Moving On

Hello all - I know I haven't posted a lot recently, and I know some of my regulars have been a bit miffed about it. However, I know this post will likely draw a reaction.

So here's what you missed: Interning for Disney was a fantastic experience where I met some amazing people and worked on some really cool stuff. Most of it is not anything that you'd hear about, like fire alarm systems, bridge repairs, roofs, and other stuff, but I have come away with a much better understanding of how to construct basically anything and everything. Seriously, I worked on everything from ADA compatibility adjustments to zoo enclosures.
I'm currently at summer school. working to catch up on what I missed.
Part of the reason I didn't post anything was that Disney has a fairly draconian, slightly ambiguous social media policy (despite the look of  attempted officialness, Blogger is very much so a social media platform) especially with regards to stuff that hasn't happened or been announced yet (not that most of what I worked on would be or will be announced).

The other part involves a confession.

I have an addiction.
I've had it since I was little, and it's steadily gotten worse over time as I have gained access and knowledge. I don't think it's debilitating; in fact, at some points in my life, it's been rather helpful. I have an inking that part of it is inherited. The good stuff causes extreme dopamine rushes to my brain's pleasure center, but I still devour the mediocre and even the awful stuff with gluttonous abandon.
Ever since I was little, I have had an unrelenting addiction to stories, in all shapes, sizes, genres, and mediums. Stories let me get out of my own self-destructive head and into someone else's head. Stories make me laugh, stories make me cringe, stories make me need stay up late at night to find out what happens next. I can't go more than a few days without a fix. My library, my friends, the Irish guys at the fair, movies, books, games, comedy, the works - I can't get away from it, but I don't want to.

So here's the reason that goes along with that - I've always wanted to have my own adventure, have something that someone could write a story about, to discover the world. This past semester was a kind of bizarre attempt at a build-your-own bildugsroman - my own personal dramatic coming of age story.
I've come to the realization that a lot of what I have, and a lot of the major decisions that I've made are not entirely my own - and I know that's not a bad thing.  However, I've become rather disillusioned after realizing that almost nothing significant that I have achieved has been achieved because I wanted it first. I needed something I could claim as my own, something that I could go for, something that I worked for and earned, and this internship happened to be just what I needed - a Bueller-esque chance to stop and look around around before I miss what I'm told is the prime of my life. It also gave me the freedom to take complete and total responsibility for my own path, and my own mistakes - and that was glorious. I had some time to reflect and think about where I - not my parents, not my friends, not my relatives - where I want my life, my own story, to go. And it's going to be epic.

Here's the thing - a lot what I've posted here over the years is disingenuous. I am very cognizant of my audience, that they want to hear that everything is hunky dory, that I love my classes, that I love life. (Otherwise, I get weird probing anonymous comments.) Sometimes, that's true - everything has been all good. A lot of times, it's definitely not. Last fall was the worst semester of my life, grade-wise, and probably health-wise. There were times when I obsessed over what would happen if I just disappeared, quit, moved out of the picture. I am no longer homesick, but despite having gone all across America, there are still very few places where I feel like I fit in well at all.
No, I don't think I'm gay (not that that would be bad), and don't worry, I've never been suicidal.  
But here's the thing - after this "semester abroad," after actually making friends that I can still talk to, after literally driving across the country, I've gained some perspective. I've realized that I have changed dramatically since freshman year.

I still want to tell my own story, but this blog is not the place to tell it. It was never really mine, and it wasn't even my idea in the first place, and it's never told an entirely genuine tale of who I am. I know there are a lot of fake people on the internet, but I don't want to be one of them. I'm trying hard to get over my own propensity for opportunistic storytelling. I also can't stand the shameless self-promotion and narcissism that running even a mildly successful blog about myself entails.
There are also a lot of other projects that I am working on, art, short stories, opinion pieces, photos, videos, and the like, that this platform is not well equipped to handle.
And then there's this.

And that's why this is going to be the last official Dragon Scales post.

I just can't deal with the lies.

It's just not working for me any more.

It's not you, it is most definitely me.

I know you're all devastated to see it go.

So this is Grace, signing off.

I need to go live my own story.

42.

