by Samantha on January 29, 2010
It is amazing to me how stressful and what a bummer this week started out with and seemed to have pretty much failed me, but I have decided that I can’t let this get me down. Even if things don’t seem to be going my way or looking up for me right now, I have a lot of other things to keep in mind.
I have interviews scheduled in February for jobs that I have applied to in the Bay Area. Preparing for those and hopefully gaining some that will temporarily make me an actual full-time college student. Not that I haven’t already been, but working full-time as well does not let you put everything you can into your school work. I have managed to keep up the good grades (A student!), but as classes are getting harder and I’m reaching the next pivotal point in my education I need to focus more. I know I can’t always be the girl who has never studied. (Photographic memory.) So I plan for my next quarter to be a full out process by keeping up with the reading, work, and important school events. I feel like I am beginning to sound redundant, but you can never remind yourself enough to stay focused on what you set out to do. I know that in the end this will all be worth it.
Having to keep my mind on school and partially on the future can sometimes make my twenties feel like I am planning for when I have the out of school life. Where I focus on my career and plan for the rest of my future. Yes, of course most of it is about that, but the only other thing that I should remind myself is to remember to have fun while I’m doing it. There is no way my twenties has to be all work and no play!
by Samantha on January 22, 2010
I decided to take some courses at the local community college which are based on a 10 week short semester length along with whatever I am registering for at Stanford in February. I am not sure if it is the lack of money at this community college with the poor economy, but I had the most horrible experience trying to do so. It is the first time this college-that-shall-not-be-named seems to be integrating online registration and looking up every course online. The UI also looked like my 5 year old cousin could have done a better job putting it all together. Besides that, I also went ahead and added some courses only to find out that I have been “waitlisted” before I am registered for that course which doesn’t make any sense to me. Apparently waitlisted does not mean what it normally means at a college. Typically to me, waitlisted would refer to being put on hold in the application process and not necessarily being accepted after the long wait. In this case, waitlisted means the class has already been filled, but you wait to see if anyone drops and you are given a position number to find out whether or not you will be added on to the class. Now I am confused as to whether or not I should even go ahead and buy the book or just drop the class instead. I suppose part of it is my fault for having registered to this school so late, because I would have been the first group to pick, but I still wasn’t sure if I had even wanted to take these classes.
So for now I’ll just say waitlists for classes are for sucks, college-that-shall-not-be-named.
by Samantha on January 20, 2010
We’re now two-thirds of the way done with January and the year is already flying by so fast! School starts soon for most people this week that are on semesters, while others are still in the middle of Winter quarter. The fact that I have been working non-stop and getting a lot of things done has been a big help to keep me occupied and not exactly notice the speed of time. Which can be both a good and bad thing if you look at it from two different angles. Either way, I have spent most of my January stressing out about current projects at work and wondering if what I am doing with school is right for me. I considered going a different route for a brief moment in time and I’m still on the fence about it. Hopefully within these next couple of weeks I can make life changing decisions that I’ll stick with or keep on track with the way I have already been going. I suppose most of my decisions are coming from the fact that I am obviously getting older and about two years away from twenty-five. To some people that are reading this, you’re probably saying… you’re worried about turning twenty-five? You’re still young. But it is not necessarily the age that is getting me worried, it is the thought that I should know by then exactly what I want to do. I suppose this is where the “quarter life crisis” comes into play. (A friend gave me this article she stumbled upon recently while she was going through hers. Read it here: Welcome to Your Quarter Life Crisis.) I am not sure when I decided this would be one of the main turning points in my life, but I suppose it is because I would have hoped after all this hard work, I’d know by now. It kind of makes me wonder, how many other confused 20-somethings are in the same boat as me right now?
by Samantha on January 6, 2010
I have never done this before, so I’m trying it for the first time this year. I always have a list of New Year’s Resolutions to go by which I am pretty bad at keeping up with or I lose the list along the way. So, I thought why not list 23 (my age) things I actually WANT to do in 2010 which are kind of like resolutions, but not necessarily something like giving up carbs (which is ridiculous) or learning to curse less (hey, I play Call of Duty and Halo with a bunch of guys and win don’t blame me for kicking ass). So here goes:
Purchase a new camera for more photography adventures.- Find a new job that will help support the following: me, going to school, and still being able to go out with friends.
- Find a new recipe at least each month if not each week, cook/bake it, and blog about it.
- Keep school as a priority and let everything else (except being in love) fall second.
- Finally take an overnight trip to Napa.
