I promise I'm still alive

I totally suck at blogging lately. But here I am. I'm still alive. It's a crazy phenomenon how you can get so wrapped up in the day-to-day things of life and before you know it, it's months before you get around to doing that thing you'd been meaning to do.

Life has been busy. My job has been incredible. I am so blessed to be able to do something I love and and grateful for all that I've learned already.

One of my closest friend got engaged and as her maid of honor, I have been trying my best to help her plan the wedding with her being in another country. Thank goodness for technology. We have been sending pictures and pins back and forth sharing wedding ideas and talking about what it will be like to live so close.

I was called to be a FHE group leader in my singles ward. I'm not going to lie; this one stresses me out at times.

I've begun to toy with the idea of going back to school. I miss it. My work will even pay for most of it so that's a huge bonus. I'm thinking maybe next spring I'll start a master's program? We'll see.

I don't think I can fully express how thrilled I am that spring has finally arrived! I've missed being outside and I've missed the sunshine. The sun and warm weather are my favorite and I've also found that overall I'm happier during the spring and summer. Life just gets a little bit better. I've also really been excited to get out and play tennis again. Is there anyone in the Salt Lake area who will volunteer to be my tennis buddy??

Well there it is. A quick snapshot of what my life is like right now.

Life is good.

The unpublished

Do you believe in coincidences? I like to believe that everything happens for a reason but sometimes that reason isn't something we know or understand. When hard times come, it's reassuring to have that comfort that there is a reason for everything. Maybe it will help you grow, learn something or even just make you see the world in a different way. Whatever the reason is, I think life is more than chance encounters or random coincidences.

This morning I logged into my blog and was scrolling through my list of posts and I noticed one that I had written last March. It was unpublished and untitled. I opened it and couldn't believe what I was reading. I don't remember writing it but it is exactly what I need right now in my life. It's the words I needed to hear. It gave me reassurance and comfort that things will work out. I wrote about a different way of looking at a challenge that I still struggle with today. Something I had forgotten. How was I so insightful almost a year ago to be able to write something that would help me later? There's no way it was just a coincidence.

A brand new me

I am moving.

And I couldn't me more excited or nervous.

On Saturday, my mom and I set out for Salt Lake armed with a list of possible places and determined to fine my new home. House number one was a charming 3 bedroom home at the end of a cul-de-sac. It had a fun and open floor plan with one of those catwalks over the kitchen. The actual building itself was perfect but that's where the good ended. While we were waiting for the landlord to show up, I asked the girl who was moving out if she had enjoyed living there and she struggled to find something positive to say. Strike one. I asked her what the other roommates were like and she described them as "intense" and suggested it may be due to cultural difference. Strike two. The final strike was the location. It was in a sketchy neighborhood. Like the kind of neighborhood that we locked the car doors as we drove through. The kind of neighborhood that makes you feel uncomfortable and on edge as you anxiously scan the area for the mugger that you know is just around the corner. We immediately crossed that house off the list.

The second house had a perfect location and is less than 5 miles from where my office will be located after it moves in the summer. We rang the doorbell and I was immediately greeted by a girl with a huge smile and as she gave us a tour, I started to see the house as a place I could actually live and be happy. Everything about it was perfect. The bedroom was big with a giant walk-in closet, the girls living there seemed awesome and they had lots of positive things to say about the singles ward. I honestly could not find anything bad about the place. They even have a piano! Huge plus right there. But unfortunately, the room was on hold for someone else who was trying to get the money together for the deposit. The landlord was holding it until the 18th and would let me know if things fell through. Bummer. So we moved on to the next place on the list.

The third one on the list was another charming house located in a cute neighborhood in Daybreak. It had lots of positives but I just couldn't see myself living there. Something about it just felt off. I still can't figure out what it was but for some reason it wasn't what I was looking for. And besides, the bedroom was tiny. A queen been would barely fit with just enough room to walk around the edge of it. The girls who lived there were awesome but something still felt off.

The last place was a townhome owned by a lawyer-turned-chef who was renting out two rooms. This place was gorgeous. High-end everything. She kept her china displayed on the table that was always set. Everything was shiny and expensive. It felt more like something off a showroom floor than an actual home. I honestly think that if I lived there I would be afraid of A. breaking something or B. not keeping things clean enough. It was a great home but just not for me.

We returned home a little discouraged that the only one that really felt right wasn't an option. So I began to search the internet for some more options and to make a new list.

I got a text Sunday evening from the landlord of house number 2 saying things weren't going to work out with the other girl and the room was mine if I wanted it...! I immediately knew that this is where I was supposed to be. I signed the lease that night and will be moving on February 1.