From Orange County to Orange County... Part 1

Day 0
I hurriedly try to clean up my room and complete everything I've accidentally on purpose left until the last minute. My sister comes by to sit on my suitcase - it zips closed. I rush to the store, buy a good chunk of 80/20 ground beef, and start preparing burgers with all the fixings for my family. We have dinner, then I hug my siblings goodbye. My parents endure the always hectic drive to LAX, where my flight leaves late. I get shuffled through a few different security lines, then find my way to my terminal. The flight is full, so I check my carry-on suitcase, which is barely within size regulations anyway. I get a window seat next to a nice older couple and try to sleep.

Day 1
I arrive in Orlando bright and early at around 7AM local time. I shuffle off the plane, along with the other weary travelers, pick up my luggage, and haggle with the rental car agency. I get out of the airport and order my first and last actual coffee from the nearest Starbucks (a peppermint mocha) in order to make sure that I am awake. I sit and drink my coffee for a bit and try to plan my day. I end up going to Downtown Winter Garden, where my hotel is located. This little strip is disgustingly cute - all semi-southern charm and still dressed up for Christmas. I walk the conveniently located bike path until I find an open bathroom. I go back to my car and decide to check out Walt Disney World, since I'm going to be working for the next few months. I find my way to Disney Springs, the East Coast equivalent of Downtown Disney, then park and wander for a while. I notice there's a ton of construction going on, both on the roads and in the resort areas. I head back to Winter Garden to check into my hotel - the Edgewater. It's a restored B+B that looks alternatively cute and charming or like some old hangman ghost is going to wander into my room at night, but the people running it seem nice. I chill out in my room, then go for a walk again, then turn in for the night.

Day 2
I'm up and ready to go early because my breakfast time is 8AM. I get pretty good fried eggs, sausage, and toast. The owner of the hotel is there and tells me stories about when he used to work as a costumer for Disney. After searching the Internet for cost effective things to do in Orlando area, I decide to go to Rollins College, which is supposed to have an amazing free art museum. It turns out that that art museum is closed to rotate out the collection. I wander the campus for a while, crash their library, and go up the (relatively short) tower there. I decide to return to earth. I walk their equivalent of University Drive, and find a local park with a sort of sculpture garden among the pseudo-high end shops. Some of the installations are strange, but the idea is pretty interesting. I've walked a few miles by this point, but I see signs for a "Morse Museum." Thinking this is probably some funky technology showcase, I follow the signs and end up at a beautiful building, and notice that student admission is only a dollar. I pay admission, and find that the museum is almost totally dedicated to Tiffany glass art, including tons of windows, an abundance of lamps, lots of pottery, and a full colored glass encrusted chapel. I head back to the hotel, then grab a pretty dang good pulled pork sandwich from a quick-service place from across the street (I swear the cashier dude was flirting). I go to Disney Springs again, this time for a pre-arranged pre-check-in meeting with some other interns. We end up eating at the bowling alley (go figure), and I meet a bunch of great people, most of whom I will probably never see again. I go back to the hotel, pack up, and set my alarm.

To Be Continued shortly....

The end is near

Finals are upon me again. This semester's dreaded tests of knowledge, skill, and cunning promise to be difficult, but not impossible. I'm still not looking forward to them.

The weather is taunting me. Despite it being winter and despite the night-times being bone-chilling cold, the day-times are sunny, beautiful, and tantalizingly out of reach while I while away at online tutorials and old PowerPoints. Thankfully there's only a few more days until I'm free.  

I got my hair cut again last week. It's shorter than it's ever been, and I love it. My hair finally looks decent, and it's inherent fluffiness works in my favor. The the hairstylist said it gave "volume" and "texture," which I think are good things. The only downside is that I now regularly get mistaken for a boy, especially when I'm in my good hoodie and loose jeans (hey, it's chilly), but that's okay. I think it's a good look and it's really easy to take care of.

It was great to see my family over Thanksgiving. My brother just got inducted into the Arnold Air Society, an honors society for Air Force ROTC, and has grown up and gotten some ripped biceps. He seems to be doing better than I am. My sister is getting really involved at school and is busy practicing for this year's Nutcracker at her ballet studio (She's Fritz - if you want tickets, contact my mom). My parents just got back from Ireland and had some good stories. My grandparents seem to be doing as well as ever.

I'm really looking forward to going home, seeing old friends, and (and this is big) sleeping in. I'll see a lot of you soon! 

