I'm about to confess some of the geekiest and dorkiest parts of my life- please be nice.
My love affair with Star Wars started in 1997, and like many kids in my generation, the VHS digitally remastered box sets came under our trees and or in our stockings for Christmas. My Mom had no clue what kind of fan I was to become. I was in 8th grade and had started feeling the depths of depression as my path through puberty went deeper. I always felt like an outcast and was probably the "weird" one among my friends so liking the Star Wars trilogy wasn't that far off from my style. While every other girl was crushing on Hanson, Leonardo DiCaprio and The Backstreet boys, my heart was always after the odd and quirky dudes. Nicolas Cage, the geeky kid from 16 Candles are just 2 examples. So when the 2 suns set on Tatooine in a New Hope, and Luke the dreamy wonderer, stared off in the distance, my heart fluttered. I wanted so badly for Luke Skywalker to come pick me up in his x-wing and walk with me as I listened to the swish-swish of his orange jumpsuit fighter pilot onesy and he would listen to my middle school angst.
I spent the next several months after Christmas becoming obsessed with anything from the 70s because that's when Star Wars came out and I figured that was a hey-day for Mark Hamill. (so dreamy) I annoyed my dad by asking if "this song is from the 70s" every time 96.9 classic rock station played a new track. I bought some of the young adult novels in the Star Wars universe at Barnes and Nobles and some books about the filming of the movies, the concept and writing and George Lucas's storyline. (who remembers when book stores were still huge and awesome in the 90s?!) I was on the diving team that year. Holy shit I was bad! I could NOT do a summersault. but low and behold I was scheduled to perform one at our first meet and I sabotaged it. (got it on tape too!) It was so embarrassing but I imagined Luke training on Dagobah with Yoda and doing flips and lifting shit with the force and I thought maybe I could train hard and be good too. I even wrote Mark Hamill, who has a son my age, the story of my diving team summersault catastrophe and lo and behold, he wrote me back! I cried so hard on my dinning room floor when I opened the mail that day. To this day, one of my most prized possessions is an autographed photo of Mark, signed "Best to Lindsay". and he even spelled my name right! *squeeee!*
Like many middle class midwestern families, Florida and Disney World were a Spring Break must-do. Momma spent so much time and money to make these trips happen and I am so grateful. I wasn't expecting a trip to Disney World to make more Star Wars dreams come true but this was before Disney bought the franchise. There was however, Star Tours in the MGM Studios park! I still have the photos of me sitting in front of Mark Hamill's hand prints in front of the ride and also getting to meet Chewbacca! Luke wasn't there but I'm sure I would've woo'd him with my white girl hair wrap and grain of rice necklace.
The first boyfriend I had in High School was a Star Wars fan and that was fun to bond over. Not many people my age, especially girls, were big Star Wars fans at that time. Here I was collecting the hard to find action figures, vinyls, storybooks, anything I could get my hands on. I even had the soundtrack CDs and remember trying to get my discman to stop skipping while listening to the Empire Strikes Back musical score conducted by John Williams, while shoveling and walking to the bus stop. In 9th grade, Phantom Menace came out and my girl friends from Water Polo took me to see it! (I fell asleep in the theater. I guess Jar Jar wasn't keeping me thrilled enough after our tiring 2-a-day practices). When people asked me what I thought about the pre-quals, I always stayed true to my love of the original three and expressed as much.
I have to say I was a little jealous when Disney bought Star Wars because there was suddenly merchandise available everywhere! It went from being a hard thing to find and really cool when you did find it to seeing Star Wars even in the grocery store isles in your cereal and spaghettios. I felt like the fandom was taken out of obscurity and brought to the masses. Which is actually a really cool thing and I found myself just being thankful that I could go experience NEW Star Wars movies in the THEATERS! That's so awesome. and I am even more thankful for Galaxy's Edge which is an all inclusive theme park that you puts you in the land and stories of Star Wars. I am so excited to go! Galaxy's Edge wasn't open when my Mom and I went to Disney World last year but this Spring Eddie and I are going to spending May the Fourth at Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland!
Even though Galaxy's Edge wasn't open yet, my Mom found a way to make our visit really special. She booked us for a VIP dessert party and special seating for a Star Wars themed show at Disney's Hollywood Studios. When it got time to meet the characters in a meet n greet, I was nervously awaiting my chance to see Chewie again. When he poked his head around the corner and chortled at us I immediately started crying! I was so tired from walking all day and being in the rain and he just was great and really made my night. I hope to see him again on May the Fourth!
So, are you a fan? Have you been to Galaxy's Edge? Any suggestions for us?
