Moving across the country and starting a whole new life in a completely new area can be extremely intimidating and scary. Thankfully, the friends who I made during my college program made the transition so much easier. Whether I met you at check-in, during training, at work or you were with me from the beginning as one of my roommates, I am so thankful and appreciative of how you impacted my life. If it wasn’t for you, my time working for the Mouse would have been so much different.

Thank you to those who I met during training. Right from the start of training, I knew that we were going to have a blast training and working together. Many of you became some of my best friends while on the program and I can’t imagine what those four months would have been like. Each one of you in my training group made an impact on not only my Disney College Program, but also on my life. This is the coolest thing about working at Disney—your work peers begin to feel like family and leaving them behind is the hardest thing in the world.

Thank you to those who I met while working at Disney. To my fellow attendants, Photopass photographers, captains and performers: you were the reason why I enjoyed coming to work so much. Playing (what often felt like hours of) charades with the performers, singing with the amazing Photopass photographers who frequented my locations, and rolling our eyes and laughing with my other attendant was what made work so much fun. To all the Epcot entertainment family, you are truly amazing and thank you so much for all the memories that you have given to me.

Thank you to my roommates of Vista Way. Thank you for becoming my first friends while living at Disney and for being there after long days of work. Although all six of us were completely different people, we managed to make it work. I’m so appreciative of the beach trip, the endless days and nights at the theme parks, and for movie nights with snacks at the apartment. Thank you all for helping make the large adjustment seem like nothing.

When you first begin the Disney College Program, you hear so many amazing stories about the program, but one of the areas not talked about enough are the friendships that will be created. Thank you all for becoming some of my closest friends and for dealing with my sarcasm, sass, and extroverted personality. I love and miss you all.