Oct 8, 2020
Disney fanatic Jordana Izzo shares why Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts speaks to her life in all aspects from being a new home owner, a new Autistic diagnosis for her two year old and ramping up her travel business with Travelmation-best Disney travel team...all during covid!!!
Life is a Highway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh-ZUrc-aLI
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Jordana Izzo jordanaizzo@travelmation.net www.travelmation.net/jordanaizzo www.Facebook.com/jordanaizzotravel
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**Full Transcript
Intro
I have a question. What is your favorite song, and how do you
connect with it? Is it when you fell in love, or through something
really difficult? I'm your host Tiffany Mason. now join me as I
interview others, and we take a walk down memory lane with them.
Let's get lost in why that music matters to them. Turn up your
radio and let's explore memories with a beat.
Tiffany
Hello podcast land. Thank you for joining me for another episode. I
have my friend Jordana Izzo with me. And Jordana do you want to
tell us a little bit about yourself?
Jordana
Yes, my name is Jordana and I live in Rhode Island. I have a two
year old son. And I've been married for almost three years now. You
know, it's pretty boring, like with COVID and everything. But I,
last year started a career in travel. And I've been trying to pick
up as Covid is going away.
Tiffany
Yeah, it's such tough time for that.
Jordana
It is but you know what? I think people have been stuck in their
house for six months, they're just, they're ready to get out.
Tiffany
Itching' to go.
Jordana
Yes, exactly! So I'm ready to book it when everybody's ready.
Tiffany
Where's everybody booking right now.
Jordana
Right now, a lot of good cruise rates are out there. You know,
Disney just reopened. And actually, my husband, my son, and I just
came back from Disney about a month ago. And it was really
awesome.
Tiffany
Oh Really?
Jordana
Yes, yeah, we went for 10 days for my son's second birthday, so, so
much fun.
Tiffany
How fantastic were the crowds? They had to have come down.
Jordana
They were so low. They're starting to level out they're starting to
get to typical Disney crowds now. Not high tide, but, because
they're still limited capacity. But no, it was... everything was
walk on. We were getting through the parks in half a day and then
just go on and chillin at the resort. It was awesome.
Tiffany
Now were you a Disney fanatic before you got married?
Jordana
Yes, yes so I actually dragged my husband into the "Disney
Life."
Tiffany
I was gonna ask.
Jordana
Yeah, so my mom always took us as kids me and my two sisters. We
went probably one to two times a year, took a break while I was in
college and stuff. And then I was dating my husband at the time and
I was like "Hey, I think, I think like, I want to take myself to
Disney." Like, I took out a loan, as people do with their student
loans obviously.
Tiffany
Why would you not?
Jordana
And I paid for a trip for my graduation trip to Disney. That's
actually when my husband proposed to me.
Tiffany
Awwww
Jordana
Amazing, then you know from there we had our honeymoon. We did our
baby moon six months later because the the magic of Disney
happened.
Tiffany
Yeah, that's right. [Laughter]
Jordana
And then we did ya know a baby free weekend once we needed a little
break on my son was six months old. And then, we took him for his
first birthday and second birthday. It was been a couple of weekend
trips down. I just I love it I can't get enough.
Tiffany
Wow, so you guys just fly down for like three days and fly
back.
Jordana
Yeah, yeah so...
Tiffany
When you were kids were you in Rhode Island as well?
Jordana
Yes, I've always lived here I actually just bought a house. The
next street over from the house I grew up, my mom still lives
there. So we live close to my mom.
Tiffany
OH, congratulations!
Jordana
Thank you. So, it was actually at the beginning of COVID. I was
like, I bought a house, two weeks later I'm working from home, and
I've been here ever since.
Tiffany
It couldn't have worked out better, right?
Jordana
Oh, I know.
Tiffany
Did you have extra time to unpack then?
Jordana
Yes. Sadly, I'm, I still have a few boxes downstairs that we're
just ignoring unpacking and...
Tiffany
Yes. Outta sight. Outta mind.
Jordana
Yes
Tiffany
Now is it downstairs or is a basement because here in Florida,
there's no basements.
Jordana
No it's basement. So we have basement here. We do, we don't have an
attic we have like a crawlspace attic. No, we don't so everything
is in the basement. There's no organization in the basement, but we
don't show anybody the basement.
