Disney – Darkk Horse Travel

Why Moana is the Anthem for Every Travel Girl

Published on December 8, 2016February 24, 2017 by Emilee2 Comments

A couple of weeks ago I saw Disney’s newest film, Moana. There were a few problems I had with the overall story structure but the music was just about flawless. Shout out to Lin-Manuel Miranda! One of the best parts of this movie is how empowering the songs Moana (and her grandma) sing. As a woman who travels, I know how hard it is to find support to go “beyond the horizon.” And while I may not live in a small village, and I’m not a chief’s daughter (clarified in the movie as NOT a princess *Pocahontas rolls her eyes* ) the stigma about leaving home is still very real.

One of my favorite songs in the movie comes when Moana finds herself hopelessly lost and defeated, despite her braveness and tenacity. She didn’t get it right on the first try…or even the second time. I think this is a really powerful lesson for girls who want to strike out on their own, regardless of whether it’s through travel or not. You’re not going to magically get it right. Even with magical help, Moana doesn’t get it right. Here’s my takeaway from how one of her songs should be the anthem for every girl who travels.

(Gramma Tala): I know a girl from an island
She stands apart from the crowd
She loves the sea and her people
She makes her whole family proud

The first stanza of this song is beautiful. Her grandma reminds her that she is loved and affirms that her family is proud of her, despite her own feelings of inadequacy. This whole song had me on the brink of tears, but the beginning is especially poignant because it’s not often enough that women from older generations speak identity over the younger ones. Women, rise up. Stop complaining about the younger spoiled millennials and start speaking to the generations younger than you, no matter your age. They need to hear affirmation. You might be the only voice giving it to them.

Sometimes the world seems against you
The journey may leave a scar
But scars can heal and reveal just
Where you are

Scars are okay. It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to fail. It’s through these obstacles and failures that you discover not only who you are, but what you want. You are made stronger by your “weaknesses” because once you challenge yourself you can find ways to overcome them. It took me so long to realize that being hurt, being disappointed and being found lacking was actually one of the best things that could happen. When you’re living in another country and you ‘just can’t’, you start to realize how strong you really are, by pressing forward anyway.

The people you love will change you
The things you have learned will guide you
And nothing on Earth can silence
The quiet voice still inside you
And when that voice starts to whisper
Moana, you’ve come so far
Moana, listen
Do you know who you are?

Every woman needs to be asked this question, “Who are you?” One of my life changing moments came when an older lady asked me that at a local market. I started to tell her what I did for my job (at the time I was a nanny) and she stopped me asking, “But is that what you want to do with your life?” The answer was no. And so she told me to start defining myself by what I longed to do. I am a writer. I am an artist. I am an advocate. This is who I am.

(Moana): Who am I?
I am the girl who loves my island
I’m the girl who loves the sea
It calls me

Here’s we go! This is the part where I almost pulled a Shia Lebouf and stood up clapping. Moana is questioning herself and what she feels called to the whole first part of the movie but when she takes some time to reflect she realizes who she really is. I’m not crying – you are.

I am the daughter of the village chief
We are descended from voyagers
Who found their way across the world
They call me

I’ve delivered us to where we are
I have journeyed farther
I am everything I’ve learned and more
Still it calls me

Okay, so now shit (sorry, mom) gets real. Not only is Moana claiming who she is, in this part, but she’s claiming what she’s done. Not only what she’s done, but that it has value. Impostor syndrome is a very real part of American culture, for women. We feel like even if we accomplish something it’s because we were “lucky” or “the stars just aligned” we don’t claim that we fought and clung and crawled our way to get there. That’s not right. And also not healthy. CLAIM your victories – you have journeyed farther! You are so much more!

And the call isn’t out there at all
It’s inside me
It’s like the tide, always falling and rising
I will carry you here in my heart
You’ll remind me
That come what may, I know the way
I am Moana!

Throw the confetti! Light the fireworks! She won! She hasn’t even made it to her “foe” in the movie and she’s already won! Why? Because she gets it, now. It wasn’t ever about needing to travel across the sea (although that is a big part of her identity). She realizes that her strength comes from within and the love of her family (her grandma’s spirit) is something that she always has to hold onto. The physical journey was only one part of her transformation and overcoming. SHE DID IT! And so can you.

And now, this is me:

Here’s the full song, in case you want to re-listen:

Published on December 5, 2014December 5, 2014 by Emilee1 Comment

Okay, so living in another country can feel like you’re living on a different planet, but there are also a lot of things that won’t seem quite so foreign when you travel to France, as an American. Let me give you some examples:

1. Pokemon: I really find it amazing how pervasive Pokemon is globally. I can remember sneak watching Pokemon when it came out in the mid 90’s (because, let’s be real, it wasn’t a friend of many Christian households, once upon a time) and to see my 8 and 5 year old playing with the cards STILL, thousands of miles away from where I grew up is amazing to me.

2. US Pop Music: It’s really funny in France because most people don’t speak English fluently, but the music in all of the grocery stores is American and a lot of French people listen to American Music. The favorite that I’ve noticed, so far, is definitely Katy Perry with Taylor Swift coming in a close second. But it’s pretty funny that, although people sing along, they have no idea what the words mean, half the time.

3. American/British Flags: Most French people don’t really like anyone who isn’t French, but I see SO MANY American and British flags. I see them on backpacks, t-shirts, sweaters and pretty much everything else. It’s like the 4th of July every day.

