Thursday Three Archives - Page 5 of 12

Thursday Three

April 2, 2015April 3, 2015Samantha Gratton

Well, we’ve made it to another Thursday. Did you hear that? YOU MADE IT!! Congrats on getting through another week! I think we need to have that mentality a little more in life. I was reading a book recently that was a memoir of sorts and the couple said they got in the habit of saying “I woke up” in the mornings just to remind themselves of the wonder and awe in that statement. So when I stopped by a new local business today and the owner said they’d been open for two weeks I couldn’t help but reply, “You made it two weeks! Congrats!”

1. Spring has sprung! This week just feels more alive now that people are spending time outside, we got to take a bike ride and the sun shines on past supper time. Halleluiah. Like most people, winter is not my favorite regardless of how much (or how little) cold and snow we get–the long dark days are enough for me to dislike it. I think it’s safe to say, spring is finally here!

My favorite flowers - Oregon this time last year. — My favorite flowers in Oregon this time last year.

2. Quality time is better than quantity…but when possible, both are nice. Time is an important thing to me, and I love getting time with the people in my life. Our trip away meant we had plenty of time together, just the two of us. Upon our return we’ve been trying to see everyone and catch up, which has been awesome. We had missed out on some of the quantity and quality with friends while away, but we also quickly realized we were cramming our time so full that we weren’t seeing enough of each other already. Sounds silly after a trip with just us, but we quickly realized that we needed to continue to set time aside for each other.

3. Taking care of your health should always remain a priority. Health isn’t a given unfortunately, but you do have the opportunity to take care of yourself as much as you can. So use that opportunity. Invest in your health–physically and mentally. Maybe it’s time for that checkup or teeth cleaning…or maybe it’s just finding time to go for a walk or addressing some mental health needs. In some ways I feel like a fairly healthy person but in other ways I’ve had a run of different health mysteries and mishaps over the years that required my attention. It’s not always my favorite topic or way to spend my time/resources, but it is so important to our well-being. While the financial cost is often high, the quality of life cost is even higher if you don’t tend to it. So take care of yourself and the people around as best as you can.

This Week’s Three

March 27, 2015Samantha Gratton

We’re back! Back from a wonderful trip in Argentina for the past two weeks, and I haven’t quite gotten everything back in order yet. Without further ado, here’s the quick three from the week.

1. We’re more busy here than we were there. You’d think that now that we’re back I would have been all over the Thursday Three and had it nicely written out and ready to describe our time away. Well, it turns out that we jumped right back into life here and that leaves limited time for all of the things we love to do. Plus, everyone wants to catch up from our two weeks away all at once. While we do too, it suddenly feels like we are behind on everything already and we only just got here. In time I’m sure we’ll get back into the routine of things though.

2. There’s no place like home. We like living in Raleigh and feel fortunate to live in the US. There are things in other countries that are better at times (like Dulce de Leche for instance), but we have a pretty good life here. Thanks for being a part of that good life.

3. Don’t worry, photos will follow. Soon. Maybe even video, too. It’s hard to go through hundreds of photos and pick out your favorites in a day or two…especially when life already seems busy. But I promise to bring you a few so you can start planning your next trip to South America (it was amazing)!

Thursday Three

March 19, 2015March 19, 2015Samantha Gratton

What a week it has been, full of new experiences and beauty. We’ve loved (almost) every minute of it.

1. Strikes happen. Flights get cancelled and have to be completely rescheduled. Taxi drivers cheat and steal or simply just get lost. Demonstrations and protests shut down entire streets. ATMs refuse to accept debit cards with no explanation. Language barriers create difficulty or total miscommunication. All of this can (and did) happen when you travel.

2. Travel is hard, but in my opinion, it should be. Several people asked if we were working with a travel agency or having a company book a tour for us when we first talked about our trip. At the time I didn’t get it, even though planning took a ton of time and effort. Part of what I wanted out of this trip was to learn and discover another country and another culture and that can’t happen if someone else is doing all of the work. You learn most when you have to read the map, squeeze onto the subway, order food in another language, find and catch the train, attend a local event instead of a tourist show and ask questions. Sure, you might get lost and walk a mile out of the way or look ridiculous while you fumble your way through. But when you get it right the next time, you’ve earned a sense of achievement and an experience that a resort or tour company can never provide. (Don’t get me wrong, there’s a time and a place for vacations where you just need to relax without having to think, but I see them as two separate things.)

3. Go anyway. There is something about travel (true travel) that opens up your perspective in a way nothing else can. It brings new ideas, new opportunities and new appreciation. You go to learn about somewhere else but find out more about yourself along the way. The hard questions are bound to come out as you consider what you really think and what you want your life to be about but they are a welcomed challenge to figure out. So along with the challenges and even the pain, travel when you can.

