But I digress... The real subject of this post is the fact that as of last week, my almost $500 annual preferred pass to Universal has expired. In total, I visited the parks a total of six times over five overnight stays. Aside from the pass itself, I spent countless amounts of money on drinks, food, gasoline, and hotels to satisfy my theme park cravings.
But I need to hit on that for a minute. My desires over at least the past decade or so to enjoy fantastic outings to our fabulous Central Florida theme parks, have really been about my attempts to try to recapture the feeling of awe and wonder I used to have in the Halcyon Days. I think I'm finally coming to the realization that there is no going back. Buying an outrageously expensive pass isn't like jumping into a time machine.
I looked back on the TRAVELOGUE posts regarding my Universal visits over the past year and unfortunately I think I can say each visit had more negatives than positives. Cost is just one factor. The other big negatives are unacceptable queue wait times, the long and frustration filled drive to Orlando and back, and my physical ability to walk adequately and fit on the rides. Of course this goes along with the other issues such as the guilt associated with drinking alcohol, especially if driving, tolerating weather conditions that can be unpredictable and uncomfortable, and my increasing social anxieties making me wonder why I'm subjecting myself to massive crowds of irritating human beings all around me.
I think it's pretty logical to just simply not bother wasting my retirement money dreaming of a time and place that are gone forever. Like that mysterious amusement park my godmother Neuna took me to when I was but little more than a toddler, my memories of all the wonderful times at Disney, Universal, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens, will fade into a dreamlike quality memory making me think that perhaps it was never real.