The more I think about it, the more I truly believe that this was meant to happen. With everything going on in my life right now, the timing of all this is almost too perfect. This is my fresh start. I can move on with my life and meet new people and make new friends. I can be anyone I want to be. People won't know my past or anything about me except the things I choose to tell them. I really believe that this is the best thing for my life right now. There's really no other way to explain the feeling I have about it or the way everything worked out. I just know it's where I'm meant to be and that Sandy is the place where the next chapter of my life is supposed to play out.

Most People

When I graduated high school, I had a plan. I knew what I wanted and I had a good idea of when certain things would happen. As life progressed, I realized that things weren't going the way I had hoped. It's not that things were going bad, they were just different.

I had planned on graduating college in four years because that's what most people do. I did it in three.

I thought I would get married while I was in school because that's what most people do. But then I graduated at early and realized it's defintely okay not to be married at this point.

I never thought I would move back in with my parents. But I am grateful for them letting me do so.

I am not "most people" and I don't have to do what everyone else is doing. And I shouldn't feel bad that I'm doing what what they are doing. I am doing things a little different. So I'm not disappointed that I'm not where I had planned I would be at this point. Somewhere along the way I took a different path that took me in a different direction. Now I am making a new plan for myself. New goals. Where do I want to be in five years? Graduate school? Living a new adventure in a different part of the country? Starting a family? Beginning a great career?

I'm excited to see what life brings!

xoxo,

sam

Getting Settled

I've been such a slacker. With all the craziness of graduating, movie and traveling my blog has kind of been pushed to the side.

Now that my vacations are all over I can really start getting settled. I'll finally have the time to unpack the last few boxes and adjust to life after college.

It's a weird life. A life that I'm not used. I'm not used to go going to bed so early just so I can get up early the next morning to be on time for work. A life that isn't as flexible as I'm used to.

It's weird living with my parents again and adjusting to family life. Sometimes it feels as if I never left and other times I feel as an outsider who doesn't really belong. And then there's the issue of the light switches. That's something I haven't quite figured out because there are just so many of them and there are more than one that control the same light. I'll get it soon enough... I hope.

 It's been a great start to the summer :)

xoxo,

sam

It was an awesome week

So last week I got back from Florida which was awesome itself. And then the week just kept being awesome. Here are some of the awesome things that happened.

1) I went to a meeting for my internship and all we did was brainstorm ideas for Facebook posts.

Awesome.

2) Class was canceled.

Awesome.

3) I got some much needed alone time to catch up on a few things.

Awesome.

4) I was assigned certain beats (topics) to cover on Twitter for my internship.

Awesome.

5) My car got stuck in the snow today. Not awesome. But I was able to get it out by myself. Yay for independence.

Awesome.

6) I talked to him at church today.

Awesome.

7) My patriarchal blessing arrived in the mail. (I lost the folder with the original in it in a box somewhere at my parents' house.)

Awesome.

How was your week awesome?

xoxo,

sam

Stressed.

Stressed.

My week according to #twitter

I have been so extremely busy this week that I didn't even have time to blog. So here is what I have been up to over the past few days.

I have a brand new #iphone4s now. My mom thinks I should sell it and get the #iphone5. I'm honestly thinking about it #apple
— Samantha Gregson (@MissSamanthaG) September 30, 2012

I'm transcribing an interview and realizing that people speak with really bad grammar #team3 #research
— Samantha Gregson (@MissSamanthaG) October 1, 2012

#thatawkwardmomentwhen you walk into a room at the church looking for FHE and there is a random man standing in the middle of the dark room
— Samantha Gregson (@MissSamanthaG) October 2, 2012

Pretty much the best font title ever! I had a good laugh over this! instagr.am/p/QRLl9OFflv/
— Samantha Gregson (@MissSamanthaG) October 2, 2012

Apparently today is #NationalBoyfriendDay Well... This is awkward #singlegirlproblems
— Samantha Gregson (@MissSamanthaG) October 3, 2012

Banning books is like putting toothpaste back in the tube. Stupid #bbw
— Samantha Gregson (@MissSamanthaG) October 4, 2012

Dear Bluezone. Please stop disconnecting my laptop from the Internet. I'm trying to do homework #aggielife
— Samantha Gregson (@MissSamanthaG) October 4, 2012

I've got my crystal light energy, twitter and pinterest ready. Class can now start.
— Samantha Gregson (@MissSamanthaG) October 5, 2012

Good luck to the #aggiefootball team tonight! Wish I could be there! Cheering you on from Logan! #aggienation #USUvsBYU #bywho
— Samantha Gregson (@MissSamanthaG) October 6, 2012

I Believe.

