Walking Around Inside A Book

To celebrate the end of summer, the start of fall, (and to boldly go where it could possibly be horrendously busy), my family and I visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure park in Orlando. Hubby and I had been dying to go to Hogwarts ever since we learned it had opened this summer, and it was wonderful.


For a crazy fan like me who dresses as a Gryffindor every Halloween (even though I'm at work), watches the movie if it happens to be on tv (although I can watch the dvd's anytime I wish), and listens to the audio book once every year (starting on September 1st when the Hogwarts Express picks up the students), it was like being in a dream! Not a single detail was overlooked, not one brick out of place. We drank Butterbeer and Pumpkin Juice, flew on a Hippogriff, toured Hogwarts castle and listened to the Sorting Hat's advice.


And it all hit me, knowing that everything created here began with one little idea, in one person's (amazing) mind, which started as a rough draft, then a second draft, then a hundredth draft, and then eventually became one of the world's most cherished series of children's books. I can't imagine what J. K. Rowling must have been thinking the day she first walked through the village of Hogsmeade and saw HER castle for the very first time... What an amazing thing to happen!

It was just so awesome, and inspiring, to see first hand what can happen when an author works hard and perseveres! If you ever get a chance to go there, please do so. And when you do, stop a moment to really take it all in. Before you know it, you'll really think you are walking around inside a book!