Tiffany
That's right, that's right that's only when you need to go down and
get stuff out of the deep freezer when you come back up like, "Got
it."
Jordana
No, I have my little path over there and that's it.
Tiffany
Is your laundry downstairs, too? I feel like my laundry,
everybody's laundry is always downstairs.
Jordana
Yeah, yeah. Which kinda stinks but I mean, it is what it is.
Tiffany
It's so weird because we moved to Florida three years ago. And
there are no basements here. And it is just the weirdest thing. So
sometimes we do that joking thing where you you know pretend you're
going downstairs if you're on the other side of the counter or
whatever.[Laughter] There's no basements in Florida.
Jordana
"Let me go downstairs and grab that out real quick." I love that. I
love that.
Tiffany
So I know you picked a song for us. Do you want to share what the
song is?
Jordana
Yes. So, the song that I chose was Life Is a Highway by Rascal
Flats.
Tiffany
Awesome okay and I did some research on my own. Did you know the
song came out in the year 2000?
Jordana
Yes, so it's actually part of the Cars soundtrack.
Tiffany
Oh yes.
Jordana
The cars, I think it's a remake. I like the Rascal Flatts version,
a lot better. And obviously it being a Disney song...it's just,
that's that's my jam right there.
Tiffany
I know when I asked you, I didn't know what to expect. And honestly
I really thought it was gonna be like Little Mermaid Under The Sea.
Or maybe something from Beauty and the Beast. So I was pleasantly
surprised when it was Life Is a Highway. And I thought, okay,
that's actually super practical.
Jordana
I'll tell you, okay? So Life Is a Highway is my husband and I's
song. So like anytime we were having a rough day, you know, where
we're sitting here and we're mad at each other, that song would
either come on the radio or like on our iTunes playlist or like it
would just always randomly come on and I would just be like "That's
Life Is a Highway." So, that was actually our song that we walked
into at our wedding, when they announced us.
Tiffany
Oh, funnnnn.
Jordana
And everybody's like "Oh that's a weird song to walk in to," but we
were like jamming out we loved it.
Tiffany
Yeah, it's got a great beat.
Jordana
Yes, it's something you scream along, you don't sing along to you
scream along to it in the car. I just... like every time we hear it
we're like "Oh yes, like our jams on, here we go!"
Tiffany
Did you guys see the movie together?
Jordana
No, no. Years later.
Tiffany
I suppose because you... you guys weren't together.
Jordana
Right, yeah so we just started dating we started dating in 2013.
So, and then we got married in 2017. But it was between... the song
I was picking for the show was between the Beauty And The Beast
from Beauty And The Beast. Also, the last song that we danced to my
wedding. I was about 27, Bud Lights deep. Everybody was buying me a
shot. I thought I was Belle. I thought it was a nice castle, I was
dancing spinning around in this huge poofy dress like. And then,
like it rained on my wedding day. And I sat in mud. There's mud in
the back of my dress, I am spinning around I didn't care, there's a
video of it on Facebook somewhere. I will have to dig it up, but.
So it was between these two songs obviously with a Disney song and
yeah no we definitely... Life is a highway is the one that just
felt right for me.
Tiffany
The Beauty and the Beast song is the only way that I love the sun
rises in the East.
Jordana
I love that
[Laughter]
Tiffany
Every time I try to remember I'm like [Singing] "Surely as the sun
rising in the East."
Jordana
I love it. That's awesome.
[Laughter]
Tiffany
I think it's super funny. Okay, so are there any lyrics that kind
of stick out to you? Is there something about the song? Is there
any connection with Rascal Flatts?
Jordana
I just personally love Rascal Flatts. I think and I just actually
heard, they are ending, like they're no longer being a band
anymore
Tiffany
Noooo
Jordana
The aren't touring anymore. Yeah and they were supposed to have
their last tour. And then it all got canceled because of COVID
Tiffany
COVID
Jordana
I wanna go see them like, "I really want to go see them." And I
would hope that they play our song and stuff and yeah. I know,
COVID ruins everything, obviously. But yeah no, so I think I just I
really like them. I'm a country music kind of fan. So I really like
them as a band. Any lyrics? Cuz all I can think of is [Singing]
"Life is a highway..."