4. Coca-Cola: If there’s one drink that you can pretty much count on in most restaurants it’s Coke. It’s the American drink found in grocery stores, vending machines and pretty much anywhere else where drinks are sold. When I first came to France I drank a lot of Coke because I was really home sick. But, fun fact: I actually hate coke, and don’t know why pouring poison in my body reminded me of home.

5. Disney! Of course! I live right next to Paris Disneyland, which I haven’t been to yet. But I’m sure that I’ll be headed there at some point in the future (how can I not!). In general, there is about the same amount of Disney influence in Paris as there is in Seattle. Kids here love the movies, and I already own a few more than I did when I lived in the US. What’s nice is that the DVD’s come in English and French, so you can watch either version.

6. Nutella: Fun fact – I had never eaten Nutella before coming to France. But now I’m addicted, like the rest of the world. My favorite it Nutella and banana crêpes. Drool. I also learned while I was in Germany, that Nutella is actually an Italien brand and comes from the combination of the words “nut” and “bella”. Weird.

7. Video games: Video games and gaming are exactly the same in France. They’re just as well loved and the same games are played. My au pair brothers love to play Clash of Clans and own pretty much every type of gaming console.

8. Frozen: Let’s be real, “Let it go” is still echoing off the sides of the Eiffel Tower a year after it’s release. Lucky for me, I happen to LOVE the movie. But it’s still pretty funny how many times I’ve watched it since I’ve been here. I will say it has some of the best dubbing I’ve seen, though, and the characters in French are as good as they are in English.

9. Game of Thrones: Yep. Popular here. Lots of people watch the series, and I can’t wait until the next season starts because I will be watching each episode in our home theater, which has a screen the size of the wall.

10. UNO: Again, games seem to translate well across seas, and Uno is loved by French and Americans alike. It’s really fun to play with my au pair kids because they’re able to work on their English numbers and colors, while playing a game that I absolutely love. I never travel to a house with kids without my deck of UNO cards.

BONUS:

SOCCER: Ok, so it’s not called soccer here. But football is pretty huge in Europe, of course, and France is no different. I love being able to play with my boys, and I love that we can all sit around the TV and enjoy watching a game we all love, and that needs no translation.

San Francisco: Fin

Published on July 8, 2014July 8, 2014 by EmileeLeave a comment

Somehow, no matter when, where or how I fly, I end up sitting next to the screaming child. This time I got extra lucky, though, because I have one in front AND behind me. Glory.
Well, all trips can’t be perfect, I guess. And this one has been a pretty extraordinary one, overall.

CONFESSION: Pre this trip I think I had forgotten how to have fun.

It’s hard to admit , but I was pretty uptight coming to San Francisco. I think I was so intent on getting everything set with my move to France that I’d put blinders on to anything other than that.

I’ve talked before about the mirror test while traveling. When you take a minute to walk past a mirror and notice your face. Well, yesterday I walked past a mirror and realized something crazy – I looked rested…and happy. Sounds crazy, but it’s been a while since either of those words have applied to me.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I only really only feel truly happy when I’m traveling.

Since the first and second day were so great, it seemed like asking too much to have a third perfect day, but then yesterday happened.

NOTE: A lot of this trip’s successes is because of an extraordinary Couchsurfing host, so a huge thank you to her!

Yesterday started off with the decision not to pay for transportation. So my host and I started to look up car sharing services and signed up for a few with some free minute promotions. All in all we saw pretty much the whole city for under $10.00 ( for both of us) which you’ll know is insane if you’ve ever tried to travel, with another person, around the whole city in a day.

On Saturday I saw that there was a Walt Disney museum in San Francisco, which I had never even heard of before – a fact that shocked me, since I’m such a huge Disney nerd. So, first thing we did was head over to the museum…which is literally I’m the middle of nowhere. I would never guess the museum was there, the building looks more or less like a mess hall at Barracks..

I was most excited for a special exhibit at the museum for Mary Claire, who was an artist and illustrator for Disney movies such as Peter Pan, Three Amigos, Cinderella and my all time favorite Disney movie, Alice In Wonderland.

The exhibit was amazing! I got to see original story boards and illustrations for some of my favorite movies, while learning about an amazing woman who not only worked full time and traveled the world as an artist, but also raised kids and was married – which I can’t even imagine. My favorite part of the exhibit, though, was being able to see inside her sketchbooks – they were a mess. Its pretty rare to be able to see inside another artist’s sketchbook, especially those who are professionals. It was so great to see that messiness is normal, beautiful and productive. It was so refreshing!

After the museum we made the long trek over to the Palace of Fine arts, which basically looks like something out of ancient Greece, but was actually built in 1915 as part of the Panama Pacific Exposition. Its so incredibly beautiful and a MUST SEE for anyone visiting San Francisco.

After the Palace, we tried to get some shots of the Golden Gate bridge, but the weather was no cooperating so the bridge was covered 90% with heavy fog (we’re talking, cannot see ANYTHING). Still took some pictures, but it was kind of a bummer not to be an!e to see all of its glory. We walked across the bridge, whip whirling wind and mist in our faces, and then decided to walk back the way we came, before we froze to death…or our legs fell off.

All in all, I could not have dreamt of a better trip. Everything didn’t go as planned, and I will have to go back down to San Fran in a few weeks to still apply for my Visa, but all in all I could have asked for more. In only three days I feel revitalized, refreshed and with a renewed sense of purpose. I really needed some down time to recuperate, and the funny thing is, I didn’t even know I needed it.

After regrouping, I’m going to be going in again August 1st to apply, and then begging and praying that they process my visa before my plane ticket on August 18th! Fingers crossed! Prayers much needed and appreciated.