Martin Landau said, "Life is a rollercoaster." I hate rollercoasters. The ups and downs make me nauseous. So you might ask, "In these crazy, up and down financial times, why would you buy a property in the center of the world of theme parks?" Some would say, "For the money." Well, I can't completely deny that; it is an "investment" after all. But we knew that in 2019 Magic Kingdom had 21 million visitors and in 2020 it had only 7 million. We also knew that the STR competition in Orlando is steep.
On December 31, 2010 our youngest child went to college. About 10 hours later my dad died unexpectedly. Over time these events - these losses - caused me to have a change of heart, and that change of heart changed everything. My weird reaction was to unintentionally quit giving presents, and I didn't care about receiving gifts either. I just wanted memories.
Six years later we suffered another huge loss. Our son was in a life-altering accident. As he lie in a coma, I deeply appreciated my memories with Josh. Months later those memories meant even more as they helped Josh remember us again.
So why did we choose debt in the middle of an uncertain pandemic in the up-and-down heartland of the world? We did it for the memories we have yet to make. When Ellie is 28 and hears "mini" - whether it's Minnie Mouse or minivan - I want her to remember fun times with Grandma. I hope that after Chase gets his license, he will remember the thrill he felt the first time he drove ... with Grandpa around Speedway Track. I don't care so much that they remember the fun; I care that they remember that they were loved. Maybe by uniting our family from both coasts, we will help each other better manage the ups & downs and the twists & turns of life. Maybe we can help each other so that fewer of those rides will be taken alone. Maybe one day Rachel will help Eve turn a Tower of Terror moment into the Dumbo ride. And maybe butterbeer will have actually made life better.