A lot of people that know me know that after my first year of college, I left to work at Disney World through the Disney College Program. If you know me, you know that working there was a dream I had for years. It was the proudest moment of my life when I got into that program. I still remember getting the congratulatory e-mail when I was half asleep, and jumping out of my bed in my freshman dorm screaming at the top of my lungs that I got in -- and probably waking everyone who lived in my hall. I don't think I'll ever forget that moment.

A lot of people also know that about a month into my program, I left. I got up and moved my entire life to come back after only a month. I started begging my parents to let me come home after 3 weeks. I left the happiest place on earth because I wasn't happy. No, it's not that I wasn't happy -- I just wasn't ready.

A lot of people have made a variety of assumptions and judgments about me ever since I left. Some called me weak, some called me a failure, and some people lost a lot of respect for me. I feel like I never really got to address the issue, but I want to now -- almost 3 years later.

Maybe it's because a lot of my friends have done and are doing the program and it's taking me back to my time there. Maybe it's because I think back a lot about how different my life would be if I had stayed. I'm not sure why I'm saying this all now - but I think it's something I finally need to get off my chest.

Before I got accepted into the program, I contemplated changing my major three times. I was actually about to move back home and go to my local community college because I was so unsure about what I was going to do with my education. I also was doing horribly in school because I had no sort of focus or idea of what I wanted to do. Needless to say, I was a mess. Then I got accepted and felt as if I finally had a way out of my sticky situation.

I also had never held a real job before I got into the program. My 'first' job I quit after three days, my second job was maybe 15 hours a week for three months, and I even quit an on-campus job before my first shift. I didn't have much of a work ethic if you couldn't tell.

So here I was, 1,500 miles from home feeling as if I had a 'fresh start.' I felt as if this was going to be the moment my life was about to turn around and automatically get better. I was going to stay in Florida and transfer to UCF and all of my dreams would come true. Well, my life did turn around - and it was because I left.

When I was down there, I felt this endless sense of regret. Leaving school is something I harped on the second I moved in. I felt as if I just avoided my issues with my education by running off to Disney and not facing the real problem head on. I hated myself for that. I hated myself for deciding not to get my education in order before anything, especially because I had never envisioned myself even having the opportunity to go to college.

Given my lack of work ethic, the long hours I would be working easily intimidated me and gave me a plethora of anxiety attacks. It sounds so stupid, but I had no sense of what it was like to work a real job. I had no real sense of responsibility, and given the fact that I would have been working a handful of location - my anxiety easily got the best of me every time I walked onto that bus to head to Magic Kingdom from my apartment.

Lastly, I don't think I was ready to be on my own. I'm a huge family person, and I can't even bear the thought of not being near them. So picking up and leaving everyone I cared about behind so abruptly had me in a bad place. After all, it wasn't like I was just in Buffalo and a 45-minute plane ride or 7-hour train ride away. It was harder for me.

So because of all this, I left - and I lost the respect of some really great people. Some were able to forgive me and we've been able to become close once again - others completely cut me off and never looked back. To those people, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I walked out on what was to be the greatest experience of our lives. I'm sorry I left you without warning.

While there's so many people I could apologize to, I will never apologize for leaving. Ever since I left Disney, I made a promise to myself that I would get my sh*t together - and I did exactly that. I came home from Disney and landed myself a shift manager position at a local frozen yogurt shop, and immediately re-enrolled at Buffalo State for the Spring 2015 semester. I got a part time retail job the second I moved up to Buffalo which I maintained for over a year, then moved on to another full-time position in the direct care field that I've been at for almost a year now.

Since I got back to school, I have gotten a minimum 3.0 or higher every single semester. My studies are my first priority and I've never been more sure about becoming a journalist. I've been able to gain so much experience since I realized that writing was my calling (for example, look at how well Odyssey is going for me) and for once, I felt confident in the choice that I made.

I don't hate Disney. I still love Disney with everything in me. It's still the happiest place on earth in my eyes. Every time I head down to visit my family, I'm sure to spend at least a day at the park. I'm so grateful to have been chosen to experience working there, even if it was for a very short amount of time - but I'm also thankful for leaving because it forced me to grow up. I don't think I would be where I am right now if I had stayed, if I'm going to be quite honest.

So you can judge me all you want -- but at least now you can judge me on the truth and not your assumptions. And at the end of the day, I'm okay with the decision I made 2 1/2 years ago -- even if you're not.