- Go on at least two vacations not within California.
- Take a photo a day for a new Flickr project that I’ve always wanted to try: 2010 in iPhone Photos
- Start walking/biking around more.
- Start swimming again. (My favorite thing to do in the entire world.)
- Read a new book every month.
- Attend SXSW and stay for the music also.
- Try a new restaurant at least a couple times a month.
- Learn how to snowboard/ski or both.
- Start using Google Docs, Calendar, etc. more to make my life a little more organized and easier.
- Go to more mixers/networking events to meet more people in the tech industry. (Making friends is also a plus!)
- Experience a sunset all the way through while getting amazing photographs.
- Go sailing.
- Learn more Photoshop techniques to become a pro at it.
- Eat at French Laundry.
- Go to more concerts/music festivals.
- Write more even if it isn’t on the blog, because I love to.
- Go camping. (I haven’t been in so long!)
- Explore SF and experience everything I have been wanting to.
Yes, it does look like a long list, but I am hoping 2010 is a great year for me. Almost all of these are completely obtainable if I make the time and effort, so I’ll let you know at the end of this year how it worked out. I’ll probably even blog about it along the way. 
by Samantha on December 28, 2009
October through December are always the craziest months of the year. So many holidays and birthdays are jam packed into those three months that it is hard to catch up. Christmas has just passed and I feel like I am still not done with it, but that brings 2010! A decade has finished and brings a new year with new experiences and plenty to do. I really wish I would have kept up with my resolution of blogging constantly in 2009, but as all things in life occur I did not get to as much as I had hoped which I plan to tack onto 2010.
Looking back at 2009 here are some of my favorite moments:
- being accepted to Stanford
- my 23rd birthday
- changing my blog’s name and hosting it on my own domain
- Vegas trip
- all the time spent with my boyfriend
- the road trip to SF
- deciding my transition from LA to SF
- witnessing the first African American President inaugurated
- moving day to SF
- reacquainting with old friends who have become my best friends
- the Sandoval Holiday Party
- spontaneous photography trips with friends
Of course there are probably plenty more where that came from, but that’s as far as I could go without getting carried away. 
So I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and exciting New Year. That’s What Sam Said will see you in 2010!!!
by Samantha on December 15, 2009
I understand everything I read when it comes to the current status of the American economy and how hard it is for people to find jobs right now. The unemployment rate is extremely high and a lot of people are struggling to get by. Believe me, I understand that completely. Although, you don’t completely understand it until you are going through the same situation. I wouldn’t particularly consider myself one of the many in dire need of a job, but I also wouldn’t throw myself off of that list. I am supposed to start school again after winter break and finding a job in this economy is difficult. Not only are you now struggling to find a job like everyone else out there, but your skills might be almost the same as almost half of the people that are applying for the position. Selling yourself in this case is even more important so that you can secure that position.
Right now I am employed, but I am looking for a job that will not only pay me almost as much as I am making right now, but something that will allow me to comfortably go to school as well as pay rent, bills, and the necessities. My current job requires me to travel at least 25-50 percent of the year and that is something I am not going to be able to do while I go to school. It is also based in the Los Angeles area. So you can see exactly why I need to find something quickly.
So, currently I am faced with the fact that it is already December and school starts in January. I have always been the person companies have gone with after an interview, because of certain skills I have acquired, my work ethic, and the personality I present. When jobs are scarce and you are feeling worn out from all the looking you start to feel like it is never going to happen for you. After plenty of resumes, interviews, and company correspondence, I have finally took another step in the right direction and hopefully it is a good one. One of the top companies in the United States (and possibly the world) has decided to give me a security clearance check and a second interview. Basically it was explained to me that after the background check, which I am positive I’ll pass, there is a second interview with a hiring manager which is basically going to end positively as long as you had passed their security investigation. I can’t explain how this has lifted a major weight off of my shoulders. It helps me look forward to the future with optimism and also that I am definitely getting somewhere in my search even if it has taken longer than usual.
by Samantha on December 5, 2009
Every single year around the holidays, my family makes our famous Rocky Road Candy which melts in your mouth at the first taste. It is a blend of chocolate, peanuts, and marshmallows, that leaves you with a peanut butter after taste. I debated posting the recipe for the longest time, because it is my favorite thing and it is something that has stuck in our family for years. I have seen numerous recipes for it online which have never really been exactly the same, but it is probably out there somewhere if I bother searching long enough.