My love affair with Star Wars started in 1997, and like many kids in my generation, the VHS digitally remastered box sets came under our trees and or in our stockings for Christmas. My Mom had no clue what kind of fan I was to become. I was in 8th grade and had started feeling the depths of depression as my path through puberty went deeper. I always felt like an outcast and was probably the "weird" one among my friends so liking the Star Wars trilogy wasn't that far off from my style. While every other girl was crushing on Hanson, Leonardo DiCaprio and The Backstreet boys, my heart was always after the odd and quirky dudes. Nicolas Cage, the geeky kid from 16 Candles are just 2 examples. So when the 2 suns set on Tatooine in a New Hope, and Luke the dreamy wonderer, stared off in the distance, my heart fluttered. I wanted so badly for Luke Skywalker to come pick me up in his x-wing and walk with me as I listened to the swish-swish of his orange jumpsuit fighter pilot onesy and he would listen to my middle school angst.
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| The moment I fell in love! |
I spent the next several months after Christmas becoming obsessed with anything from the 70s because that's when Star Wars came out and I figured that was a hey-day for Mark Hamill. (so dreamy) I annoyed my dad by asking if "this song is from the 70s" every time 96.9 classic rock station played a new track. I bought some of the young adult novels in the Star Wars universe at Barnes and Nobles and some books about the filming of the movies, the concept and writing and George Lucas's storyline. (who remembers when book stores were still huge and awesome in the 90s?!) I was on the diving team that year. Holy shit I was bad! I could NOT do a summersault. but low and behold I was scheduled to perform one at our first meet and I sabotaged it. (got it on tape too!) It was so embarrassing but I imagined Luke training on Dagobah with Yoda and doing flips and lifting shit with the force and I thought maybe I could train hard and be good too. I even wrote Mark Hamill, who has a son my age, the story of my diving team summersault catastrophe and lo and behold, he wrote me back! I cried so hard on my dinning room floor when I opened the mail that day. To this day, one of my most prized possessions is an autographed photo of Mark, signed "Best to Lindsay". and he even spelled my name right! *squeeee!*
Like many middle class midwestern families, Florida and Disney World were a Spring Break must-do. Momma spent so much time and money to make these trips happen and I am so grateful. I wasn't expecting a trip to Disney World to make more Star Wars dreams come true but this was before Disney bought the franchise. There was however, Star Tours in the MGM Studios park! I still have the photos of me sitting in front of Mark Hamill's hand prints in front of the ride and also getting to meet Chewbacca! Luke wasn't there but I'm sure I would've woo'd him with my white girl hair wrap and grain of rice necklace.
The first boyfriend I had in High School was a Star Wars fan and that was fun to bond over. Not many people my age, especially girls, were big Star Wars fans at that time. Here I was collecting the hard to find action figures, vinyls, storybooks, anything I could get my hands on. I even had the soundtrack CDs and remember trying to get my discman to stop skipping while listening to the Empire Strikes Back musical score conducted by John Williams, while shoveling and walking to the bus stop. In 9th grade, Phantom Menace came out and my girl friends from Water Polo took me to see it! (I fell asleep in the theater. I guess Jar Jar wasn't keeping me thrilled enough after our tiring 2-a-day practices). When people asked me what I thought about the pre-quals, I always stayed true to my love of the original three and expressed as much.
I have to say I was a little jealous when Disney bought Star Wars because there was suddenly merchandise available everywhere! It went from being a hard thing to find and really cool when you did find it to seeing Star Wars even in the grocery store isles in your cereal and spaghettios. I felt like the fandom was taken out of obscurity and brought to the masses. Which is actually a really cool thing and I found myself just being thankful that I could go experience NEW Star Wars movies in the THEATERS! That's so awesome. and I am even more thankful for Galaxy's Edge which is an all inclusive theme park that you puts you in the land and stories of Star Wars. I am so excited to go! Galaxy's Edge wasn't open when my Mom and I went to Disney World last year but this Spring Eddie and I are going to spending May the Fourth at Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland!
Even though Galaxy's Edge wasn't open yet, my Mom found a way to make our visit really special. She booked us for a VIP dessert party and special seating for a Star Wars themed show at Disney's Hollywood Studios. When it got time to meet the characters in a meet n greet, I was nervously awaiting my chance to see Chewie again. When he poked his head around the corner and chortled at us I immediately started crying! I was so tired from walking all day and being in the rain and he just was great and really made my night. I hope to see him again on May the Fourth!
So, are you a fan? Have you been to Galaxy's Edge? Any suggestions for us?
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| Chewie is my co-pilot! |
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