During Presidents’ Day[1] weekend, my friends and I headed to Florida for vacation. Although the main goal was to go to Harry Potter World, since none of us had ever been there before, we were also planning on making obligatory[2] stops to Disney World and the rest of Universal Studios as well.

To me, this was particularly exciting, not only because I love Harry Potter, but because I hadn’t been to the Disney World in Florida since I was five years old. I was looking forward to identifying places that I remembered from my childhood and feeling like a small girl again. The first time I went, my younger brother hadn’t yet been born, so it was just me and my parents. Thirteen years later, I would be going again—though this time without my parents. I realized that this would be the first time I attended any Disney park without them. It felt a lot like I was an adult myself—which, at eighteen, I am.

After a smooth plane ride to Florida, we immediately caught the shuttle to Disney World. Being in Florida was strange—I’ve always resided on either the West coast or the East coast of America, but never really the South. The South really is a whole different culture unto[3] itself—the people are friendlier and more open, which also suggests a kind of naivety that isn’t present among the established families among the East coast, but which also lacks the laid-back air the West coasters seem to embody. I never really understood how different parts of the country could vary so much in regards to personality and overall dynamic[4], but now, after having explored a lot more, I see it very clearly.

At Disney, we tried to make the most efficient use of our time and minimize the wait for the best roller coasters. My favorite ones are Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain (which was unfortunately closed), Rock N’ Roller Coaster, and the Yeti Ride in Animal Kingdom. Although Disney is for kids, when I was five, I was always too afraid to go on the big roller coasters, so I would hang back with my mom while my dad went on. Now, I was old enough to fully appreciate the thrills and adrenaline rushes that roller coasters bring.

The next day, we went to Universal Studios, where Harry Potter World is located. We went before the gates opened, and the minute they did open, everyone rushed in and started heading towards the Harry Potter World entrance. We quickly scurried along. Upon seeing the gates to the park, I had to pause for a moment—it was exactly how I had imagined it. I really felt like I had been transported to Harry’s world—the detailing and craftsmanship that went into designing the village was stunning. Our favorite ride at Harry Potter World had to be the Forbidden Journey in the castle, because there was so much to look at. Even though the fastest roller coaster (The Dragon’s Challenge) was much faster than most of the rides at Disney World, we kept going back to the Forbidden Journey, as did the rest of the visitors at the park, simply because the aesthetics were so amazing. Additionally, I finally got a sip of the long awaited butterbeer that I had read about in the books. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite what I had imagined, but, then again—we can’t really simulate[5] magic, can we? We can only provide a close imitation.

Going to Florida again was a wonderful experience. At some moments, I would feel sudden rushes of sadness when I remembered what it was like to be a little girl and with my parents. I miss my parents a lot in college, and it can feel daunting[6] at times when you think about how alone you are in the world and how it’s up to you to face a lot of challenges on your own. But, on the other hand, Disney truly is the happiest place on Earth—it gives you the chance to forget about everything and play all day, completely worry-free. In my opinion, maybe Disney isn’t really the ideal “kid’s world”—because kids really don’t have anything to worry about. When you go back, older and more tired, you start to really appreciate all that it can give you.