A Happier Time

I want to take some time today to remember a happier time.

Now, I am NOT saying I am depressed. That is not the case!

I'm just trying to say that given the current reality we all live in - a global pandemic #COVID-19 - I want to take time to reflect on a different time. One before this current time. A happier time.

A time when I traveled to the happiest place on earth to make a dream come true. A time that inspired a proud, smiling face and produced shiny bling.

After many months of training, my friends and I traveled to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February of this year.

Walt Disney World in Florida is my ultimate happy place. And traveling to that happy place with Jaimee and Kayla (#runningbuddies) to accomplish a goal I wasn't sure I would ever have the courage to tackle, well, it was a dream come true.

We awoke early (like 2:00am, I think) the morning of the race to prepare to run, and the magic started as soon as we arrived at the race venue.

We met up with another friend while there (Hi, Amy!), and we scored another magical pic.

Then we just had to wait for what seemed like forever for the race to begin.

After the fireworks finally went off for our race to begin, time flew by, and before we knew it, we were entering Magic Kingdom and making our way toward that gorgeous castle. 

About mile 5.5

Running through the castle while tackling 13.1 miles, I just can't explain it. My cup overflowed.

Getting ready to run through it...

  

Dream Come True

I was in the happiest place on earth, my ultimate happy place, doing something that makes me happy (#running), with ladies that make me super happy.

Me in my element.

Running to and through Magic Kingdom was THE best! Running back to and through Epcot, was, exhausting  - to say the least.

But the race ended with super shiny bling and a bus ride back to the hotel to prepare to spend the rest of the day in my happy place - Magic Kingdom.

After eating great food, enjoying a parade, and riding some rides, the day ended as it should when you are at Disney. Watching the best fireworks show around.

Truly, magical. A happier time. One of the happiest you could have on this earth.

This Magic Moment: The Disney Princess 5K

Once upon a time, in the southern state of Georgia, there lived a runner who had a dream. Her greatest fantasy was to one day dress up as her favorite fairy tale princess (Snow White) and run through one of the parks at Walt Disney World.

Every year, she read runners' blog posts about their dashes through Disney. She scrolled through pics on her Facebook news feed of her friends racing in the most magical place on earth. And every year, she would longingly say to herself, "I'm going to do that... one day..."

Years passed, and finally, the runner could stand it no longer. She knew she must do whatever it took to make this dream a reality!

So, she messaged some of her most beloved friends and running buddies. She proposed that they unite and work together to make this fantasy an actuality. And they agreed!

Upon hearing her three girlfriends had her back - as they had similar ambitions of dressing up and running through one of the happiest places in all the land -  the runner called upon her friends at Magically Ever After Travel. And with the assistance of agent Jenny Casey, the plans were set to run the magical 5K through Epcot during the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend presented by Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

When the day arrived for the runner and her fellow females to embark on the journey, she simply could not contain her joy. Smiling from ear to ear at 4am, she awoke that morning, readied herself, grabbed the bags she had already packed, and, accompanied by her friend Jordan, drove to pick up her other two running buddies Jaimee and Dusty. Their journey had begun!

The drive to Walt Disney World went quickly by, and before they knew it, the runners had arrived at what appeared to be runners' heaven on earth - the runDisney Health and Fitness Expo!

At the expo, they picked up their race bibs and shirts, purchased a couple racing items, and got further excited by the running atmosphere.

New hat!

Reluctantly, they then went to check-in at their hotel, but soon after dropping off their bags, the runners went to Disney Springs to shop! Too excited, they stayed out very late but eventually went back to their lodging to rest up for the race the next morning.

At 3am, the runner's alarm went off, and she awoke to the sound of Snow White singing "I'm Wishing." She sprung out of bed, yet again smiling from ear to ear, and proceeded to get dressed in her Snow White running outfit purchased from Rock City Skirts.

Dressed as her favorite princess and accompanied by her dear friends, the now newly transformed running princess made her way to the 5K start line. Absolutely nothing could ruin this magical day. And magical it was!

Fireworks marked the start of the race!

Everything was enchanting as she ran among other runners also realizing their dreams coming true. And what made the whole experience even more amazing was that she got to run the race with her bestest running buddie, Jaimee.

It was absolutely spellbinding running through the night with Disney music filling the air and everything all aglow.

The running buddies stopped on occasion to take pictures of moments they wanted to remember forever.

It was an extraordinary experience!

Even crossing the finish line felt magical.

And as if all that wasn't enough to make the runner smile for the rest of her life, at the conclusion of the race, she and her friend were handed a beautiful talisman to forever gaze upon and remember their spellbinding journey together.

The runner's dream had finally come true!

To further mark the momentous occasion, after refreshing themselves back at the hotel, the runner and her friends then spent the rest of the day at The Magic Kingdom where even more wonderful, fascinating, and altogether marvelous moments were realized!

Driving back to Georgia the next day, after a few more stops to shop, the friends fondly remembered their time in Walt Disney World. After everyone arrived home safely, the runner laid her head on her pillow that night knowing now - after finally realizing her dream of dressing up as Snow White and running through one of the parks at Walt Disney World - now she could live happily ever after.