I believe in second chances.

I believe in sunsets and starry nights.

I believe in love.

I believe in laughter.

I believe in kisses and hugs.

I believe in truth.

I believe in fairy tales.

I believe in day dreams, wishes and shooting stars.

I believe in the future.

I believe in miracles.

I believe in forever.

I believe in Christ.

That Girl

Who am I?

I think that is a question a lot of people find themselves asking. For me, I have recently realized that I have evolved into a new person over the past few years. I am not the same person I was in high school and I use my name to differentiate between the person I used to be and the person I am now.

In my mind, Sammy and Samantha are two separate and very different people.
In high school, I was Sammy to everyone. I don't know what made me do it, but when I started college, I started introducing myself as Samantha. It was an unconscious change but I can trace my transformation back to that first introduction in my freshmen dorm. Since then, I have become Samantha and, starting recently, Sam.

I have had some amazing experiences and have met some incredible people who have made me who I am today.

Sammy
She was a shy, nerdy girl who didn't know how to act around guys. She was almost annoying naive and didn't realize all that that world had to offer. She was unsure of things and was worried about what other people thought of her. Life was a puzzle she hadn't figured out yet.

Samantha
She is a strong, independent woman. She has learned so much over the past few years and has become a better person because of it all and she wouldn't change those experiences for anything. Now she is the happiest she has ever been and looks to the future with excitement at the thought of all she can do. Life hasn't happened how she expected it to; it has turned out even better.

Back in Logan!

Busy, busy, busy!

I'm back in Logan now and it's great to be back! I've started to settle back in to school life and I'm loving it in a totally nerdy way. My social life is starting to recover and it's great seeing familiar faces again around campus. This is my last year at USU and I'm determined to make it great! I am taking 15 credits in addition to being a teaching assistant for a news writing class. It's definitely more than enough to keep my busy. But I kind of like it. I have come to the realization that this is what I am supposed to be doing right now. I get asked a lot if I am dating anyone and right now, the answer is no. And I'm okay with that. I think that will come with time. So for now, I am just busy with school and work. Oh speaking of work, I got a new job!! I was able to keep the job I had over the summer at Intermountain Homecare and just transferred to Logan when I moved back here. It's not super exciting but I am starting to look for a job for when I graduate. Which is an intimidating thought. I don't feel like I'm ready to tackle the world but I'm excited for the next chapter of my life to start.

Insta Two Months

Go ahead. I deserve every one of your complaints on my complete absentness. But never fear, I have not abandoned by blog. I just have been pretty busy. That's probably the excuse everyone gives, but this time, it's totally legit. I have two whole months to catch you up on and to help me do it, I am going to pull some of my pictures from instagram (which I may or not be totally obsessed with).

Disclaimer: The following is not in chronological order.

So I am back in Layton for the summer and I have had to relearn a lot. Like if you want a piece of this pie, you should totally eat it now because more often than not, it won't be there later. 

I went to Tiffany's for the first time and was finally able to cross that off my bucket list. The jewelry there is gorgeous and absolutely stunning. The whole store was so sparkly as the light was reflected off the many, many diamonds.

I went to Florida with my sister, cousin and grandparents. This was the beautiful view from our condo.

I spent a lot of time doing this.

And this.

I think a little bit of my inner child died when I got a job. Like a real, full-time job. Like a dress up and go sit at a desk all day kind of a job. I now spend most of my time at the Intermountain Homecare office in Salt Lake. It's candy like this that helps keep me awake.

My family went boating and I even got in the water. Which has fish. Lots of fish. And I hate fish.

And then I learned how to drive a boat.

My parents and brothers were gone for a whole week so me and my sister got a lot of girl time. This was taken at our slumber party/movie night where we caught up on Pretty Little Liars.

We finally finished our basement and now it has all of these cool toys. It's fun :)

This awesome girl came to visit me and we went swimming. Love her!

I feel so old now. My brother graduated high school. I can't believe that he will be going to college in just a few months!

It was also Father's Day not too long ago. I love my daddy so much!

I even got crafty and made this adorable necklace.

I promise I will write more and maybe even share a few more instagram pictures. There is so much more that I have planned for this summer. Like my birthday, a road-trip to California, the 4th of July, and one of my best friends gets home from his mission! I have really missed my blog and I will continue sharing the best parts of my life with you.

xoxo, Sam

Another Year

My summer has officially started! I finished my finals and regardless of how I feel about them, it is in the past. For the most part, I think I got pretty good grades this semester.

