Peace and Solitude in the Most Unlikely Place

I can really be a jerk, sometimes. I make assumptions and pass judgments on things that are important to a majority of people, when they are seemingly miserable and uninteresting to me. I don't do this all of the time; just some of the time. The best part of this is that I'm often wrong. Granted, this doesn't keep me from passing these judgments again in the future, but it does offer me opportunities for self reflection and surprise. 

 I'm attending a conference in Orlando - at a Disney resort. I haven't been to Disney since I was 13. There's a reason for that. I don't like crowds, lines, amusement or entertainment parks, manmade wonders, and I especially don't like paying three times the going rate for anything. I had these same feelings when I attended a conference in Las Vegas in 2012. As I have blogged about before, I was right; Vegas and I are not a good match. If I never set foot in that city again, it will be too soon. 

 I was sure that I would feel the same about Disney. But, as I have noted before, I am often wrong and I was wrong this time, too. The conference is held at, and thus, I'm staying at a Disney resort. I have no desire to visit the parks and centers. I assumed that the resort would be filled with reminders that I am Disney: Mickey Mouse would be waiting for me around each corner; the employees would be sporting Mickey ears; exhausted and over-sugared children would be hanging from their parents' legs and crying; I would be overwhelmed by Disney characters at every turn: hotel shampoo bottles, restaurant menu items, building decor, and on and on. 

 I could not have been more wrong. I'm at a resort which is built around a man-made lake. The hotels surround the lake and a generous walking path borders the perimeter of the water. There are restaurants on site, the fitness center and internet access are free, the running conditions are excellent, there are beautiful fauna and flora everywhere, there's chocolate gelato steps from my hotel room, almost everyone is quiet and respectful, the weather is fabulous, the sun is strong, and the breeze is easy. My only complaint is the number of smokers in public spaces and the inflated prices of food (plus some of the worst tacos I've ever tasted).
View by the man-made lake at Disney's Coronado Resort.
My work station. Not bad...
Instead of being miserable and hiding in my room watching another rerun of Law & Order-SVU, I'm attending conference sessions and when I am not in sessions, I'm sitting outdoors in the lovely weather working on my book. I haven't been able to find dedicated time to work on my book since early August. Even better, because I am attending a conference that is outside of my discipline: I don't know anyone. There is no pressure to interact and no promises to fulfill. I'm a stranger to everyone, enjoying warmth, quiet, and peace. I have always suspected that "getting away" when I am pressured to meet deadlines could result in high productivity; this time I was right. 

 Peace and solitude in the most unexpected place: a Disney resort. Bring it on. 

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