Universal Studios!!!

 8 August - 14 August 2022

I finished my Track 1 residency for my master's program on Monday. I worked on homework assignments and then went to bed. Nothing too crazy. I loved that there were wild turkeys that would roam Matt's neighborhood. I'd always be on the lookout for them when we were driving out in the mornings. I spent all day Tuesday and Wednesday inside the Universal Parks, and I mean that literally. Between the two days, I spent 27 hours in the parks. It rained in the afternoon or evening on both of the days, which made some rides shut down for a while, and it was a TON of walking (25,000 steps each day). But I had a very enjoyable time! It was surreal to see Harry Potter World in person. I spent the morning of the first day in Diagon Alley. I went on the Escape from Gringotts ride, which I really enjoyed, and then explored all the shops and parts of Diagon Alley. I really got SO much more done in the mornings than the rest of the day, honestly. It just got so so packed. I was able to end the first day by going on Hagrid's motorbike ride, which was my favorite rollercoaster ride. I had to wait until the end because the line was always so ridiculously long, like 2 to 4 hours long! Matt joined me in the evening and went on that with me, and we didn't get out of the park and home until 10pm! (The park officially closes at 9pm, but they're not going to kick you out if you're in line before then). The second morning, I spent the morning in Hogsmeade. I'd gone there the day before, but it was CRAZY packed, so I felt like I didn't get to explore as much. I did the Forbidden Journey ride the first day and wasn't as fun. But the second day in the morning, I actually went through the entire line instead of the single rider line, and I enjoyed it SO much more and felt more connected to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, because there is so much of the castle that you miss if you don't go through the long line (such as Dumbledore's office, the Defense Against the Dark Arts room, the fat lady, etc.). It was super cool. I also explored the other parts of the parks in Universal, going on almost all of the rides. It was so cool. Like, it was just fun to be able to explore new things and go on rides having no idea what to expect (most of the time being pleasantly surprised, and other times disappointed). It was definitely an adventure, and I got to meet new friends and people, and I ran into an old friend there as well! My favorite parts of Harry Potter World (besides Hagrid's and Gringotts ride) was the Triwizard Spirit Rally and the Hogwarts castle light show, which was a great way to finish my last night in the park. It was bitter sweet being in the park, because on the one hand, you love Harry Potter so much and almost get to feel like you're there. But on the other hand, you can tell it is fake. The brick isn't real, the castle is smaller in scale than it'd be in real life, and everything isn't positioned exactly like in the movies. And you see hundreds, if not thousands, of other fans, and you're all trying to pretend it's real, but it's not and it's never going to be. So I had some bitter sweet moments, but by the end of my time in Universal, I would say I loved it because it was a fun, adventurous time, and I could close my eyes at night and picture myself right outside the Hogwarts Castle or in Diagon Alley, and whether or not it's real, it's pretty darn cool. Then I flew home Thursday morning and have been adjusting to the time difference all over again. Man, last week was just so exhausting, but I'm glad I adjusted in time to be able to be alert and awake enough to enjoy Universal Studios. And while exploring other parts of the park was cool, it didn't speak to me as much as when I got to explore the Harry Potter parts. I posted TONS of pictures on Facebook, and I'll only post a couple here (all Harry Potter ones, cuz those were my fav).

Much love,

Emily Burnham