Vacation and Disney

When we went to Florida, our reason for going was to compete at the AAU Nationals. But for ME, I was focusing more on vacation after celebrating TMAFC's second anniversary, doing my six day 4th Dan pretest, my actual 4th Degree test, it was a full month (a full year actually) and I was looking forward to relaxing and having fun, something I need to learn to do more of.

Lisa and I flew into Florida on a Saturday and Kristin and a few friends drove up the night before We stayed in my parent's condo in Delray, Florida. The first full day we had we all went to the beach. I don't think I went to the beach AT ALL last year. And years before that I would go maybe once out of the entire summer when I visited my grandparents. I was already starting my summer off in a great way and it was a beach in Florida! It's been so long and I LOVED being in the water. I was in my element. That night I made a big pot of sauce for a Florida Macaroni Sunday!

We went a little all over the place in Florida. I was in Ft. Lauderdale three times during the week. One day to visit my student's hotels and train with them for the tournament, another to compete in sparring while balancing some pool time and fireworks on the beach, and another day when we all competed in forms and had our team dinner. One morning Kristin and I went back to the beach and that night we all went to Miami for drinks and dinner. We enjoyed pool time and nightime on the linai.

I can't remember how much fun I had on a vacation. I've been on many vacations but I would always find a way to train and workout, find time to work or do research, and always making plans for when I get home. It's a bad habit of mine, and I always would do that to myself, no one else. I did to me. But this time, I didn't take out my notebook, never turned on the computer, didn't wake up early to workout, I just simply enjoyed my time, care-free. And I had excellent company.

Cooking Grandma Yo's Italian sauce for Macaroni Sunday, Florida edition!

Florida iteration of Macaroni Sunday

TMAFC's Team dinner after competing at the AAU Nationals All Day

But there was one day that really stood out for me during our vacation. And we did it right at the very beginning. An entire year ago, Lisa had her second knee replacement. I happened to be there in the hospital room when Lisa was going over her list of short term and long term goals for her physical therapist at the hospital. You can read about her mention of it on her blog here. She told the nurse she wanted to do things like bend her knee at 90 degrees and so on. And then for her long term goals she said "I want to be able to walk the entire length of Disney World!" The nurse laughed and nodded as she wrote it down, not in a "yeah right!" kind of way but as a sincere "Good for you" kind of way. But I knew better.

When she continued her physical therapy with Dr. Joe, she told him the same thing. "I want to be able to walk all of Disney World!" And for eight months WE continued to say that we would be going to Disney World. I don't know what she originally thought but MY goal for HER was to go when we went to nationals in Florida. HASHTAG-- WE DID!

The five of us who were together drove to Orlando and we went to the Magic Kingdom. It has the lesser of rides out of the four parks but holds the truest essence of what Disney World is all about.
Now besides Disney being my most favorite place to go in the entire world (been there over 20 times), Lisa has not been to Disney since 1989 and Kristin has never been herself! I planned out the itinerary to avoid being the sun, doing the most we could with our time, and seeing the major attractions in the theme park.

I love everything Disney is all about! Holding onto your dreams, making them come true, believing in the impossible, using your imagination to making wonderful things happening, holding those truest and most loving in your life close, and believing in magic and miracles! The feeling that overcomes me when I am in Disney World, I cannot really express. But it truly is a feel-good place to be and I was thrilled to be with the company I was in. But I had an extra special feeling, proud even, of how well Lisa WALKED THE ENTIRE MAGIC KINGDOM OF DISNEY WORLD, just as she said she would.

Dancing like a fool at Magic Kingdom!

me and Kristin dancing fourth of July

Lisa walked ALL of Magic Kingdom Disney World!

Lisa applied just this!!

All of us on Splash Mountain!

Kristin and I by the "Friar's Nook" #HowAppropriate

Lisa and I in front of Cinderella's Castle after WALKING almost 12 hours!

She does not give herself enough credit at all. She sometimes does not take praise well when she deserves it. And she also (as well all do) sometimes undertalk our accomplishments. Lisa, we are ALL proud of you and your accomplishments, and your biggest fans (US especially) are beyond proud of you! I am also a big fan of people doing things that others say they cannot. Well done Lisa, well done!

The final things we got to see was one of my favorite Disney displays: the Wishes fireworks! I'm such a Disney geek that I have this on my Ipod. LOL! As I stood there watching the fireworks, taking picture after picture, I teared up and got a little weep as the overwhelming sense of gratitude came over me as I always get when I see these fireworks. This place is truly magical. Everythign Disney stands for I do my best to live my life by. And to share that moment of being with friends like Kristin and Lisa, or experiencing a triumphant moment like Lisa walking all of Disney, words cannot express those feelings. As much as we blog, words will always fail to get the essence of how we feel. I knew this walk for Lisa was like my 4th Degree Black Belt test for me.

When that overwhelming sense of gratitude comes over me, I disappear into my own little world. Being older, I understand it's spirit. Spirit gives me the reflections, visions, and feelings I need to understand and to learn from our most joyful moments as it does for our most difficult moments. Coming back home after a week long vacation like this one was tough to get back into reality. And I have NEVER had that problem before. But that's how I knew it was a vacation to remember!

Yours in service,
MASTER TRENTO