Tiffany
Is there any specific line that when you hear it, you're just like,
"Ah, that's totally how our marriage has been or that's totally how
life is it's absolutely right."
Jordana
So the first two lines are life's like a road that you travel on
when there's one day here and the next day go on. So, that is just
say that, you know, life flies by, speeding down the highway,
life's passes me by you got to kind of stop sit in the moment, you
know, that's speaks to you right there. And that just opens up the
song.
Tiffany
I like "Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand, sometimes you turn
your back to the wind. "Because it's so true. You know? Sometimes
you you know let the pressures of life get the better of you and
other times, you know, you kind of turn your back and you're like I
don't know I'm gonna weather the storm and when it's done.
Everything's gonna be okay again. And I do love that they say "Life
is a highway," because it's true I mean, you're it's an adventure
it's a road that you're traveling down, nobody has the directions.
You're just praying to God that he gets to your destiny.
Jordana
This is a song that everybody can relate to at some point in their
life. It's not just one, you know, for, for adults or for kids or
for one gender versus the next. It's something that everybody can
kind of listen to and probably to at some point.
Tiffany
The next lyrics that I kind of thought were cool is "A road so
rough this I know, I'll be there when the lights come in and tell
them we're survivors," because again you know you're weathering
that storm and you're like "I don't know but we made it." Here we
are, we're still standing.
Jordana
Right. Right.
Tiffany
Whatever, you know, comes your way in the in the adventure of life,
you know, you're still surviving.
Jordana
Yeah, no matter what you're gonna go through battles with life. So
you have to overcome it and just become a survivor. There's
everything anything out there you can you can relate this lyric to
anything in your life, I think. That one where you tell them where
survivors, you came out of it, you're you overcame it. Like, I just
I love that.
Tiffany
I know you recently shared with me that your son just got an
Autistic diagnosis. And would you say that that's kind of one of
those twists or turns on this road of life? And how are you
surviving that? How are you kind of overcoming that? What is your
coping mechanism right now or how are you, you know, moving forward
with that?
Jordana
One thing I can say for all Autism moms is and everybody that's in
the Autism community there some sort of special needs community
seems to know this is that you have to just advocate for your
child. And a lot of it it's battles every single day with, whether
it's health insurance or the therapies he's getting or the
diagnosis itself. My son's only two so he's allowed to have bad
toddler, two days you know? So it's every day kind of seems like a
battle, a little bit more. With everything that's going on, I
think... it's just, it's important to advocate, you know? Just to
stay positive. I think that everything that I'm doing personally
with, you know, we have weekly occupational therapy and speech
therapy. And he's going to be starting ABA therapy soon. That all
of this, I know, and getting it done so early, even though it seems
so tough now, it's going to make a difference in the end. Right, so
it's like we're kind of windy roads right now as it talks about but
I know that it's going to have a better outcome for him so that's
why, and you know when we look back at this it's going to seem like
it went by so fast.
Tiffany
There's definitely some truth in how everybody says, "The days are
long but the years are fast."
Jordana
Yes. Yeah, exactly. You know, yeah. Overall I think if I have any
advice to any special needs moms it's just advocate for your child
for their potential and...You know, just keep going keep pushing
even when you don't think you have anything left you just got to
keep going.
Tiffany
Do you know at this point, do can they decipher for between Autism
and Asperger's.
Jordana
We don't know right now because the end they won't even give him a
level as far as mild, moderate or severe because he's not at his
full Early Education Development yet. Yeah, they don't actually say
that until closer to four.
Tiffany
Oh, OK!
Jordana
Yeah. Right now we're just we're diagnosed with Autism Spectrum
Disorder, and you know, Asperger's as part of that spectrum. Yeah,
no, I can't tell where he's going to be. Some days I look at him
and I'm like "I really don't even think he's Autistic," and other
days "I'm like, Oh my god, how am I gonna do this," you know? But
no matter what the outcome is, you know, we're we're prepared for
we're prepared to keep moving forward.
Tiffany
OHHHHH Yeah.
Jordana
That's what Walt Disney says.
