That thing that I did...almost part 1

 Remember how I have gone on and on and on about the Dopey Challenge? Well the time finally came, and I did it....almost. I'll get to that, but first you have to go through all the boring details. Sorry that's life, deal with it.

So my excitement and nervousness has been steadily building for a long time about this adventure. There were going to be a lot of firsts for me on this trip. First time in a commercial airplane, first time to Florida, first time to Disney World, first marathon......so there I was the night before we were leaving and I finally decide to pack my things. No big deal, I had a list made of the important things I couldn't forget. I borrowed some luggage from my brother, glad I did because the duffel bag I was going to use would not have cut it! I finally finished packing about 10p.m. and headed to bed. In the morning I got up and showered and did what any normal person would do, I wrote an "In case the plane crashes and I die" letter. Totally normal right? Whatev, don't judge, it could happen and if it did I wanted to be prepared. Then I woke up Brian and we were off.

Brian delivered us to the airport safely, and since our flight got moved back a few times, we were plenty early. I've never been in an airport before, so I am glad that we were in Milwaukee because it was small. Ashley is a pro at these things so she got us all taken care of. We had a bite to eat and went through security. Enter the beginning of the adventure. I had read all the lists, I had my luggage all packed accordingly so there was nothing in my carryon that shouldn't be. I wasn't wearing a belt and I had no pockets to hide things in. I wasn't wearing baggy clothing, I was perfect.....except, I apparently didn't get the memo that putting your hair in a bun makes you suspicious! So I immediately got the pat down! No biggy, they are just there for our safety so it's cool. But at the time I was like what makes me so suspicious? I didn't get it until she said that she was going to feel my hair. I mean really, I don't have nice hair or anything, why do you want to feel it? Anywhoo, after security we waited... and waited some more. That was fine, gave me a chance to get all nervous and shit, you know, plane crashing and what not. I was prepared for entering the plane, my 7 year old filled me in on that. (Yep, he is a more seasoned traveler than I am. Although he did try to convince me the plane was going to Maine not Florida)

SO we get on the plane and Ashley is by the window and I continue to get more freaked out. For a minute I considered totally losing it so they would yank me off the plane, but getting thrown in airport jail didn't seem like a better option. So I kept telling myself that the pilots knew what they were doing and we would be fine.  The plane started to move and I panicked a bit, but we weren't even taking off yet so I calmed down. We got all lined up and started going real fast down the runway and Ashley is all like sweet I love the take off, and I'm all like OMG we are going to die! But the plane took off and I continued to freak out inside my head. I quickly learned that as long as I could see out the window I was ok. So I spent most of the flight sitting awkwardly so that I could see outside. Apparently I get claustrophobic, which I already knew but I didn't realize that it applied to airplanes as well. The flight from Milwaukee to Atlanta was ok, it was our longest flight but was pretty uneventful.

Ashley navigated us through the airport in Atlanta, we got to ride a train (I think it was more like a subway, but they call it a train so whatever we will go with that then) and we made it to our next gate and waited a bit before getting on our second plane. This time Ashley and I weren't seated together, but she was right in front of me so it was ok. I had a window seat so I was excited, except it was directly on the wing.

 

 Did you know the wing does this wobbling thing while you are flying? It's kind of freaky when you are already convinced that you are going to die in a plane crash. But I told myself it was normal, I mean hello, dangle anything like that in high winds and it will wobble. Logic made sense here so I just tried to enjoy the scenery. It is something amazing to be above the clouds.

 

The lights at night as we came into Orlando were absolutely incredible! And there is that wing again, still attached to the plane. From the airport we took a shuttle to our hotel, which was actually close to an hour from the airport, I didn't realize it was that far but I guess hello, can't put an airport right in the city duh! We got checked into the hotel, threw our bags in our room and went for some Ihop. Yup, across the country on a big adventure and we go to Ihop, that's how we roll and it was delicious! When we got back to the room I discovered that my luggage had also been subject to search by the tsa. Apparently I am a rather suspicious person. But, all my underpants were brand new so it's all good, nothing interesting in there, search away. Thanks little bro for giving me luggage with a million pockets in which to conceal dangerous items.

 

Wednesday we had to get our race bibs and packets so we figured out how to get to our destination. We had 2 options, pay a taxi to take us directly there, or take a very roundabout way that took 2 hours to essentially go a mile from our hotel but was free....of course we chose the roundabout way, we had all day anyway. So we got on a shuttle bus outside our hotel that took us to Magic Kingdom. From there we took a ferry across the lake to the Magic Kingdom entrance.

Picture from said ferry.

 

After we got off the ferry we got on a bus that took us to the Pop Century hotel. Guess what, on the way we went back out the exact way we had come in..aye aye aye. We got off the bus and onto another bus that took us to where we needed to be. On the way back we just paid a taxi, why not get all forms of public transportation in one day right? First time in an actual taxi cab there. Had one of those meters and everything.