I hadn’t been to Disneyland since I was about five years old, which basically means this trip felt like going for the first time. I didn’t remember anything except that I liked Cars Land as a kid. That’s it. Everything else was completely unfamiliar to me.

This trip was actually a birthday gift from my friend Braden, which already made it special before we even got there. The funny part is that I was probably more excited than most of the kids in the park. For the past year I’ve been talking about Disneyland like it’s some faraway, unattainable dream. At least twice a month I would bring it up. So when the day finally came, I was genuinely thrilled.

Honestly, I had to resist the urge to skip everywhere. I was so happy that I kept feeling like I should just spin in a dramatic circle in the middle of the park like I was in a movie. I didn’t do it because I think I would’ve gotten some very strange looks, but the urge was definitely there all day.

The day didn’t start out perfectly though. Within minutes of getting to the parking lot I accidentally hit someone’s car with my door. I was too scared to get out and apologize, so I just sat there hoping the universe would forgive me. Luckily that ended up being the only flaw in the entire day.

At one point Chris started a whole conversation about what roles we would have if we had a podcast together. According to him, Braden would obviously be the voice of reason. That part makes sense. But he also suggested that I would be the one just saying crazy things all the time, which I’m not sure I agree with. I feel like I’m being slightly misrepresented.

For lunch I got a kids meal and it was honestly fire. I forgot how much I prefer kids meals to regular meals. Something about the fact that they’re cheaper just makes them taste better. Also the portion size is perfect. Adult meals are honestly doing too much sometimes.

I also discovered something important about myself: I don’t think I’m afraid of heights until I’m actually on something high. The Ferris wheel proved that. While we were up there I was suddenly very aware of how far off the ground we were and I was low-key anxious the entire time.

Another mission of the day was trying to find Scarlett Witch ears. The problem is that the only Disney shirt I own is a Scarlett Witch shirt, so I thought it would make sense to find matching ears. Apparently that was a delusional plan because when I asked an employee in a gift shop, they literally laughed at me and said that basically everyone hates her. I’m still processing that.

One thing that really surprised me was how much I loved the Star Wars ride. I don’t actually know anything about Star Wars lore, but the ride and the whole themed area were amazing. It honestly made me consider finally watching the movies at some point, because clearly I’m missing out.

Splash Mountain also deserves a mention because Braden specifically asked for the “less wet” seat and still ended up pretty soaked. So I’m starting to think the “less wet” option might just be emotional support.

At the end of the night when the park closed, instead of calmly walking out like normal adults, me, Chris, and Braden raced each other out of the park. For some reason I felt no shame, and didn’t even think about the fact I was probably being judged by a lot of parents.

Overall it was honestly one of the happiest days I’ve had in a while. After talking about going to Disneyland for a whole year like it was some impossible dream, it was pretty surreal to actually be there with my friends.

And now that I’ve been once… I’m probably about to start talking about going back again.