I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you

Two weekends left.
It all started about 17 months ago and is now coming down to two weekends.
Looking back to when I first accepted the job,
I wonder if I would have accepted it knowing that it would impact my life so much.
It hasn't been just a job, it's been my life.

Next summer I may be back,
But not as a ride host.
I need an internship in theatre,
And well there's always Live E.
But it won't be the same.
It'll be a whole different job,
With brand new people.

I know I have already posted once about Cedar Point,
But I really just wanted to thank and acknowledge all the wonderful people I have met there.
I can't even imagine my life without you people.

My crew last summer was perfect,
We were all kind of a band of misfits that fit together Iike a puzzle.
And then I went to Meanstreak for a week and they adopted me like I was one of their own.

And this year.
Unfortunate ride situations, but I got the opportunity to work with so many crews and meet so many great people.
Huge thank you to the Antique Cars crew for basically making me one of your own when I had nowhere to go.
And to Mine Ride,
And to Dino's,
Thank you.
And then there's my actual crew.
We went through so much this summer,
Things other crews couldn't even imagine,
But in the end we all turned out alright.
I couldn't ask for a better, more hardworking crew.
Supervision and management, receive the second biggest thank you.
You all are amazing.
I will never be happy at any other job because no one will ever compare to you all.

My biggest thank you of all goes to the three closest people I met in my journey as a ride host.
Steve Strandburg, Brittney Kottke, and Kate Wilhem.
Thank you all so much.
Lets cram an eternities worth of memories into these final days.

"May these memories break our fall"

Nothing we say is gonna save us from the fall out

I am talented at many things.
I have many skills.
One thing I've never been good at, though, is keeping friends.

Today sitting in class,
My professor told us to close our eyes and picture our best friend.
The one person who is always there for you in your darkest moments,
I closed my eyes and flashbacks of old friends danced in my mind.
I have had friends.
Many friends.
Some of them were really close, others more like acquaintances.
All of them had a common denominator,
There was always a fall out.


In high school, I never had many friends.
A vast majority of my nights were hanging out with my dad watching hockey.
Then the tables turned senior year and I made two really great friends.
After a rough year, we eventually fell apart.
I start college, make really great friends, transfer schools, lose really great friends.
Go to this whole new world, make tremendous new best friends.
But as usual, we fall out.
I could write a book called "Maybe I'm the Problem,"
But the story goes, friends I make usually leave when I need them most.


I'm still sitting here, my mind running at high speeds trying to think of one person.
Then I can only see one face, hear one laugh, one voice,
Clear as day.

My sister, Stephanie, is five years younger than I am.
We have always been more like friends than sisters.
She has never judged me,
Fully understands my love for Taylor Swift,
Dances with me to silly music at 2 am,
Watches the same stupid movies on repeat with me (even after all these years I will ever tire of 27 Dresses)
I know her secrets, she knows mine.
She would never leave me because I had a bad day(s)

You are my person, you will always be my person

Right here, right now

So many people are constantly wishing their lives away.
We've all done.
"I can't wait for this summer to be over"
When fall finally comes around "I can't wait until next summer!"
"I just wanna be 16"
Now 18.
Now 21.

We spend our lives constantly wanting the next chapter, but we are missing out on the right here and now.
The day you're wishing for will come soon, but will it ever be enough?

Same goes for the past.
People make mistakes,
Sometimes little ones like forgetting your homework at home,
Sometimes big things that'll change your life forever.
Learn from your mistakes, don't dwell.
What's past is past.

Start living in the now.
Enjoy being 20 and not 21,
Chances are you'll be too broke for alcohol when you turn 21 anyway.
Enjoy your job now because chances are next summer everything will change, nothing will be the same.

I spent my entire high school career wishing for it to be over so I could go to college.
I spent my entire freshmen year of college wishing for it to be over so I could go to a new school.
I spent my entire sophomore year of college wishing for it to be over to so I could go back to Cedar Point.
I spent the entire summer wishing for it to be over because nothing was the same and I wanted back at school.

Now I sit and cherish the remaining weekends of work, the remaining weeks of school.

Enjoy the little things.
Enjoy the now.

Time of your life

About 18 months ago, the end of my freshman year of college, my mom applied for a job for me.
When she told me I didn't even think too much about it or if I even wanted to do it.
Within a few weeks I got a call back to work at America's number one voted amusement park.
I decided to do it.

The summer of 2012 was life changing.
I met new people,
Discovered new interests,
Welcomed impacting people into my life,
And moved hours away from home to little Sandusky Ohio.

It was such an experience of a lifetime, I went back this summer.
Even though this summer is kind of a giant blur, looking back,
I do not regret going back.
And then summer ended and I needed to leave for many reasons.
But last weekend I went back, and will be back for the rest of the season.
I couldn't be happier.

Today while leaving class, someone noticed a Maverick button on my purse
They rolled their eyes and said to their friend "Cedar Point employees are way to obsessed with their job."
We are obsessed with our job.
And why wouldn't we be?

Every weekend I get to leave school and hang out at an amusement park.
I get to live and work with my best friends.
I get to meet thousands of people a day and be thanked for simply ensuring their safety.
I get to watch little kids smile, their eyes light up because I asked how their ride was.
Why shouldn't we be obsessed with our job?
It's honestly the experience of a lifetime.