has really broken my body down. I go the a chiropractor every other week, or really just as often as I can since I work so very very much. I go to bed every night laying on ice packs to reduce the pain in my upper back and neck so that I can actually fall asleep.

I am so ready and excited to move to the next chapter in my life. I am so excited to take my passion for interacting with people and all of the skills that I have honed while at Disney and combine it with the things I learned in school to create a new path for myself. I am applying for jobs without a clue what I am really looking for. I am sure I will find something and I hope that it will make me as happy as Disney did.

Who knows, maybe one day my path may wind back to the Walt Disney Company.

 -Marion