Friday, May 9, 2008

Epilogue


May 9, 2008. I started posting this trip report on January 7, the day after we returned. I’m posting this final message on May 9, 2008 (although for now I’m telling the blog it’s posted in January, so the other new posts aren’t hidden in the sidebar), meaning it’s taken me over four months to write this report. Wow.

In that time, life has gone on. My men's chorus, the Vocal Majority, has performed five shows and also competed in and won our division championship, the first step towards the competition for our twelfth international gold medal. I’ve also had bronchitis three times since starting this report. Brandon and Benjamin have each grown an inch and a half. (I wish I were exaggerating!) Brandon now wears glasses. Benjamin's children’s choir performed the program they were working on – and one more since then. And the family I mentioned in the last post, that we sent the Mickey postcard to? They just got back from Walt Disney World themselves – like, yesterday!

But even with all the time that has passed, it seems like the trip really is just ending. In part, I'm sure, that's because I've still got the tune to “There’s a restroom in our volcano, Cinderella’s in our pool!” stuck in my head.

I never intended for writing the report to take this long. At the same time, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being able to put in lots of detail and write in the “you are there” format. It’s like I’ve been reliving all of the fun of the vacation for an additional four months – and from the feedback I’ve received from many of you, you’ve enjoyed it too.

It amazes me the number of readers I’ve had. As I posted last month on my (other) blog, The World of Wombat (which has suffered in the four months of writing this report), I put a free web tracking service on this report’s website and found that hundreds of you, from all over the world, have been tuning in regularly. It's hard to fathom. Thank you for all of your interest and for the encouraging comments I’ve received, not only here on the blog, but also on Stupid Guest Tricks, Passporter, and All Things and WDW.

Many, many thanks are due, as usual, first and foremost to Bob and Linda for making the trip possible; to my parents for the awesome custom windbreakers, and to Chillus for creating them; to my “Disney family” at Stupid Guest Tricks; to Big Wallaby for an awesome KSR tour and for being great company at Ohana and MGM ("MGM"? There’s another change that’s happened while writing this report!); and to Zazu and all of the other CM’s we met – you really make the magic at Disney!!! Thanks also to AllEarsNet.com and CastawayClub.com, which were great resources for when my notes weren’t detailed enough!!

So now, at last, it’s over. This trip will live on from here on out only in our memories, in photographs, and in this report. Hopefully they will be enough to tide us over until our next Disney vacation.

Speaking of which...

Normally it’s at least two years before we get back to Disney. Not this time! Our next trip is already scheduled for July 2009! Why so soon? Well, remember the mention above that the Vocal Majority will be competing for the international gold medal again? It just so happens that the Barbershop Harmony Society’s annual convention, where we will compete in 2009,... is going to be in Anaheim, California!!!

How could we go to Anaheim and not go to Disneyland???

I have been to Disneyland before, way back in 1982, but no one else in the family has, so it will be a “first” for them. It will also be interesting tacking a Disney vacation onto the end of the convention – especially since I’m sure I’ll be wiped out from rehearsing and competing. Still, all six of us – Becky, our boys, and her parents – are already planning on going, and my parents will be joining us – another “first” – so I know it will be a blast!

So it won’t be too long until I’m posting here again -- and who knows, I may have Disney-related things to post here from time to time, so don't delete this site from your bookmarks entirely. For sure, though, tune in again in the summer of 2009, when I’ll start writing a combination VM competition/Disneyland trip report!

Hopefully it’ll be finished before 2010.

Thanks again for reading! Keep in touch with the doings of my family at The World of Wombat, and please let me know of your trips and trip reports!!

THE END

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Bravo! I stood up and applauded your trip report, but you couldn't see it.

Thanks for letting us go with you, at least virtually :)

Anonymous said...

Loved your report; love your family; love YOU!

Dad and I are looking forward to Disney, 2009!!!!!

Love from Mother

BRWombat said...

Aw, thanks, Mom. Happy Mother's Day again!