Back to My Regularly Scheduled Life

"Is this how time usually passes? Really slowly, in the right order?" - Doctor Who - Vincent and the Doctor

So if you missed my last post, I am in the enviable position of being at Disney Imagineering as an intern in Florida.
Spring can't come fast enough. My paperwork's through, my flight is booked and my housing's been acquired (no, I don't have a specific address yet). Just FYI, as part of that paperwork there were a few nondisclosure agreements, so, like last summer, I'm probably not going to be able to post extensively about what I'm actually doing there, and no, I can't take your ideas even though a Soarin' type ride with a Hercules theme would be awesome.
I just can't wait to be there.

But for the next 1.5 or so months, I'm still stuck in the semi-real-world of academia, with finals, lab reports, and homework, all of which are starting to send me alternatively into extreme boredom and unnecessary stress.  Yes, I'm exercising and yes, I'm eating half-decently. I'm also taking three more classes than full time and two more than the recommended course load, so I'm trying really hard to lie in the bed I've made for myself. It's not comfortable, but they say that nothing worth doing is.

I'm looking forward to going to the grandparents' for Thanksgiving and hearing everyone's stories. As long as we can keep away from politics, it promises to be a great weekend. I'm also looking forward to seeing some of the family that I don't get to see very often.

In other news, my magician buddy has started forcibly dragging me to Magic Cats meetings, so I have a few new rudimentary card tricks and bandanna tricks.

That's all for now - Hope you all have safe and happy holidays.

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!

Here's the story - sometime in late September, I was canvassing Google, searching for internships and the like, and decided to look at Disney's career site. I started scrolling, filtering, looking for something that looked like it fit me, and subsequently threw a generic resume and hasty cover letter into the black hole that was (and presumably still is) their online application site. Since summer internships had not been put up (and I've been told that they are extremely rare), I threw my name into the hat for a generic Engineering Professional Internship at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, and for a Construction Management Internship at Disney World. I kinda forgot all about it - it was an extremely long shot, and I wasn't even sure I wanted a Spring position - until a little while ago, when I got a call from a 407 area code. It was an Imagineer from Florida who wanted to "talk to me about my resume" - with less than 2 hours notice.
So we talked, then I talked to him and a couple other people, and briefly, a few women from HR. Two days later, after waiting for months, lo and behold, out of the blue, right between the eyes, [insert favorite cliche here], I got an offer to be part of the Facilities Asset Management team at Walt Disney World in Florida for the spring.

And I've taken it.

I know some of you are shocked, awed, and perhaps a little confused as to why I'd take a semester off school to work when I'm going to be working the rest of my life anyway. I don't usually explain myself, but this is huge, and intensely cool, and so I think I probably should. So, I don't usually do stuff like this, but here's the top ten reasons I'm going to work in Imagineering at Disney World (I will forgo the Buzzfeed style gifset):

10: It's Disney.
Everyone knows Disney, the vast majority of people like Disney, and pretty much everyone respects Disney. It will be an extremely impressive thing to put on a resume, and I've been told that once you have Disney on your resume, that's all any interviewer will want to talk about.

9: It's outside of Arizona
I've been feeling a little stuck at the U of A, and I think a change of pace and a change of climate will do me good. I've never been east of the Mississippi for any extended period of time, so I'll get to experience at least one new culture and will have somewhere new to explore.

8: Everyone else says its awesome
I have a friend who is interning in engineering in Anaheim and is having the time of her life. There are a multitude of blogs, tumblrs, and assorted media mavens who rave about Disney Professional Internships, and even Disney's own marketing seems surprisingly genuine.

7: I can get school credit
Almost any study abroad that I could have done would have netted me 3-9 credits from classes that don't help me graduate. Even the engineering ones mostly give only 3 credits of research units. This will count towards my graduation as a 3- unit technical elective, and therefore be better for me academically than studying abroad - and I'm getting paid.

6: I'm a semester ahead
Since I'm only a single major now, I have some extra time to play around with. If I get all my classes, I can still graduate May 2017 even if I take a semester off.

5: Networking/Mentorship Opportunities
Disney Imagineers are the best in the business, and a lot of them come from other businesses. I'll have the opportunity to learn from the best of the best, and meet some really cool people who could advance my career - not to mention that the interns themselves come from all over.

4: There's a ton of really cool potential projects
A new land based on Avatar, James Cameron's sci-fi movie about blue skinned aliens, is opening soon at the Animal Kingdom. A major revamp on a beautiful hotel (the Wilderness Lodge) is coming up. Soarin' is getting an upgrade. And I could potentially be part of one (or all) of those.

