Sometimes, all you need is to be a child again. To excitedly wait for your turn at a rollercoaster, feeling like a two-hour-long queue lasts only two minutes. To savor ice cream shaped like Mickey Mouse, because it tastes better that way. To see your favorite movies come to life and feel like you are a character in them, fighting dragons and flying with fairies. Sometimes, all you truly need is an escape from reality at the happiest place on earth.
This Thanksgiving break, I had the opportunity of visiting Disneyworld with my family, and it was a life-changing trip that I will always treasure. Visiting the parks again for the first time since 2016 was truly magical, and I got to relive my childhood dreams as a twenty-year-old. We visited the four parks in two days, which was definitely intense, but the memories we made were absolutely worth it.
At Animal Kingdom, I got to discover the world of Pandora, from the movie “Avatar”, and it was breathtaking. The rides were spectacular, and I felt I was inside the movie, connecting to the nature and wonders around me. At Epcot, I got to try amazing food from all around the world, from Norwegian pastries to my very first Turkey leg ever (I finally was able to cross that item from my foodie bucket list!).
Hollywood Studios greeted me with a heaven for all Star Wars fans, and classic rides like the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Finally, Magic Kingdom was everything I yearned for and more: from trying the famous Dole Whip ice cream (it is phenomenal).
From seeing the beautiful fireworks and character parades, my heart was soaring and happier than it had been in a while. I was a kid again: walking through the parks without a care in the world, eating multiple snacks with no knowledge of the calories or nutrients, and experiencing pure bliss in every little moment.
This trip reminded me that there is magic in every moment and every day, and that it is up to us to find it. Look for the little things in your life that are magical: the leaves falling, a cup of hot chocolate or watching Disney movies after a long day. You don’t have to travel to Orlando to experience this child-like magic, for it is already within you. All you have to do is be brave enough to unlock it.
(But a trip to Orlando doesn’t hurt, either. Just saying.)