Essay 1 Workshop

As I sit here and look through these photographs, I can’t help but to have a huge smile on my face; these images of great memories that were created at Disneyland, now sealed in between a book of black leather. In August of 2009 my wonderful girlfriend Nicole, her adorable daughter Evany, and I took a ten hour road trip to Anaheim, California to spend four wonderful days in Disneyland. This magical vacation brought magical memories that helped bring our family together as one.


People may feel that a ten-hour-straight drive is something they’ll never do, especially in order to vacate life for a short period of time, but for me, it is a perfect time to get to know someone better. Before this, driving for extended periods of time was just another part of being a Marine, convoying and trying to find mud houses in the middle of nowhere. This trip was something different, something special. Being able to communicate with my two favorite people in the world, singing, talking about deep emotions, playing road trip games were all things I hadn’t been able to do since taking road trips with my immediate family growing up. Being able to be the host of those things really meant something different to me, something that I will cherish my whole life.

Disneyland’s otherworldly atmosphere had a way of making us all lose focus with what was going on in our daily lives. Being the first time Evany and myself had been to Disneyland gave us energy that lasted seemingly forever to explore the deepest reaches of Disneyland. It was an amazing thing to see, her eyes light up as we passed through the ticket check area and came into the sight of “The Enchanted Castle.” At that moment, it seemed that was what Evany lived for, it meant the world to her, and to be a part of that is unforgettable in itself.

There is so much to do at Disneyland, and unless you are willing to pay a fortune to spend the time to do it all, you will be rushing the whole time you’re there. Pulling Nicole and Evany around, rushing all around the park is one of the memories that made Disneyland not seem like an actual vacation at all. I don’t think I’d been as busy as we were in Disneyland, since I was at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, being marched around by drill instructors the ten hours a day we weren’t eating or sleeping. We got to most of the rides we really wanted to go on while we were there, but didn’t have enough time to really enjoy the park for what it was.

The nights staying in our suite in Anaheim, after a long day, when the excitement from the day finally caught up with us was a whole different experience. We stayed up as long as our bodies could cope with our spirits, watching movies, playing board games, and bonding those couple of hours nightly before we gave in to our exhaustion. Dealing with Evany, as tired as she was would not be joyful for many, that’s how I realized how much I loved her, my ability to handle her during those tough times.

The picture that I chose with Mickey Mouse, Evany, Nicole, and I at Tunetown, in Mickey’s own house symbolizes my experiences at Disneyland. We had finally reached the true reason we were at Disneyland, being together as a family, meeting the one that made Disney what it is. After waiting three hours in line, just to meet and take a picture with him seemed appropriate for what a good part of the time at Disneyland was; hurry up and wait. After our vacation and twentieth hour of driving over the past five days we finally returned home, not long for me though, the next day I had to leave for two weeks with the Marine Corps and live on the memories I acquired during our four days at Disneyland. It was not until I returned from that two weeks with the Corps that I had realized how the vacation, and 120 hours side by side with my family, had solidified the tight bond that we still have to this day. Pictures are valuable things that record great moments and memories, and to me, this picture is why I believe a picture truly speaks a thousand words.