2014: Steps to a New Path

          Something dripped out of my nose, and crawling out of bed felt like stepping from a cliff. It was Christmas, and, like many years before, we had to wait for the family to arrive before anything could be eaten or opened. Snorting, I tried to keep positive as my cat prevented me from anything more than a shuffle under the covers.
          I had slept most of the day. When I woke at six, hungry, my sister had arrived; she had woken me up by slamming the door, shouting about how her tire had exploded and she had to be towed home.
         The evening went well with the nephew opening his new favorite toys, a Hot Wheels Car Maker and Disney Infinity video game, and the rest of us getting things we each can use and cherish for the next upcoming year: 2014.
         In our family, we don't exchange resolutions or stories. Our New Years Eve is spent with pizza, and that's about it. After Christmas had gone, we would fall into our own spaces and hibernate or, if we're lucky, clean. But the rest is needed just as much as the organization. For me, January marks the start of back-to-back conventions, conferences, and hours of work tutoring.
         2013 was an amazing year outside of the threatening belief of rapture and Earth destruction, but it's time to step out and progress further into this new decade. Rather than continue the current path I'm falling, I plan to write more with the time I have rather than wait to spend my time on one day of writing; to step outside my comfort zone and make a difference for others, if not myself, while taking school more seriously.
          I want to thank all the friends and family, whether related or not, for the year of publications, hours of work, months stressing and worrying, and moments of breath and pause. Each day is a new experience, and each moment spent with each other is a new direction. 2014 is the year of the horse, and like Equines, the only thing we can do now is stride towards a new adventure.

The Sensations of Christmas

After a long year of emotion and tears, I've made my way once again to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. We left at seven thirty in the morning, bundled up beneath Chino's fall breeze, and arrived, jackets off, in a surprisingly warm Disneyland. We were forced to bus over to the park, too, due to the massive holiday crowds. Annual passholders have the freedom to visit whenever they want, and especially during the season, so we weren't surprised when the wait times were large, and everyone gets into the holiday spirit, or, at least the idea of it.
     But we managed to dodge the waits. The most popular, E-ticket attractions were our first goal, and minus the space themed roller-coaster, and the famous Pirates of The Caribbean, we made our goals. We were eating lunch when we realized the theatre we were eating in had several more groups of people; leaving, open sidewalks, stores, and attraction lines were filled to capacity. Where did they all come from?
     The rest of the day was spent hunting for a ride, or some place to sit, but every location we spotted was taken and filled. The churro booth--with the infamous eight dollar stick of sugar--had a line that could only compare to a class registration line back at our campus--so sad, too bad, but come back later. My phone was dying, so these wait times were becoming more of a hindrance than a relaxing breath.
     My sister, a mother of one boy, called my brother to let us know she was on her way. The day was over around four thirty, so we hunkered to wait, but there was a commotion towards the front of Main Street U.S.A.. Moving to the front of the park, it was obvious, now: Disneyland was hosting their Candlelight Processional, a seasonal tribute to the holiday season with a reading from the Bible, depicting the first Christmas with a symphony orchestra and a large, boisterous choir. I knew the processions were hosted by a celebrity, so it wasn't a surprise such an event was popular, asides from the music. We crawled under the standing-room rope and waited for an hour to watch the hour long mass and performance--it was worth it.
     Choir performers marched down a darkened main street, candles in hand, filling the streets with amazing songs of Christmas, such as Noel and Silent Night. When they arrived to the train station, the greased-up, make-shift stage, the orchestra sounded fanfares over the parks and played along with the choir's lyrics. Once placed on the staircase of the station, our celebrity narrator, John Stamos, was announced, and he begun to read, stopping several lines to allow a song in from the orchestra and choir. I found it beautiful; however, everyone around me, mother included, was in tears.
     The performance took an hour, and each song built to the final performance of the Hallelujah chorus, rejoicing in the birth. Once finished, John Stamos began to discuss Disneyland, and its impact on him through life, acting, and raising a family. It took an emotional turn, when Stamos stated we were in a tough time at our nation's history, and we need to keep in mind the children in Connecticut, along with those few teachers, who lost their lives, and unlike us, will be unable to enjoy the magic of Disneyland, Christmas, and opening up presents with their families, ever again--I lost it. For Disney, the event was something I would have never expected; we see the animation company as one, while taking note of the tough times in life and growth, stands to an extent distant from touchy subjects, but this felt real. Observing the beauty of Christmas, stories of religion, and taking into mind the worst moments in our nation, giving silence to them in thought, Disney has shown me a new side, that while it might have always been there, I have never fully seen asides the eight minute introduction to the film, "Up." It wasn't just the audience in tears as John Stamos, too, stopped for a moment to calm himself.
     Disney and their theme-parks are not only moving to our nation's change of culture and problems, but adapting to it. Disneyland has always been a special place in my life for how they treat their guests and the holiday season. While expensive, the price of admission, to me, is well worth it, for they continue to hold not only great attractions and shows, but memorable, emotional events that can not compare to any other theme-park in the world. Even if it was crowded, me and my family had a great time, and enjoyed an event that is new to us, but we hope to return to in the future. Also, we never got to meet John Stamos; there were enough women in the audience, screaming, to let us know he, too, would be missed.

(my mother, myself, and my twin brother).

From my family to yours, we wish you a happy, safe holiday, and a glorious new year.