Meet Paula @pixiehollowpaula | Registered Nurse & Disney Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Paula @pixiehollowpaula and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Paula, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Work life balance, I would say, is one of the biggest priorities in my life. In my opinion, it is a huge factor in creating a fulfilling and well-rounded life. Professionally, I have been working as a Registered Nurse for 3 years now in an acute care hospital setting. I work in two hospitals primarily caring for patients in the Medical-Surgical, Telemetry, and the Progressive Care Unit. That being said, for those who are not familiar, I have the opportunity and privilege to care for patients in some of their most vulnerable, difficult moments but also there to celebrate all of their triumphs and victories. I am so thankful to say I love my career. However, even with all the positives, being a nurse is not the easiest job out there; I would imagine no job is. As nurses, we work tirelessly to ensure our patients are well taken care of and safe. This means that at times, physically, it does take a toll on us, most of the time, we are walking miles and miles at work to get the job done. However, what is unsaid about the nursing profession is the mental and emotional toll. We encounter so many different tragic situations that no one prepares you for, ensuring we handle it all with human dignity and professionalism. At the end of the day, we are all human, some of these events that transpire at work can truly change who you are and how you view life and purpose. So as nurses, healthcare workers, and anyone in demanding professions, I highly encourage and advocate finding work life balance and an outlet. In the past, I could say I wasn’t truly as balanced. I would go through a pattern of going to work and not really doing much else to bring that balance into my life especially on the days off, which would lead to burn out and stress whether I was at work or home. I was able to achieve work-life balance by truly looking within and ask myself, what brings me joy? I was brought back to a time when I was a child and absolutely loved Disney. As a child growing up in California, I would go every so often with my family, especially for birthdays. I absolutely loved the magic of the parks. I had gone for the first time as an adult for a family member’s birthday and fell in love all over again, I had never felt so happy. At that moment, I knew I wanted to return to the parks more frequently and decided I wanted to get myself a Magic Key, which is Disneyland’s new name for the annual pass. It’s been my best decision since. Due to not wanting to overwhelm my private social media accounts with all my pictures at the park, I decided to create my own new Disney Instagram account to have a place for all my magic moments and memories. This account that was essentially what first started as a hobby turned into my passion project – @pixiehollowpaula on Instagram. Through this account, I have found my community and share all my adventures at the park. It has greatly improved my mental health and elevated my experience at the parks. I have had the amazing opportunity to work with others in this community, support small businesses, and made meaningful connections with others through all of this. I’m eternally grateful for it all and the balance it has created for my life. I’ve also been very mindful about getting enough exercise, eating & sleeping well, and taking care of my mind so I can enjoy the balance of my work life and personal life in this way. I can say now that I can be a nurse and person who is better at caring for others because I care for myself and my passions first now too!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a Registered Nurse working in the acute care hospital setting, caring for mainly adults across various conditions affecting either one or multiple systems in the body. I love my job because I can make a difference in the lives of others and their families. For me, it is the most rewarding feeling to see the smile on a patient’s face whom you’ve been working with across a span of days when they’re being discharged because they’re well enough to continue their journey of healing at home. I have always loved talking with patients about their other interests other than being at the hospital. It truly is special when I can connect and bond with a patient over our shared love of Disney and the parks as well. It has been my greatest honor to be recognized by my patients and their families through a Nursing Excellence award and nominations. I am truly humbled by the kind words and feedback I have received and it only motivates me to continue to do my very best for my patients.

To get to where I am today career-wise was not easy, but with the support of my family and friends and countless hours of studying, I was able to earn my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (which took a total of 4 years for me). After graduating, I had to review and take my boards, the NCLEX-RN, to become licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in California. I would like to encourage anyone who is going through their education path right now to keep going and remind you that your journey is your own, do not compare yourself to others but use their stories as a way to uplift you. I had to learn that lesson myself and it has really helped me.

As for my Instagram account, @pixiehollowpaula, it is my creative outlet outside of my career for my adventures as a Magic Key holder at the California Disney parks. I love to post my fashion/outfits, scenic shots, fun experiences, and different foods I try at the parks. I love working with and supporting small businesses and other creators to create meaningful and fun content together. I have met so many kind and amazing individuals from this community and can’t wait to keep expanding and growing with it!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
For a first time Disney-goer, I love exposing them to character dining because it fully immerses you in the fun and magic. One of my favorite places to go is Storytellers Café which is located in the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. We have taken many guests to this buffet style restaurant and it’s been a hit every time for all ages. It is a lot of fun because the characters come to your table and give you an opportunity to interact with you and take pictures. If character dining isn’t an option, I love Splitsville in Downtown Disney, try their Steak Frites, it’s my all time favorite! For Disneyland park dining, I love anything from Bengal Barbeque and the Fried Chicken Plate at the Plaza Inn. For California Adventure, I highly recommend Lamplight Lounge with the view of the Pixar Pier.

There’s so many new and good dining options now at the parks which makes it very exciting to go, whether it be for families or just adults! The Disney parks are not just for kids and even Walt designed it to be a place for anyone could go to enjoy their time. There is something for everyone. Sometimes a park day will be mainly just for rides, another for photography, and another for just eating really good food! I love the variety of entertainment and anyone can really make it their own.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to sincerely thank my loved ones, friends, and all my pals in the Instagram Disney community for always supporting me and my passions. Credit for the absolutely stunning and beautiful photography in several of the photos I have shared to my amazing and talented friend, Katie Nakata, who is a fellow content creator. I am wholeheartedly grateful to each and everyone of you!

Website: https://www.instagram.com/pixiehollowpaula/

Instagram: @pixiehollowpaula

Image Credits
Katie Nakata
Paula N.