We Went to Disney for Star Wars and Graduated Too

This all started with a pandemic-era Star Wars obsession. I’d seen the movies like everyone else—but working from home during COVID turned my mornings into a Clone Wars ritual. One episode per day turned into reading comics and novels on my lunch breaks, watching every show on Disney+, this is how I conduct a midlife crisis/pandemic trauma response. 

So when Ellena suggested we skip our usual beach vacation and go to Galaxy’s Edge instead, I thought she was joking. Nope. She planned the whole thing—via a TikTok travel agent, naturally—and I had only one request: “Can we bump the dates so we’re there on May the 4th?”

Blank stare. “Why would we do that?”

😏

The Quote That Made the Trip

We were supposed to fly out at 6 a.m. That was the plan. Instead, around 10 p.m. the night before, Ellena’s phone lit up with rebooking notifications. The flight was delayed and our connection was toast. She opened her laptop, sighed deeply, and decided I should “help.” She shook me awake from my NyQuil coma.

I blinked, opened the airline app, and handed her my phone like I was offering up a TV remote. That’s when she delivered the quote of the trip:

“I didn’t wake you up just so you could hand me your phone! Get your laptop!”

May the 4th at Galaxy’s Edge!

Star Wars Day at Galaxy’s Edge was nothing short of spiritual. We wore matching shirts—hers was BB-8 with Mickey ears, mine was R2-D2. 

She loves matching. I do not. So of course, she packed us coordinated Star Wars shirts and trolled me with love.

We walked into Galaxy’s Edge through a tunnel, and… BAM. You’re not at Disney. You’re on Batuu. The Millennium Falcon was there, life-sized and majestic. I teared up. Ellena insists I cried. Same difference.

We rode Smugglers Run, built lightsabers at Savi’s Workshop, and I finally built my sweet, sweet, Chopper droid! I may have financially blacked out in the marketplace. I regret nothing.

Rise of the Resistance was the main event. It’s more immersive theater than ride. You’re in it, captured by the First Order, escaping with the Resistance, moving through different rooms with actors, effects, and full-on plotlines. It blew my mind.

By the end of the day, we were soaked in sweat and rain, running on charcuterie and cocktails. It was perfect.

Pandora: The Surprise MVP

Two days later, we hit Animal Kingdom, and I’ll be honest—I was a little “meh” on Avatar going in. But Pandora? Pandora blew us away. Floating mountains, glowing plants, alien vibes that felt real.

Flight of Passage made me want to rewatch the movies. It’s like riding a banshee in 3D IMAX strapped to a wind machine. I expected a screen and some motion; I got a mind-altering out-of-body flight. Absolute top-tier theme park experience. (Still haven’t rewatched the movies, but the impulse was there.)

We capped the night by hopping back to Galaxy’s Edge. Because of course we did.

EPCOT: Heat, Chaos, and Cosmic Rewind

Just when we thought we might be hitting our stride, EPCOT reminded us that Disney isn’t messing around. It was 88 degrees by 9:30 a.m., zero shade, and the sun was clearly trying to kill us. We were there for Cosmic Rewind, a Guardians of the Galaxy coaster.

I’m not a coaster person, and Ellena swore it wasn’t “that bad.” She lied, beautifully. I clamped my eyes shut halfway through and held on like my life depended on it. Still—worth it.

Afterward, I inhaled the best hotdog of my life in an air-conditioned food court and rode Living with the Land like it was a spiritual recovery session. Soarin’ was next, which we both appreciated for the gentle breeze and complete lack of G-forces.

Ellena Graduates (Again!)

After all the lightsabers, banshees, and intergalactic motion sickness, we got home just long enough to swap out suitcases before hitting the road again. Ellena was graduating with her master’s degree from the University of Arkansas. She wasn’t sure she wanted to walk, but I told her she had to. She juggled work, school, life—and still made it across the stage.

We drove to Bentonville (because everything in Fayetteville was booked solid), stayed in a room the size of a broom closet, and pulled it off. She walked. Her name was pronounced right. I saw her across the crowd and did the awkward wave. It was incredible.

The Aftermath

We came home to suitcases exploded across the apartment and zero motivation to do anything about it. Disney, airports, graduation, more driving—it was chaos. But the good kind. The kind you laugh about later when your feet stop hurting.

We didn’t get rest. We didn’t get tan. But we got lightsabers, memories, and one very well-earned diploma.

And that, friends, is what I call a vacation.

Project Sahara

Over the past few months, I've been gradually phasing Amazon out of our daily lives. I've dubbed this endeavor Project Sahara—because if the rainforest represents abundance and constant flow, a desert is its deliberate opposite. Not barren, but intentional. A place where only what's essential survives.

The journey began with replacing the Echo devices around our apartment. I switched to the Apple HomePod, and immediately noticed the superior sound quality. But the real revelation came during setup. Thanks to Apple's Handoff feature, transferring settings and connecting devices was effortless. Simply bringing my iPhone near the speaker configured everything automatically. No QR codes, no long passwords, no menu-diving required. It was just as easy to set up on my wife’s phone, so control doesn’t fall entirely on me.

To complement this change, I installed Philips Hue bulbs and switches throughout our space. They integrate perfectly with Apple's Home app and HomeKit automations. I anticipated challenges here, but the system has proven remarkably reliable. Creating simple scenes like "reading" or "evening wind-down" has transformed our place.

E-books presented another transition point. I've been migrating my library from Kindle to Apple Books, and the difference is notable. Beyond the clean interface, Apple Books offers superior customization—fonts, spacing, background color, even hyphenation preferences—creating a more tailored reading experience. The only remaining question is outdoor reading; if glare on the iPad Mini becomes problematic, I'm considering the Kobo Clara 2E. My wife is also making this switch—she's ordered a Kobo Libra Colour with their Kobo Plus subscription service.

We've also stepped back from Amazon for our shopping needs. We still place occasional orders when products aren't available elsewhere, but now most purchases go directly through manufacturers or small businesses. It requires more effort, but feels more connected and intentional.

I know this setup isn't cheap—it's definitely a privilege and an investment. But the payoff has been worth it: less technical hassle and a noticeable boost in quality that I hadn't realized I was missing before. This is really about being more deliberate with our choices—stepping back from the convenience-at-all-costs approach and focusing on products that work better for us, even when that requires more time or money upfront.

If you're thinking about making similar changes, remember you don't need to overhaul everything at once. Maybe replace one speaker or try a different e-reading app. Small steps can lead to meaningful improvements in how your technology serves you rather than the other way around.

Trendsetters

Upon finishing our latest botanical Lego set, the Orchid—the most laborious plant we've built so far—I was fully prepared to not look at it for a while. Thus began the long debate of "where are we going to put this one."

Our neighbor who displays fresh flowers in the hall every Monday was unstoked with the florist's offering this week and decided to skip. Since our builds have consistently spellbound everyone, we placed our Orchid in the hall so there'd still be flowers for all to enjoy.

Imagine our surprise when another neighbor later placed her Mini Orchid on the same table! It seems we've unintentionally become Lego influencers in our community.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​