Nostalgia

Returning to Disneyland was pretty special. I thought the place was pretty magical when the Warlock introduced me to the Tokyo version nearly 5 years ago. I couldn't help but catch "the spirit" that day when there was a typhoon keeping the lines nice and short. Of course I did have to change the kids' clothes several times (even though they were wearing rain ponchos), but the hard parts of negotiating 2 toddlers around a theme park in the pouring rain are completely forgotten when I remember a three-year-old Stacy skipping down the path to the Disney music towards the Magic Kingdom. And then I remember walking out of the park, with music playing, fire works booming, and the sky aglow. No, those are not sad memories.

We visited Disneyland a couple more times that summer, but nothing ever compared with the first time. I didn't really even want to go again. I had the "been there, done that" attitude, and I could not understand why the Warlock kept on wanting to return.

Nevertheless, the Warlock's excitement is contagious. So after he passed the NY bar 2 and a half years ago, I was happy to accompany him on his "reward." These pictures are so precious to me.


Pippi was almost 4. She was on the brink of giving up sucking her thumb because she did not want to be like Prince John from Disney's Robin Hood. She didn't enjoy many of the rides because she didn't like wild and crazy and scary things, but she did like Goofy's Bounce House, which is no longer there.This is a picture of the girls with their adored Cinderella. Stacy dressed up as Cinderella (thanks to Mom) one of her days at Disneyland.

California Adventureland, actually had Stacy's favorite attraction. It's a challenge course. She scaled a wall, horizontally, that is, and loved climbing the ropes and sliding down the slides. She climbed other things, probably not meant to be climbed, as well.



This is Stacy duplicating for the camera her face as she was riding Space Mountain. She went on all the scary rides with Nick. When I tried to take her, she always backed out.

When we went back this time, I relived these moments, and it felt so good. The Warlock told me that when he goes to Disneyland he isn't just a thirty-something taking the kids. He's the 7 year-old, the twelve year old, the 16 year old, the twenty-five year old who surprised his wife with an anniversary trip to Disneyland, the recent Columbia Law grad, and it will just keep going. I just wish we could have picked a less expensive place to get our nostalgia fix.