'Don't Be Scared'

One of my absolute favorite PhotoPass shots from my first visit to the Grotto - Memorial Day 2009 (May 25th.) I've featured it before as the main shot in As I Know Her: Ariel ([link]), but I want to just feature it in full by itself here because there's a lot to it and because it also shows more clearly how Ariel took my arm.

After Ariel realized we were taping with my camera phone and said hello to my family, I asked her to say hello to my friend Jami (my teammate from study abroad in China), and when she amazingly did and told her that she wished she were there, before I knew it (not that I minded), I was spilling my guts and telling her about how she was leaving soon for another study abroad program in Korea but wanted to come down soon after to see her and the others - and Ariel could tell I wanted to earn the chance to be there to help with that.

In that instant, she looked me in the eyes, saw right through me and found that I was thrilled to be part of the College Program and thus one of her teammates, but I was also dead scared of letting her, Mickey and the others down because I saw that even though they barely knew me at the time, they welcomed me as a friend and trusted me to do amazing things with the Magic.

It might as well have been me saying, I know this is a huge chance and I want to make you, the others, my family and my friends proud, Ariel...but I don't know if I've got what it takes to do this job as well as you want me to do it! while she bracingly kept hold of my arm and replied, I know you're scared, Carlo...but don't be! I can see you also want to give us all you've got and you have no idea how important that is...just keep working hard, stay close to me and I won't let you drown.

As it turns out, Ariel had it right. I instantly made the choice to keep coming back to see her - and it definitely helped as she helped keep me focused but calm. It wasn't until some time later, though, when I was still worried about fitting in properly, that a coordinator let me know that I was laying out and trying to make good things happen all over the place such that he wasn't sure what would be left for the others - and after that, a teammate let me know that she respected me a lot because I looked to give it all I had each time.

I really hope you like it - feel free to emote and comment! Also, if you fave this, please leave a comment as well. For many more Disney park photos from Anaheim and Paris as well as Orlando, check out Our Disney Adventures ([link]).