Brotherly Love

I thought of this last night as I was squirming around trying to think of where m WDW CP ID was so that I can avoid a $35 fine from Access Control (which has now been found by my father in our massive basement - thanks dad!), that I'm really gonna miss my twin brother this summer.

We've never actually been apart for a long time, we practically grew up side-by-side. When we were younger, we grew up in a hotel. Mom was the lounge singer, and we had our own room in the hotel while mom slept in the living room. We got into such crazy antics all the time with our friend who worked at the candy counter (Who I had such a crush on) and our rich friend who's dad owned the hotel. We also went to high school together....on a cruise ship...oh wait, thats not my life. That's Dylan and Cole Sprouse on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody...my bad.

Okay, I don't have twin brother (wouldn't that be awesome?), but I do have a younger brother who's 18 and growing fast. We grew up together, practically side-by-side and this will be the second summer that I'll be away from him which is especially hard on me because he's graduating high school, and I won't be there to experience some of the important aspects of leaving High School: prom, graduation parties, getting ready for college....don't get me wrong, I'll be there for Graduation (I'm hopping a plane from Orlando on a Saturday, attending graduation on Sunday and hading back to work on Monday), I don't care if I get a reprimand, I will be there for his graduation...

But because of Disney being so far away from Michigan, I won't be there to guide him though some of these milestones like a big brother should. And that huts me inside. I want to make up for it through giving him a free vacation to Disney World, but he's been there so many times (including when I worked there in '07 for free) that he's probably sick of it by now...

We're going to college together for a semester, his first and my last, and I plan on spending alot of time with him to get him settled into the college life yet still giving him room to grow on his own, I just really wish that Disney World wasn't that far away this summer so I could be there to experience the traditions of leaving high school, like he did with me (albeit from far away because he was younger then).

I've never seen Brother Bear, but I might watch it to pick up some tips. =)

What about you? Any siblings or family members that you're sad to leae behind fo 5 - 8 months? Are your families going to come visit you on your program or vice-versa? Leave your stories in the comment below.

Have a Magical Day!

Packing is so not fun...

So as the days get closer to me leaving for Florida (4 days, 20 Hours, 0 Minutes, 0 Seconds),I've realized my blogs are getting more sparse. So for those who absolutely love reading these everyday, I apologize. If I come up with interesting topics between now and Check-in I'll make sure to post them...

One topic that has been on my mind ever since I came home for what is considered all one-week of my summer vacation is the ever painful subject of Packing.

I say painful, because I am known to be somewhat of an over packer. So much that on my first program, my mother flew down with me so that I could have one extra suitcase for all of my things for 5 months (there were other reasons but that was one of the main ones)! Thai time however, I do not have that luxury.

I finished packing my ONE (yes I shall repeat, ONE) suitcase of clothes, bed spreads and towels that I'll need this summer. It is literally packed to the core nothing else can fit into it. If a gernerous relative gives me some clothes to take down I would have to say "Sorry Generous relative, but I cannot fit it into my suitcase, so therefore I cannot take it with me...' Okay, so I won't be doing that but that's how much the suitcase is packed!

Lets just say I'll be doing laundry every two weeks...which means I'll have to make good friends with some ICP's because there is NO WAY I'm sanding $10 every two weeks on laundry. Not happening. Call me stubborn, thats just the way it is.

If you haven't realized by now, I'm flying down to Florida and so I do not have the luxury of packing 3 suitcases of things that I will ultimately not need, but I'll want to have with me for sentimental reasons because thats what an over packer does...

Northwestern Airlines (the airline I wlll be flying on) lets you have one suitcase per customer with charges for suitcases over 50lbs. (Which I'm hoping mine is under but we can never be too sure) And I'm bringing a carry on that can be considered a carry-on but they'll have to put in that special bin before you get on the plane. That will be used to bring my material possessions which does not include my computer because the screen burned out and I'm using my television screen right now to get online and use other things my computer does and I unfortunately cannot bring my TV and I don't plan on shipping it. So this little bug will be without a computer unless I get the urgent need to get on a bus to Vista Way from Patterson (fingers crossed) to go to the Media Center to log on for hours. Fun times!

So I'll be packing my material possessions which I can tell you right now will include my pin set, my POTC flag, my Little's Fraternity Plank he made for me (everybody go "awwww" now!), a mickey photo album, many DVD's to watch on my roommates TV which I'm sure we'll have because I'm optimistic about that...

Other things I'll figure out as I go along. Some things I'll have to leave here but I honestly have no use for them, it'll just be nice to have them with me. But sacrifices will have to be made because for this 3 months summer expedition I will not have the luxury of packing everything I own. I'll get over it eventually!

How is your packing going? Any interesting stories to share? Anything you're sad about leaving? Are you flying or driving? How much are you packing? Help me out and leave me your stories and tips about packing in the comments below....

...and I have yet to find my ID. Lets hope I find that today in the midst of my cleaning and packing. Lauren has to find her chapstick and 8GB Flash Drive...I'm right there with you Lauren!

Have a Magical Day!

- Will