Tiffany
Yeah, totally true. Yeah. How does he do at the parks? Do like the
noises bother him, anything or do you almost feel like, you know,
sometimes... like I did Make -A-Wish for a very short amount of
time. Long story but I didn't get to do very many. But I know that
that's one of the most popular destinations is Disney. And I just
wonder are there accommodations that they have to make, or is it
something where he can go and just completely enjoy himself and you
just don't even know the difference?
Jordana
So, the thing with Disney and like this makes me so happy that this
is our favorite vacation destination because it's going to be so
easy. They have disability services, that if you are someone who
cannot wait in line, whether it be like a mental diagnosis, or like
a physical diagnosis, you can go up and ask for like a pass to come
back at a certain time to just get to the front of the line. You do
have to show like guest services that you are disabled and stuff
like that. And the thing is like he does awesome at the parks. Like
he isn't afraid of the noises, he's an Autistic child that is not
afraid of loud noises. Okay. And he has our early intervention
coordinator says he is very motor driven. So he loves to run he
loves to climb He'll run down Main Street. And then he loves
constant motion. So being on rides, he's perfectly fine now.
Tiffany
No Prolem
Jordana
This last trip we didn't interact with the characters as much
obviously with not doing any character meet and greets. So that
might have been something he would have had a little bit more
trouble with. But if you like my husband and I love the ride so we
don't want to wait in line for the characters.
Tiffany
What is your guys's favorite park?
Jordana
Magic Kingdom. Hands down I mean it's just you, that you get this
feeling when you walk into Magic Kingdom and you...It's like it's a
sensory overload. You smell the popcorn. You hear the music and you
just start walking down Main Street. And you see the giant castle
and it's just, it's magical, is the only...
Tiffany
Are you the one that posted on there, because you went on like back
backstage tour, or whatever?
Jordana
Yeah. Yeah. So, a fun fact about Disney I guess real quick, is that
the way that Magic Kingdom is designed, it's supposed to be
designed like you're walking into a movie theater. So if you look
on the windows there's credit, credits, I should say. Where it's
like, yeah, people who worked on Magic Kingdom, or worked with Walt
Disney, like Roy Disney, his name was up there. Their names are on
the windows, a smell of popcorn is supposed to be like you're
walking into a movie theater, and you smell that popcorn and the
main event is supposed to be the castle at the end of the previews,
from all the different shops and coffee and stuff like that.
Tiffany
I love that. That's so cool.
Jordana
That's my favorite Fun fact.
Tiffany
I think it's really cool, Jordanna that your passion has led to,
you know, a side hustle right now. But maybe eventually a career
for you. And then I also love that it's almost like a safe space
that you can go to. You already love going there you've already
made so many memories, and now you get to bring your son there. And
it's almost like maybe it doesn't matter, whatever's going on with
him right there.
Jordana
That's the thing like because we were like, "Oh, thank God we're
not cruise people, or like we don't like to travel to China,"
because, you know... so we're very thankful that he can sit on the
plane for three hours to get down her direct flight to Orlando and
Disney is very accepting of all people so it's just it's
perfect.
Tiffany
That's so awesome. And it sounds like you've been there a gajillion
times so you're probably an expert. I'll put your links and show
notes if anybody needs to do some booking to Disney. I know that
you're the girl I know we're going to look into some kind of
vacation for just my husband and I. So I know you'll be my girl for
that too.
Jordana
Love adult only vacations, we are trying to figure out if we're
going to make our February trip adult only. them so I love.
Tiffany
Yes. Hit the spa girl.
Jordana
I try to make those as easy as possible because you guys already
dealing parenting, like let's make this possible, like let's making
this possible.
Tiffany
That's so cool. Well, thank you so much for your time tonight
Jordanna I really appreciate it.
Jordana
Thank you so much for having me on. I love talking Disney I love
talking about my favorite song, and this has been awesome. Thank
you for having me on.
Outro
Well that was a great walk down memory lane. I hope you enjoyed my
guest's memories and experiences with the song or songs they chose.
To connect with my guest's, I mean I know you are just going to
stalk their social media, but check out the show notes as always
for details. Please leave a 5 star review. And I'd love if you left
a memory of your own that was sparked. Can't wait to dive into my
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