2021 Magical Milestones

​2021 is coming to a close and while we look ahead to new magic, I wanted to take a few minutes to sit with what we've accomplished this year.

Photo © Dawn Browne / Main and Magic

In November, Main and Magic celebrated its first birthday! It was a year full of learning new tech and meeting new podcast friends. I'm a photographer in my day job and spend lots of time editing, but I didn't know anything about recording or editing audio and I'm honestly impressed with myself, though I know I have so much more to learn! I also got to visit with my Disney loving family and friends and share their experiences and opinions, many of which I hadn't heard before. I especially loved interviewing my Dad about his and my mom's first trip to Walt Disney World in 1978, which started decades of magic for our family. As our community grows and gets closer, I can only think what we'll do in the future!

Main and Magic is one year old!

​Another big milestone this year was our first community charity fundraiser for Give Kids the World. Together we were able to raise $252 so children with life threatening illnesses and their families can enjoy time away from hospitals and doctors with a theme park vacation in Orlando, Florida. While this amount may seem small, our funds were available to GKTW immediately so they didn't have to wait to help the next child in need. I hope donating to the wonderful cause becomes a new holiday tradition for your family!

We raised $252 for Give Kids the World!

​​And last but not least, a friend of our Disney community had their own personal milestone!

Tara Lynne (@ageeksaga on Instagram) wrote to me to share her RunDisney story:
On Sunday, November 7th I ran my 4th RunDisney half marathon. My previous personal best was in February 2020, when I completed the Disney Princess half in about 2:31, and my only goal this time was to finish those 13.1 miles in less than 2.5 hours - even if it was 2:29:59.

Leading up to this year's Wine & Dine Half Marathon weekend, I was worried about being able to meet that goal. I have been struggling with a few health issues in recent months, including almost constant back and hip pain and near-crippling anxiety. I hadn’t been able to train the way I wanted to, and it didn’t help that the morning of the race was very cold and windy. I wasn’t prepared for this weather. The forecast had changed drastically since I had packed and traveled to Orlando, so my clothing options weren’t ideal, and it had probably been about 18 months since I ran in weather like that.

When I crossed that finish line in about 2:24, it was everything I could do to not break down sobbing. Yes, I was in some pain (more than I experienced after my previous two half marathons), but I was HAPPY and so, so proud of myself, a feeling that, over the years, I have had to teach myself is not just okay, it’s healthy. 

And you don’t have to run a half marathon or hit a new personal record to have pride in your accomplishments!

Photo courtesy of Tara Lynne

​I hope these stories inspire you to achieve your own magical milestone in 2022. No matter the size, celebrate your accomplishments and keep moving forward.

Happy New Year friends!