Well so much has happened since the last month, I got a call near on 3 weeks ago asking if I was prepared to accept an October start date onboard the Disney Dream, without hesitation I accepted. Considering I was initially advised that I would most likely be offered a January / Feb start date, they were now offering me a date which was 26 days away - So many thoughts ran through my mind, mainly the fact I still didn't even hold a US visa (Thankfully that was already booked in for 4 days after the phone call).
Being the anxious person I am, I do not enjoy Visa day, this was my third time I've applied for US visas and you would think the stress levels would reduce each time, but no - It's quite the opposite for me. Thankfully i always book an early appointment so i don't have too much time to stress, although I go through my paperwork countless times to make sure its all there (even though i KNOW it is). The process itself this time was relatively pain free, and even ended up being offered an extra 5 year US visitor visa, so given that my C1/D Crew visa is valid for 5 years I will not have to go to the embassy for another visa for 5 years (hooray). On a funny (albeit stressful) not, do not have a USB in your wallet when you enter the embassy, let alone two of them haha. - We'll save that story for another day.
The last three weeks have been a blur, I was warned that Disney Cruise Line usually send out your flight details only a few days before your flight, again as a stressful person this is not ideal for me. Thankfully I got them nearly a week ago and am thrilled with the flight - its a 26 hour trip, which is as direct as you can get from Aus to Orlando.
Over these weeks, I should have been getting excited/ nervous / prepared for my life onboard the cruise ship, yet I seem to not be able to get my mind off the fact I get to spend 4 full days in Orlando (2 of which are training days) where I will be able to see my Disney friends, I can't even find the words to express how happy I am to go back to the place where I was SO happy to be surrounded once again by some amazing friends - Having this on my mind has been great too because its deterred my from over thinking the fact I will be spending 6 months onboard a ship, with no day off until April - You'd think with those stats I'd be questioning my decision to accept this role, but NO, I know that this is exactly the right adventure for me at this exact time.
This time next week and I'll be in Orlando, So the next 5 days I guess I should get my act together and start packing - As a serial overpacker - this task is going to be the most difficult part of the application process, If you could see how tiny the wardrobe storage is on board you'd understand why - but at the end of the day, I am Loren and I WILL over pack - "Certain as the sun, rising in the east"
