magic is real
As many of you know from stalking me on social media, I went on a trip to Orlando, Florida last week. And it was truly amazing.
The trip was a HUGE milestone for me. I celebrated ONE YEAR in recovery from my eating disorder. I did most of my adventuring totally by myself. This meant navigating the unknown while flying solo. Something that previously would have 100% given me a full-blown anxiety attack. Sure, I got lost a few times. I got overheated and tired. It was expensive. But I did it. Cheerfully and with excitement. Because the experience I worked so hard to allow myself to have was totally WORTH IT.
I was in good enough condition mentally, emotionally, and physically to explore all that Universal Studios Orlando had to offer. I enjoyed delicious food and beverages, I walked miles and miles and miles each day, I made decisions, I navigated feelings of both excitement and anxiety, and I listened to my body.
I got there when the park first opened and I actually ended up leaving at around 1pm both days. It was so so hot and humid. I decided it was better to call it early and thoroughly enjoy my time at the park than it was to force myself to stay all day to “get my moneys worth” and be miserable. And I am entirely satisfied with my decision.
I mostly went to Universal to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and it did NOT disappoint. I (of course) got myself a wand at Ollivanders, which made the experience even more awesome. I visited all the shops. I drank a butterbeer BOTH days (cold, not frozen…it tastes JUST like cream soda, which is my favorite). I sent Skylar a card from Hogsmeade. I rode the Hogwarts Express. I witnessed the fire-breathing dragon at Gringotts. And I got plenty of awesome pictures.
My second-favorite thing was the Jurassic Park section of Islands of Adventure. It was an awesome atmosphere full of photo-ops. I got a video and plenty of pictures of me meeting Blue the velociraptor. Definitely a memory I will cherish.
The only bummer?
I got covid. Luckily it didn’t hit until the day after we got back home. But boy did it knock me out. I seriously felt like death. Like I couldn’t even watch TV I was so useless. I ended up canceling EVERYTHING I had planned for this week. I’m definitely on the upswing now, but those first few days were NOT cool. When I went to urgent care on Saturday, they prescribed me Lagevrio (Paxlovid interacts with one of my medications) because I’m part of an “at risk” population. But today is Wednesday and CVS STILL does not have the medication. Which, you know, is just fabulous.
But. Even in the miserable moments during those first few days with covid. I do NOT regret my decision to travel to Universal. It was so much more than a trip to an amusement park for me. It represented a major victory. It celebrated freedom. It gave me hope and excitement for the future. It convinced me that ANYTHING is possible.
That magic…
is real.