We wanted a beach wedding, and as big fans we also wanted a Disney wedding. Thinking back to our first theme park visit together, the choice was unusual but obvious — we would tie the knot on the sandy wave pool shore of Typhoon Lagoon. Morning January storms cleared up for a picture perfect afternoon ceremony followed by an EPIC EPCOT reception in the Living Seas pavilion… we even had a special guest pop by. Plus our guests all enjoyed their personalized LEGO mini figures!
I’m not a big competitive sports fan, and I was certainly never good at them. So when others on the Gay Games committee asked what event I was participating in, I simply laughed! But they were persistent, and with help from a trainer I worked my way up from being barely able to go a mile to running my first full marathon for the Games. After hearing participants saying our event eclipsed previous hosts’ like NYC, San Francisco and Sydney, it was no doubt an incredible finish to an amazing week.
David and I fell in love with traveling and cruises but had never left the North American continent. Time to change that with a trek across New Zealand followed by sailing to Australia! One of the most amazing trips ever, but what made it truly memorable was a wedding proposal on a remote island in the Great Barrier Reef. I won’t spoil who asked who… but he said yes!
I had been involved with volunteer efforts in school but stopped once I moved to Ohio. Feeling disconnected with the community, I saw on FB a request for creative individuals to help execute plans for Gay Games 9 coming to Cleveland + Akron in two and a half years. I always loathed groups in college where I carried most of the weight so I said I’ll just check it out; there was so much professionalism and enthusiasm at my first meeting, I knew I found a team I wanted to be a part of.
Almost a year into our relationship, over the winter David introduced me to skiing. Hard to believe I grew up in western NY and never went! (Whereas he was born with skis on.) I introduced him to skydiving a few months prior so only fair. After some rough starts learning, towards the end of the season I finally felt like I got the hang of it — right before my skis crossed and down I went, spectacularly breaking my tib-fib and leaving me with scars and a titanium rod in my leg. On the plus side that accelerated me moving in!
A couple failed relationships notwithstanding, my life changed one day in late March when I met this guy David on an online dating site; the profile pic of him and his german shepherd Goliath sealed the deal. A night of discussion (and un unforgettable quote, at least from my perspective) led to a dinner date, more get-togethers and even my rabbit Lola falling for him too — I finally found a true and stable partnership rooted in love.
By this point I had attended a few expos for IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions), mainly in Orlando. This year it moved to Vegas, and would also coincide with my very first educational/public speaking opportunity. Taking my experience ushering Cedar Fair parks in as the first real leaders within the mobile arena, I explained the differences between desktop and mobile experiences and advocated for forward-thinking technologies such as mobile apps and personalized visits. Oh, and I partied… Vegas is not the ideal place to have a busy work conference!
I may not be the best verbal storyteller, but if there’s one dramatic tale worth sharing it’s how my friend Rebekah and I had to be rescued off a mountain just outside of Seattle. Ask me about it sometime!
Looking back I suppose I had known for a long time, but being a single child from a (quasi-)religious family that constantly commented “I can’t wait until you have kids” forced some realizations into hiding. After finally having conversations with people who knew how to ask the right questions, this was the year I could finally admit to family and friends — “I’m gay.” And the biggest weight I had ever put on my shoulders was lifted.
It should be clear by now I love amusement parks, but one thing I never had a chance to do was work at one. Through my contacts at Cedar Point I was able to work an October weekend as a ride host on Wicked Twister. I had so much fun when they asked if I could come back a second weekend, I said of course! I was outdoors, away from computer screens and interacting with people — it didn’t feel like work at all. Three more years of weekend ride op gigs at Top Thrill Dragster and others eventually led to four fun years of weekends escorting VIP tour guests around the park.
