Memories by Talia Collard

            When I was about 7 years old, my mom, sister, grandma and I went down to visit our home town Tampa Florida. We took a train down which took about 14 hours. To me as a 7 year old it felt like months. My sister and I would constantly would go up and down the aisle and I had to use my foot to open the door, which was difficult and my mom said I was the only one who could get it right the first time.

            Once we got to the train station down in Florida, my grandpa and uncle picked us up and we got lunch at a McDonald’s, which was pretty much in the train station. When my grandpa saw me he said what he always says when he sees me, “look how big you have gotten!” We all stayed at my grandpa’s house which was in Tampa but then we would go to my uncles in St. Pete. St. Petersburg was about 30 minutes to an hour away from Tampa. My mom wanted to go to Disney World while we were down there. My sister was only 2 or 3, so she stayed with my grandma and grandpa, went to the beach and took pictures with them.

When we all went to my uncle’s house, my mom, Uncle, and I then went to Disney World, which was about two hours away. On the ride there I just sat holding my camera ready to go. The worst part of the ride was, I got really carsick and threw up all over the back seat. I ended up crying because I thought I would get in trouble, since we were in my uncle’s brand new car. Even though it was not a big deal we had to take an hour, clean out the car and then get back on the road.

            While we were at Disney World we got an autograph book and I got nearly all of the Disney characters’ signatures in it. Daffy Duck said to me, “well aren’t you a little squirt.” We went through Minnie Mouse’s house which was really cool to see as a 7 year old, because all the things in her house talked. We went to see Mickey, rode on a carousal, and did lots of shopping down there. The best part in it all was seeing the castle. Which is in all the pictures we took. It’s so big and beautiful, but at night it was even more beautiful.

            My family and I go a lot of places mainly in Florida, but out of all of the thousands of trips we have taken, going to Disney World has been my favorite. I haven’t been back since then, but if I got the chance to go back I definitely would.