3: I have the tools
From my experience at Bechtel (thank you all), with Rube, with Haunted Dungeon, I have experience managing people, dealing with suppliers, pricing material. and making sure things get done. And anything I don't know, I pick up fast. I'm really good at building stories, at pacing, at getting the psychological payoff I'm looking for, which hopefully means I'll fit right in.

2: It's mine
This was something I searched out for and applied for myself. Looking back, I've noticed that I have a disturbing habit of stealing or absorbing other people's dreams in lieu of searching for my own (e.g. aerospace was and still is more my brother's thing than mine), but I've always wanted to work for Disneyland since I was little. This dream is my own, not my brother's, not my parent's, not my friends', and that slight bit of ownership and autonomy will make me work that much harder and makes it all that much sweeter. Also, it will be a great experience to be somewhere legitimately on my own without the safety net that comes from having grandparents 2 hours away.

1: IT'S DISNEY
Speaking of dreams, this is a company that literally creates them (ever seen Alice in Wonderland?). It's been a huge part of my childhood (and, it could be argued, my semi-adulthood). Just being able to be part of that legacy would be an amazing experience - to create the things that the next generation of Graces will obsess over would be so cool.

So that's why I'm ditching school. If you're going to beg me to stop, it's too late now, and I'm not sorry at all - in fact, I'm excited out of my head - I'm still bouncing off the walls. This is one of the coolest things that ever happened to me, and I'm really looking forward to the experience.

Post Midterms

I really don't want to do homework, and I haven't posted in a while.
So hello, faithful readers, it is I, come to assuage your yearning to relive your college years (or maybe not).

As I mentioned last post, I've had midterms for the past few weeks and have been busy with other projects. Also, my head hasn't really been in a good place, and while it is common sense that one shouldn't blog when angry, I believe the same applies for semi-depression, desperation, and general stressed-outed-ness. The Internet is not just written in ink - ink can be destroyed, mutilated, erased, or otherwise lost forever, whereas online, there's always a cached/time-hopped/obsessively saved version of pretty much everything that has ever been posted. So, yeah, I haven't been posting much.

Despite popular opinion, I happen to be a human girl, not a robot, even though it sometimes seems the other way around.

Since last time - I have survived (most of) my midterms. I've registered for classes next semester (I'm taking it a little easier{hopefully}).I have dropped my aerospace major, and picked up a math minor (so I'm a Mechanical Engineering Major with minors in Spanish and Math, which is more reasonable). I got to see the U of A Repertory Theater's rendition of Cabaret, which was amazing, though the ending was shocking (even though everyone knew it was coming). And then there was Halloween.

Like every year, I helped out with the annual Haunted Dungeon - except this year, it was outside, not in the basements. This year, the maze was a haunted carnival. I played the creepy maniacal magician with a penchant for cutting things in half. I can only honestly say that I scared one group, but I creeped out everyone else and proved an apt distraction for coming jump scares.


Then for Halloween, I went out dressed as Betty Rizzo from Grease, and I had fun.


I'm almost done, and the rest of the year promises to be better. Things are looking up from here!

Back to the Midterms

I haven't posted in a few weeks. I have a valid excuse - midterm season lasts around five weeks each year. Why? In general, there is a variety of testing schedules, with classes generally having between two and five tests a semester. That means that midterms are pretty much continuous during the second and third quarters of the year, which makes things really fun.

I'm kinda at the point where the shiny has worn off college, extracurriculars, people, engineering, even sports. This hasn't been good for my motivation, but I've been muddling through. I know I'm usually upbeat, but it hasn't really been my best semester. I know they say that junior year is hard, but I'm finding that it's cold and merciless, more Hel than Hell. There is no glory in suffering.

Overall, there's really not much to report. I've been doing pretty much same as always - classes, homework, Rube (the first two steps on the machine are mine), little bit of exercise, some late night reading. Coupla rounds of career fair and internship search, a few interviews, nothing concrete. Overall, pretty boring. Again, there is no glory in my suffering. 

When I have something to report, I'll post more. 

In the mean time, I've spared you the flying cars rant, the groaning over the current state of hoverboards, and the distinct sound of thunder and lightning outside my window. 

Happy Back to the Future Day!