As Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” As a Disney-nerd, this quote is basically a necessity and motto to live by.

Throughout my life I have always been obsessed with Disney, and when I say obsessed I actually mean obsessed. I was always know as the girl who went to Disney all the time, watched the movies constantly, and had a tendency to spontaneous burst out into song, except unlike those magical characters I lack the voice of an angel.

Over the years, I have constantly heard from people how childish it is and how I’m “too old” to love Disney. But with time I have learned to love my Disney-nerd status. In fact I think it’s pretty cool.

To me, Disney isn’t just a theme park, movies, or the characters that we all know. It represents so much more. To me, it represents love, following your dreams, compassion, and family, the things that are most important to me. No matter what, Disney always tells us that good conquers evil and that being kind to others is the true key to happiness, and I think the world could use a little bit more of that, especially in the world we live in.

It goes way beyond just a tourism destination or movies to me. Disney is a way of life and shapes me in ways that I never knew it could. If anything, it has given me endless memories with my family and friends that I will cherish forever. The thing is, no matter what struggles are going on in your life, no matter how sad or stressed out you may be, the beauty that is true Disney magic makes you feel like anything is possible. Your worries melt away and leave you with joy. Disney doesn’t mess around when they say Hakuna Matata people.

I will always remember that first time I went to Disney. I was 5 years old and went with my entire family, the grandparents, the aunts, the uncles, the cousins. Everyone. We had the matching shirts and the whole nine yards. Of all amazing this we did on that trip that truly changed my life, there’s one thing that always stands out. And that is my family. The ability for this place and this world to create an atmosphere for our family and millions of others to experience memories that will last a lifetime is what makes it so special.

I will never be ashamed of my love for Disney. I will embrace it forever and continue to let everyone know how much I love it. It has made me who I am and had a significant impact on my family and myself. It taught me to love, to be kind, to be courageous, to be true to myself, and most importantly to dream.

So yes, I embrace being a Disney-nerd and all that comes with it. If you need me I’ll be at Disney.