Florida 2001

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Here is one of the more random travels that I have participated in. In the summer of 2000 my dad and I went to a Chicago White Sox game at the Metrodome. This is something that we had done for a few years in a row . . . being a Chicago White Sox fan many times my only way of seeing my team in person was to go to the god forsaken metrodome!! But, this summer day proved to me that the dome is worth something. We scalped tickets and were able to sit right behind home plate. Then in the 3rd inning they were having this fan appreciation giveaway. I did not even know what was going on and next thing that I knew people were telling me to look up at the big screen and there it was "Section 125 Row 14 Seat 6" which was my seat. What I found out next was even more amazing . . . I just won tickets for 2 to Florida. 4 days, 3 nights and airfare all covered. So, that January Steph and I flew to Orlando. During our 3 days there we went to the typical Orlando sites. The first day we went to Epcot Center, the second was to Magic Kingdom and finally to Universal Studios. It was my first trip out of the mid-west and it was really the start of big things to come for me. During the span of 5 months I would go to Florida, then the West Coast Trip to Arizona and then the East Coast trip all of the way to Boston and back. This was of course followed by living in Spain the following year and Mexico the year after that. I learned what it was like to fly, to get transportation from the airport to the hotel, that you really can max out your credit card (at the time I had just started using one and I had a limit of 200 dollars . . . ouch) and how to plan out a trip to get the most of it. Steph and I did not sit around a lot and as a result saw a lot that Orlando had to offer.

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Photos

Steph and I at Epcot
We went to Epcot on the first day that we were in Orlando.

Steph and I at Universal Studios
We went to Epcot on the last full day that we were in Orlando.

Take Off
This is Steph and I before takeoff on my very first flight. I would be lying if I said that I was not nervious and I remember being amazed as to how fast the plane went during takeoff. Little did I know that I would be getting used to flying soon because I flew 6 different times when I was in Spain the following year.

Ferry Ride
This is a picture of me and Steph and I made are way to Magic Kingdom via Ferry. As you can see this was not a morning of bliztering heat.

True Night
This was one of those situations where I got picked out of the croud to try to take a sword out of a rock . . . which was impossible and then some little 8 year old kid tried to take the sword out and amazingly was able to. I told the kid afterwards that it was all set up! j/k

Other side of Epcot
This is Steph and I on the other side of Epcot. The way that Epcot is set up is kind of neat . . . basicly you walk around a huge circle and each place that you go into is a tribute to a different country. I think that we are in Canada at this point. I know that they have a lot of different countries represented . . . and they are not all the typical ones. I think that you can go through Morocco and New Guinea for example.

Main Street Electrical Parade
Steph and I after the Parade.

Free Hotel
This is the Hotel that SJ and I stayed at . . . to which the bill came to $0!

Magic Kingdom
Here is Steph and I with a classic shot at Magic Kingdom.