The history of making this basically started after attendance to our first family reunion. Every five years there is a “family book” with an update of each family and how they are doing. One year, they decided to include family recipes so we all could share. My Grandma Connie put her famous Rocky Road Candy that she made every year for the holidays and my Mom continued on with the tradition which then led to my little brother, CK, also continuing the tradition. Below is the recipe for you to enjoy this holiday season:
Connie’s Rocky Road Candy
Ingredients:
- (1) 12oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
- (1) 11 oz bag butterscotch chips
- (1) cup chunky peanut butter
- (2) cups salted peanuts
- (6) cups miniature mashmallows
Directions:
- Melt first three ingredients over double boiler (you can also do this in the microwave).
- Stir until well blended.
- Add peanuts and marshmallows, mix together, and spread into a 9×13 buttered pan (or any size that fits the concoction).
- Chill until firm, cut into squares, and serve!
Let me know if you have any questions about the process and I’m more than happy to help. Hope you enjoy as much as I do!
by Samantha on November 30, 2009
Let’s face it, my Thanksgiving weekend was lame.
I somehow developed a flu that the rest of the family decided they would be so kind to share with me. Four people being around you while they are sick is not a fun thing. When I realized this many people around me were sick, I knew I had it coming. There was no way nearly a year without having the cold was going to work this time. So of course, I went back to my room Thanksgiving night and started to already feel the sore throat coming on over a game of Call of Duty:MW2. By the time I woke up the next morning, all signs of a healthy me were lost. About 48 hours of sleep, cups of Theraflu, nightly shots of Nyquil, and a box of tissues later I am almost better, but still not feeling it. On the bright side, if you consider it one, I’m stuck with hardly any signs of a voice and my computer. (I recommend communicating with me via texts or IM at this moment in time.)
Anyway, hopefully I’ll have something more interesting to blog about soon once I am able to get out of bed, stop coughing, and speak. Here’s to a healthy me for Christmas and the New Year coming around the corner!
by Samantha on November 26, 2009
I went back and forth deciding whether or not I should write a “I’m thankful for…” post for Thanksgiving, but I wanted to be able to thank everyone and everything that has been there for me in many ways this year. With that said, I am thankful for:
- Friends and family – Most of my friends have particularly been here for me throughout my whole life, but recently I have run into old, but newly reacquainted friends who have made this year even more special. Being able to have someone to talk to and just have a good time with is always a plus. Family, specifically my brothers for brightening up the day when I looked like I was stressed after a long day of work and school.
- Acceptance to Stanford – I have been blessed with a brain and a photographic memory. The way I have shaped it and filled it with knowledge to apply to my school life still baffles me. I have honestly worked my butt off when it comes to school and achieving acceptance to Stanford is something I can say I am very thankful for. I am looking forward to what it will bring me in the future.
- This might be totally funny, but… Technology (specifically the Internet and computers) – The Internet is full of a lot of useful and useless information, but it is where the world is going. Almost everything you do today has been touched in some way by a computer. Not only does it spark my curiosity every single time I use it and make me love to be involved in the tech industry, but I use both the Internet and my computer on a daily basis. How could we ever possibly go back to the old research methods or ways we accessed information? Technology is only getting better.
- My spontaneity and life – My life has never been led boring or simple. Even though I grew up in a middle class family and we didn’t really have much, I never let that stop me. I have always been pushing to go where I want to go in life. Feeding off of those that tell me I couldn’t do it and making sure I did it anyway. I love being able to spontaneously decide where I want to go and what I want to do every single day of my life.
- And a few things that don’t need any explanation: a place to rest my head, my animals, photography, the ocean, the written word, and the capability to love.
This list could have been much longer and never ending, because I am thankful for a lot of things, but maybe this list will inspire you to write your own. Happy Thanksgiving!
by Samantha on November 23, 2009
I am currently writing this blog post courtesy of the WordPress app for the iPhone. I thought I might give it a try and inform you of the new things that have been done to my blog if you haven’t already noticed.
One obviously is that I can now update via my phone while I’m out and about. This means more updates and I am also able to approve comments directly from the app so I can respond to them quickly as well. The next is not so new, but I never told anyone that if you are able to view my blog on an iPhone you will see a completely different theme than on your laptop. Also, my Twitter feed has been added to my page so you can read more of my random thoughts. (Thankfully I don’t tweet more than five times a day.)
I’m happy that I have actually decided to keep up with my blog for this long and all of its new features. Here is to the future posts you will continue to read on That’s What Sam Said!
