Wigs. False lashes. Excessive makeup. Elaborate costumes. This is the dress code for my job. Other requirements include singing, dancing and above all, being kind. I am a Disney princess.

Yes, you heard right. My job is working as a Disney princess— going to different events such as fundraisers and birthday parties to entertain people by dressing up as various Disney princesses.

People ask me all the time how I managed to snag a job like that, and honestly, I’ve been doing it for so long I don’t remember when I got it. It’s not a formal career, obviously. It’s mainly people hearing about me by word of mouth and contacting me on my cosplay (costume play) page. They usually then ask me what princesses I do (Ariel, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Elsa and Snow White) and then request the one their little one or organization wants to see most.

At the events, I usually just pose and take pictures with people, all while in character. Sometimes they’ll request a few songs, and I’ll sing, but for the most part, I’m just being a princess.

Sounds easy right? Wrong. Being a legitimate princess for over eight hours can be ridiculously exhausting.

As a princess, there is never a moment where you aren’t smiling. There is absolutely no slouching, no eating anything bigger than your thumb (because you can only look so elegant eating a chili dog), limited breaks, scratchy outfits, only wearing heels and absolutely never breaking character. Oh, and last but not least, no checking your phone. Ever. Unfortunately, Ariel doesn’t have Snapchat under the sea. Go figure.

Throughout my princess career, there are a few things I’ve learned that have become a creed I live by.

Rule No. 1: Never be the first to let go when a child is hugging you. You have no idea how much they need it.

Rule No. 2: Always have an answer ready. For example, if a child asks Elsa where Anna is, I have to have a good explanation as to why she’s not with me. Sometimes the improvisation is the most difficult part, because I get some strange questions. One time when I was playing Elsa, I actually had a child ask me to explain my ‘hidden feelings’ for Kristoff and how I feel about Anna and Kristoff’s relationship. Yeah, that was quite a colorful conversation.

And lastly, rule No. 3: Absolutely always stay in character. This includes a lot of adjustment, because the world we live in is so different from the world our beloved Disney princesses live in. So when someone pulls out their cell for a photo, be amazed. If Ariel can be amazed by a fork, she can definitely be amazed by a smartphone.

Now I’m going to skip ahead to the part you’re probably the most curious about— what about the pay? As an average Disney princess, I change my price accordingly to the person’s situation, because, even though it’s my job, I still enjoy doing it every chance I get. So if a family cannot afford $30 an hour, I change the price. I make sure everyone gets a chance to have a princess at their birthday party.

Overall, I adore my job. It’s perfect for me, and I definitely take something from it each time I show up at an event. Sure it has its downsides, but what job doesn’t? There has never been a day I have woken up and not wanted to go to work, and a lot of people cannot say that about their job. Besides, who doesn’t want to say that they’re a princess on the weekends?