Thursday Three

March 12, 2015February 6, 2015Samantha Gratton

This might be a favorite week for me. Just maybe. I will say, I certainly do like it. Ready for the short and sweet?

1. Go on an adventure. We all have routines, and there are reasons for routines. Good reasons. But sometimes you have to get out of that routine and go. It takes time and effort (not to mention, money), but it’s worth it from time to time. Make sure you set aside time and take an adventure. Or just take the opportunity as soon as you see it. Even if it just means taking the bus to try a new restaurant in the town you already live in, go on an adventure. Because tell me, when was the last time you did that? Does it make you a little scared? It might be time to just go.

2. Take risks. Adventures don’t come without risks. Risks don’t always lead to rewards. It might not all pay off, but you’ve got to take that chance sometimes. It is the only real way to grow and learn and explore.

3. Don’t take a photo of everything you see or do. Some memories are better left without a photo. You get to relive them in your memory without remembering how the camera wasn’t working the way you wanted or you missed a shot or the pose was wrong or simply that the photo doesn’t do it justice. So then don’t. Just take in the moment as it is.

Thursday Three

March 6, 2015Samantha Gratton

This week’s three is coming in late due to an impromptu gig. I’ll leave you with the short and sweet.

1. Care for your community. The people on your street, the co-workers near your desk, the families at your church–whoever it may be, make sure to take time to care for them however you can.

2. Take the opportunities that come your way. There’s always a reason, excuse or insecurity to say no, but saying yes opens up a whole new set of possibilities. You never know.

3. Enjoy the day. Every day there is something–something bad, something good, something crazy. No matter what it is, try to take at least a minute and enjoy it.

This Week’s Three

February 27, 2015February 27, 2015Samantha Gratton

Just like that it’s been another week, and I missed Thursday’s post yet again. I just can’t keep up for some reason this month. I think it has something to do with having a ton more projects/work plus an upcoming trip to plan and prepare for (more on that super soon!).

1. The snow came and it was real this time. I know I mentioned a bit of winter weather last week and for many parts of the country having snow two weeks in a row is not quite newsworthy. In Raleigh, it feels more like the world is coming to an end. Schools have been out for almost a full two weeks, the grocery stores have no bread and time stops. I have photographic evidence…(unfortunately for me, I really was out of groceries the night before the storm hit).

2. Travel is amazing. The problem with travel (or beauty of it), is that it never feels like you can do it enough. This week we hosted another couchsurfer who had done plenty of travel as she is a video producer with National Geographic. You couldn’t help but get a little wanderlust while talking to her. So often I think we feel our lives are “set” in the path we’re going but then when you re-assess, some of those constraints and plans are not as restrictive as you think. I love that about travel. It forces you out of routine and opens up a new world of thoughts and possibilities.

3. I think that possibly, maybe I’m falling for you… Remember that song by Landon Pigg? It came out a little after we met. The very first time we met was at a Battle of the Bands (sounds epic, right?). But the second time we met it was at a coffee shop. From there on out, we continued to get to know each other and later fall in love as the hubby worked in four different coffee shops over the course of several years. Each had their moments, but that first coffee shop will always remain special to us. So many memories were shared there, conversations had for the very first time and hours of me sitting, just watching as he worked behind the bar. Last night there was a latte art competition at our favorite local coffee shop in Raleigh, and he threw his hat in the ring. Nerves may have gotten the best of that latte, but I had the best seat in the house just reminiscing about years ago.

And then, he made this video of the night. Because he’s amazing. And his current career path has a lot more video in it. Can you find us in it?

Thursday Three

February 19, 2015Samantha Gratton

Oh heyyyyyy! Have no fear because the Thursday Three is back. Sorry for the brief interlude. This month has been one of those months where a ton of great opportunities have come my way, and I just keep finding myself saying, “Yes!!” That is, until I crash because I can’t keep up and hide myself from the world. Then I just do what I have to do and a bunch of other things unfortunately get left out in the cold. Sorry little blog, I promise not to leave for more than a week again like that for some time.

1. February brings a lot of love. I mean, it’s cold and some people have mixed emotions about Valentine’s Day but it also has a lot of hearts and makes you want to spend some time with loved ones. We’ve been lucky enough to spend time with some great friends, traveling couchsurfers and each other. That says love to me.

2. Life brings pain. One minute my heart is full from so much love around me and the next minute it breaks for those who are hurting. I don’t have the answers, so just love those around you and pray hard.

3. Snow in the South shuts down the town. This past week the schools have been open for a half day–total. Maybe I hate the cold, but secretly I was glad to see a little snow. A few weeks ago we thought winter had completed escaped us, and it seemed strange to go a year with no snow. I can’t say that we got a lot, but happy to see a few flakes just the same.