Friday was my last day working at the library for four whole months! You have no idea how great that sounds to me. And yesterday was moving day. After two years on my own, I am kind of nervous to be back at my parent's house for the summer. It could be really good. Or really bad. But I am going to miss my roommates, especially Ashley. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do without that girl. I am so glad that I will be close enough to Logan that I can come visit her.

And so this post is for you, Ashley, Trish and Natalie. I love you all. You are the greatest! We had some good times, made lots of memories and had many, many laughs.

xoxo

-Sam

It Will All Work Out

Everyone is getting married.

And having babies.

And some are doing the baby thing first.

But then there's me.

Still single.

And doing the college thing.

Sometimes I feel like I am behind.

But I just need to remember,

that everyone grows up differently.

And it's not that I am still a child.

Because I'm not.

I'm an adult with different priorities.

And that's okay.

I don't have to be like everyone else.

I'm doing my own thing at my own pace.

I'm not doing anything wrong.

We just all go in our different directions.

And what I need to keep in mind is this:

There is someone out there just for me.

And I will meet him when it's the right time.

For both of us.

xoxo,

Samantha

Wednesday's Words 5

Today's topic: Faith

I need to free myself from doubt and have faith that everything will work out. It may not happen when and how I want it to but I need to have faith and trust that God knows what He is doing. And He does.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

xoxo

sam

What A Great Day!

In one word, today was amazing!

Like seriously you guys, it was awesome. Church was just what I needed. In sacrament there was this quote:

"Be of good cheer. Your future is as bright as your faith." ~Pres. Monson

I have heard that quote before somewhere, but today it really hit me. Because last night I had a mini freak-out about my life. I was applying for internships and realized that I don't have to much applicable experience that would make someone want me as intern. Sure, I have had a job since I was 16, but being a gymnastics coach doesn't mean anything to a PR firm. Needless to say I was a little worried. But at this point there isn't a whole lot I can do. That's what I thought until I went to church this morning. If I start reading my scriptures and praying again that my faith will increase and I know I will be blessed for it.

And if that wasn't enough, Sunday School was just as good. It was about the BOM which made me want to start reading it even more. Then Relief Society was combined with the men and take a guess about what the lesson was about. You guessed it! The BOM! I was so ready to start my new goal by the end of church.

My afternoon was spent with my amazing roommates. Singing, pudding and YouTube. We had a lot of good laughs. Oh, and nail painting may or may not have occurred.

Some boys invited us over to their place for dinner. They cooked us a wonderful meal complete with a pot roast and potatoes. And followed it up with Better Than You-Know-What Cake. 

The Spectrum was almost filled to capacity today. There was a fireside that Elder Ballard spoke at. And guess what the main theme was? Joseph Smith. I think someone up above was trying to send me a message today. Message received!

After walking home in the cold tonight, I couldn't wait to put on some comfy sweats and make some hot chocolate.

Good night everyone! And don't forget to smile just because today was a great day!

xoxo,

Sam

Procrastination... In Progress

Procrastination.

One of my worst habits and biggest flaws.

Even as as I write this I am procrastinating. But not as bad as usual. I finished studying for my exam in my next class and didn't bring anything else to the computer lab. So I have a half hour to kill and what better way than to write this.

Last night I had this assignment. A beast of an assignment. For a class that I loathe. Communication research. The teacher is extremely vague and only explains things one way. With boxes and arrows. How much sense can you make from boxes and arrows? It is a confusing class that really has no purpose. I will be doing the writing in my job and if need research done, I will go to the research person because that is their job. Almost everyone I have talked to are just as confused as I am.

So for this assignment I had to look at two different articles and identify specific parts of research. And then diagram it using the teachers box and arrow method that makes absolutely no sense. So I finished that part and then I had to write an op-ed piece. I have little experience writing one of the those. So mine is crap. Last semester in my newswriting class, we were constantly told to avoid number because it confuses readers. So I have always avoided numbers in my writing but for this assignment we had to "use numbers in a convincing way". How do you do that? We haven't been taught anything about how to write with numbers. Classes consist of boxes and arrows. Boxes and arrows.

Well, that got totally off topic. From procrastination to a rant about a class. Let's get back to my original point.

Last semester I had a planner that I wrote all my assignments down in. But this semester I have very few assignments and A TON of reading. So it's kind of useless to just writing "reading" down for everyday. I know I have reading to do. So the planner is ineffective this semester, for the most part. And the reading is boring and textbooks are never fun to read. So it's very easy to put off.

But it's piling up.

Okay, maybe not that much. More like this.

But that's still a lot...

This weekend is going to be one of those 'catch-up-on-life-or-die' weekends.

Wish me luck.

xoxo

Samantha