An Introduction To My Obsession With Disneyland

This post is simply an excuse to share my love for Disneyland with you all. Call me crazy, but Disneyland and California Adventure are truly two of my favorite places in the world. People travel from all over the country and all over the world to experience the magic that these two places hold and i'm lucky enough to live less than two hours away. This past Christmas, I was even more spoiled when Josh bought me a season pass so I could start going regularly with all of our other friends that were pass holders. Let me just say that these friends that I go with are some of the biggest Disney lovers and the best tour guides. Going on trips like these truly gives me a sense of how blessed I really am. Every single person that went on this trip are friends of Josh's and are people HE introduced me to. While I was on this trip, I couldn't help but laugh at myself because when Josh and I started dating, I was deathly afraid of attending bible study for the first time out of fear that these people wouldn't like me. Fast forward 9 months and i'm on an overnight trip to Disneyland with them having the absolute time of my life and making memories that we will laugh about for years to come. (Unfortunately Josh couldn't come because he is still recovering from his ACL surgery) Moral of the story: God has blessed me with these amazing people and has now made them mine AND Josh's life-long friends. These are some of the people that will be around for our biggest life events and I couldn't be more thankful for that.

Okay, back to the magical kingdom! When I rummaged through my closet the morning that we left, I was reminded of the fact that I still don't own any cute Disney gear which is slightly depressing. I tell myself every trip that i'm going to find an adorable "Frozen" t-shirt to wear and some sequined Mickey ears but it never actually happens. The next best thing was my favorite polka dot top that reminded me of Minnie Mouse. Pairing that top with my "go-to" skinnies and a pair of rhinestoned converse from my Prom night almost five years ago just made sense.

-Top

-Bottoms

-Shoes

-Necklace

Some of you may be wondering why at 21 years of age I feel the need to go to Disneyland so much. In all honesty, something I've learned about being in your twenties, YOU NEVER STOP. There is always something going on in your life. Whether it be school, work, attending or planning baby showers & bridal showers, going to family functions, going to weddings, spending time with the girls, spending time with your man, and so much more. My days seem to just fill up with everything and anything you could possibly think of. Truthfully, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love the life that I live and the people in it but I could always use a break and an escape. Disneyland reminds you that you're never too old to ride roller coasters, eat endless amounts of sweets, dance around in crowds of people, sing along to your favorite Disney songs, and so much more. You get to be a kid again with no judgement from the people there or your friends because they are all experiencing the exact same thing. 

Here are some of my favorite pictures from our most recent trip:

My friend Chelsea & I got matching souvenir cups that we were slightly in love with! It's no secret that Disneyland can suck your wallet dry, so these cups were a great idea! Only $6.99 for the cup and about $1 for re-fills throughout the day. If you plan on getting multiple drinks throughout the day, this is the way to go! You can find them in California Adventure at "Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta"!

California Screamin'= BEST ROLLERCOASTER!

(This was our friend Mikey's first time ever on it!)

Such a fun group! :)

My friend Chelsea came up with an idea for the group every time they go: loser of the Toy Story game buys everyone ice cream! Thankfully my friend Amanda and I didn't lose and my score improved from last time we were there! (Even though it's still pretty bad!) 

You all are going to take something away from this post whether it be, "Dang, that girl is crazy," or "I need to go to Disneyland ASAP!" I definitely hope it's the second one and you all remind yourselves to be a kid for a day every once in a while. We all live crazy lives; especially the group of people I went with. The beauty of it all is that while we are growing and dealing with some of life's biggest obstacles, we are remembering to dance in the middle of Main St. I challenge you all to do the same thing. No, i'm not asking you to go to Disneyland and literally dance on Main St., i'm just asking you to take a deep breath. Take a sick day and play a round of golf with some buddies, get up early and go for a walk along the beach at sunrise with your dog, get away for the weekend with your significant other, take your kids on an adventure, have a "Twilight" movie marathon with your girls, JUST BE HAPPY. I challenge you all to "live a little" in your own way this week. Just make a promise to yourself to have ONE stress free day. There will come a time in life where you'll regret it if you don't. I'm at an age where I should be living the way I did this day. Yes, I need to make money, I need to further my education, and I need to make many "big girl" decisions. But some days, I need to live a little. Some of you may think I have a stress-free life and I know for a fact some of you do, but I don't. I worry for others I love, I lose sleep over the littlest things, and i'm constantly stressing about money and school. But I refuse to let those things drain me. I refuse to let the real world take my inner child that "ooohhh's and ahhhh's" when she sees a Disney princess or Mickey!

Until next time Disneyland! 

With all of my love,

XO- Riley