Thursday Three

February 6, 2015Samantha Gratton

And it’s Thursday, yet again! This week has been one of those longest weeks ever, yet somehow I’m not quite ready for the weekend. I know, that sounds crazy. It might have something to do with the fact that we are playing some music this weekend at a local coffee shop and also have some couchsurfers headed our way for a few days. In both cases, I am nowhere near prepared. So if my harmonies are off tomorrow or my house isn’t quite clean enough for guests, I blame the following blog post and all of its contents.

1. Groundhog Day–the moment you realize more winter is coming regardless of what that marmot says. Thankfully, we can celebrate the dark of winter and be silly by throwing another Groundhog Party. Yep, we’re those freaks. I’ve been hosting such ridiculous parties since high school. Over the years, we’ve been given so many groundhog art pieces to adorn our home and brighten our February. Therefore, we feel it’s completely logical to invite a few people over and insist they bring some brown food with them.

2. You can’t do everything. With a lot of new and awesome opportunities coming my way this week (more on that later) I’ve definitely had to assess what is doable and where my priorities lie. Not always easy, but necessary. Sometimes I get caught up in wanting to do everything and pleasing everybody, but it just isn’t realistic. You’ve got to do the best with what you can and move forward.

3. I think half of the REI employees recognize me as soon as I arrive. (And probably roll their eyes, too). I have been seriously on the hunt for the best backpack ever. Wait, what? Didn’t I already blog about a new backpack? Yep. And then the hubby wanted a new backpack. So we ordered him one. And then I started second-guessing the one I brought home for myself. You see, it was more of a hiking backpack with so many straps and clips that I started envisioning a massive tangle walking down the street. Sigh. So, hours and hours after reading countless reviews I finally ordered a new one. We’ll see how this goes.

Thursday Three

January 29, 2015Samantha Gratton

Where has the week gone? Just where?? I feel like the beginning of each week (you know, the Friday before) everything is totally clear and I have a wide open schedule. Try to catch me near the end of the week, and I have suddenly every moment packed in with no extra availability. The good news is, I’m keeping busy and it’s been fun. Today though, almost all my meetings got rescheduled, and I found some good time to work on some freelance projects.

1. I’m not where I was six months ago. Maybe from the outside I look like the same me and there’s definitely a core that has stayed the same, but I think my approach has shifted. A few different things came up this week that made me realize it, whether it was coming across old emails or considering opportunities and goals. Honestly, I’ve enjoyed being who I am now a lot more than who I was then. I had hoped to one day get to say that, so it’s likely I’ll have to expound upon that further at a later date.

2. I’m a prepper. I mean a planner…for our trip this spring. Wait, did you think I was a doomsday prepper? What?! (Quite the show though). This week I’ve been working on a little bit of Spanish with the Duolingo app (which is amazing). Further, I bought a new backpack! I was so thrilled that as soon as I brought it home I stuffed it with pillows and a bag of oranges to “practice” carrying it around. For nearly two days I had it strapped to my back. Once I take it out on some real adventures, I’ll tell you all about it, but for now, enjoy this embarrassing picture of me looking way too excited.

My husband calls this my photo face…apparently I only make such a look when a camera is involved. I’d like to dispute such claims, but looking at last week’s Thursday Three…I can see where he’s coming from.

3. Remember your dreams. Sometimes it’s easy to say you have dreams and then instead of acting on them, watch Netflix five nights a week and then say there isn’t enough time in the day. There’s not enough time in the day. So cut some things out and set aside time focus on your dreams/goals. Time to think them through and also time to implement them. They won’t happen otherwise, trust me.

Thursday Three

January 22, 2015January 22, 2015Samantha Gratton

1. Some dreams just aren’t meant to be. Like a true child of the eighties, I have wanted a perm for as long as I can remember. The notion of long, curly hair inspired me to finally spend four hours in rollers and marinating in rotten egg smelling chemicals. And then two months later (this week), I tried it again. Oh, you mean you didn’t see my perm in this year’s Christmas card? Well. Unfortunately, my hair and my brain have different opinions about having a perm. My friend and favorite stylist, Lacie, did all she could, but alas, slightly wavy is as curly as it gets for me. This go at a perm was more successful than the last, so we’ll see how long the waves stick!

2. Trip planning is certainly something. While I recently announced our big plans to head to South America this spring, we actually bought the tickets over a month ago. It wasn’t until this week that I realized that we had done little more than buy a few travel items since then (which I will surely share more about later). So, we set aside time to talk it over and map out what we think some of our time there will look like. The result? We purchased some domestic tickets and booked the first four nights in hostels/hotels! Now, if only all of that high school Spanish would come back to me…

3. Being available leads to great opportunities. I still don’t know where my life is going and that’s hard sometimes. On the flip side, I got to go outside for a nice long walk when it was a sunny 65 this week. I got to join in on last minute lunch plans and spent some quality time writing for various projects throughout the week. I am available for whatever might come next and that’s a great place to be.