Romance on the Programs

Hmmm I don't think I know anyone that left a gf/bf at home and was still with them after the year. Everyone I know split up b/c it was just too much to handle ( although some got together with the ex again once they came home ). Even the couples that applied and came together broke up while being there. If you haven't lived the life you don't even know what you are getting yourself into, it is so much bigger than your imagination. It changes you completely as a person and I had a hard time reconnecting even with friends that I had back home. All you will talk about is Disney, The Commons, the parties, the people you met and no one back home will be able to understand what you are talking about. Once you lived the experience you will be a different person!

As to the romance thing....yeah most romances are short lived. The Commons is like a party that never ends. I do know of a few people that found the right person though and stayed with them throughout the contract and afterwards. Even people from other ends of the world have found each other. It's definitely possible and you have many more choices than in the real world b/c you meet so many new people every day.

Julia

PS: Wow Kahlua, way to go to see the positive side of what has happened to you!!! I am sure you will have a ton of fun in Florida!!! Good Luck!!!

 

Thanks hun, sure things will work out, i'm not out there until September 2007 now, and my ex comes back from the College Program in June/July coming up, so i guess we're gonna see what happens then, shes still my best friend and i still love her with all my heart so its damned tough

I can relate to everything you've said tho, it does change people, Nic (my ex) went out there fairly shy and quiet girl but shes really come out of her shell which is fantastic, hopefully she'll be the same when she comes back, be like getting to know another person all over again!

It does worry me about the whole 'magical world' thing tho tbh, i know people out there on the programs who've basically lost touch with friends back home and don't even realise whats happening back home, its certainly something i don't wanna do when i go, because at the end of the day you have to come back home no matter what, its an experience but i only see it as that, much as i love the idea, i know i'll be back home in a year so i'm just gonna enjoy it for what it is

 

I wanna see how many gay guys are out there! Wonder how easy it really is...

 

The rumours are 3-1 gay to straight guys, so you should be pretty much sorted....

 

Well you can't imagine what the year will do with you. I never thought it would be the way it was. It definitely helped mayn people to get over their shyness. It's a place unlike reality though, you can pretty much do what you want and you don't have lots of responsibilities or restrictions. It's hard to keep in touch with the friends back home and even harder to get used to the life at home once you've been away. I found it very difficult to remain friends with the people from home. I surely have a few people I am still close with, but Florida for me was a start for a very different life. I have lived in so many places afterwards, always far from family and friends, so I made more new friends along the way, but lost some old friends that couldn't understand the way I was living or the things I experienced. I still have a lot of friends from my time at Disney, because we are all the same in a way. But it's hard to sit down with someone that has always lived at home, worked the same job and lived the same life. I think it's a part of growing up, to figure out where life takes you and who will go on this journey with you.
I know many people who went back to their same circle of friends and had the chance to adapt to that life again, but for me it wasn't working.

Julia

 

But its important to remember the people you leave behind i think, i know i might change whilst i'm out there, but to me, my friends will always be there for me no matter what. I know from bitter experience that people out there tend to live in a kind of bubble, and perhaps don't realise whats going on in the world outside of Disney, which whilst good in some ways, its important you don't lose touch with it.

I see the experience as a chance to really understand myself and experience new things, but i know i'll be home after 6 months so i'm gonna make the most of my time out there and remember who i've got waiting for me back home.

I know from one or two people's experiences that they change whilst in Disney and meet new boyfriends or girlfriends, but then make unrealistic decisions that won't work, you just need to remember its only for a year and to make the most of it, but don't get into a relationship if you don't think you can make the commitment, its not worth the hassle

I don't mean to put a downer on the whole thing, but you need to keep it real and in touch, its gonna be an amazing experience and most likely life-changing, but you need to make sure you remember your roots, hope that makes sense

 

I know what you mean, but like I said people are different. I had many friends that could go back to where they had left off, but because they saw this year as a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something different and then went back to their old life. I think I was always different from the rest of my friends because I wanted to move around and see the world and I wasn't very attached to my roots. Your true friends will keep in touch even if you are not around, but it definitely makes it harder. I really had a chance to sort out the good from the bad
I don't want to sound harsh and say you forget about your friends back home, it's not like that. But it will be hard to settle back into everything and close to impossible if you are never around (like me). It's hard to explain it when you haven't lived the full extend of it. For me it was definitely life changing and I don't regret anything. If it means I lost friends along the way, it means they weren't my friends to begin with.

Julia

 

I totally agree, Julia!

 

Thank you ;D

 

I certainly agree with you to some extent, and a lot of what your saying makes good sense, i just get the impression from the people i've spoken to that they're drifted out of touch with friends back here in the UK, perhaps not deliberately, but not realising that they might perhaps jeopardise they're relationships back home. It must be a big thing to be out there obviously, i know i had my best friend forget about a fairly major operation i was having, but i appreciate that because of the work load etc they sometimes forget.

I guess its just striking the right balance inbetween staying in touch and leading your new life i suppose!

 

It's almost the same thing with university- you still talk to your best friends, but the people who were more like acquaintances before, well, you just don't keep in contact really. Maybe the odd Facebook message, or a quick chat if you bump into them in town or whatever. Admittedly with university all my best friends have moved away too, three at uni and one to Canada, so that makes it easier as we all understand that we can't talk to one another all the time. But still, one of my friends in the year above moved away and most of his best friends didn't, and he's still close to them. But yeah, at least this way you'll know who your true friends are

 

Everyone's just different and I think you can't say these people forget about their friends and these people don't. If friends meant something to you before, you will definitely keep in touch with them after the year. I think a lot of us just define the friendship a little different afterwards. I didn't need to call my friends that I made in Florida all the time or email them, years could go by but we still had that special connection. With friends here I sometimes have the feeling that they get mad so easily when you don't hang out with them 4 times a week or call them at least once a week. I think it's different between men and women as well, I am still friends with all the guys, but i's a little harder with the women. Oh well, everyone should just handle it in their own way, I just wanted to share what I experienced

 

One things for sure, I will miss my bloke if I get on this program - a year and an 8 hour flight aren't gonna keep a relationship strong I wouldn't have thought!....or has anyone managed it?

 

I don't know of anyone that actually stayed together, but I know of some friends that broke up with their gf/bf during the year but when they got back home they tried it again.
Also I know of a bunch of people that met on the program and stayed together. Everything is possible I guess, just depends on the person and how strong the relationship really is. It's definitely a big challenge though!

 

Yeah i always thought me and my ex could manage it, but the problem is i don't think you could ever really estimate how you'll react when your over there. My ex came out of her shell for the first few months, but then we ended things, well she did, and got with another bloke over there, and as a result shes not been out as much or perhaps enjoyed the social aspect of it as much as she could.

I think the idea of trying again if they come back could work, but people seem to change so much over there that i know i'll never be able to try again with my ex when she comes back, but like you said DQueen, its purely down to the relationship and those involved i guess

 

I've also heard that there are plenty of romantic options for couples. Anyone has tried them?

 

what kind of romantic options do u mean?

 

yeah theres plenty of romantic places to eat etc, the wedding chapel ,haha, option wise do u mean accomodation tho?

 

Makes me wanna get a place even more now! lol xx

 

what is a bloke? ...lol...sorry canadian here dont know the term.... i presume it means bf or gf?