Grand Prix

The Grand Prix took place in Downtown Long Beach this past weekend. It is a car race where tons of people love to attend and watch the cars speed their way past each other. Unfortunately, this also occurs on the street I work on. Islands was pretty busy this weekend and I was lucky enough to experience crazy drunk people begging for the patio and people coming in the door left and right. Luckily, I had my Islands team back me up the entire time. 
The cars were really cool to watch speed by next to the restaurant. Whenever there was a dead minute at Islands, a few of us workers would run outside on the patio to watch them go by. Our Islands crew is pretty amazing. Everyone relates to each other so well and everyone has a great personality. I feel like I have been part of the team for years, yet it has only been just about a month and a half. As a lot of customers departed from our restaurant, we received many thank you's and your staff did a great job complements. Even on one of the busiest weekends, our Islands staff stuck together and accomplished our work.
Thank you to the Grand Prix for proving our members are great at their job. I am happy to be part of this team and hopefully I'll be able to stick with it for a little while longer :)

Go here if you would like information on the Grand Prix:

http://www.gplb.com/

Fears.

We all have a fear whether it is death, falling off a cliff, going on a rollercoaster, or even mice. My biggest fear is unfortunately something other people love, it is clowns. This may seem like a weird blog subject to expand on, but I think fear is something everyone has in common and can relate to. Clowns can be happy, sad, scary, or sweet to others, but to me I cannot stand them. I do not know what it is about them, but the way the laugh creepily, the way they dress, the way they use their make-up, the way they are in movies and things just freaks me out. I have had a few encounters of friends trying to help cure my fear, except they only made it worse.
One time I was with one of my best friends, Kaitlyn, at Rite Aid during Halloween time. As I maneuvered down the aisle looking at decorations, she snuck up from behind me in a clown mask. Not only did I scream bloody murder, but I ran around the store tearing up in a stage of fright and panic. I couldn't get away. I ended up on the floor in a ball wishing and hoping she would leave me alone. Yet, unfortunately for her, she didn't so I got up and started hitting her. In my mind, the clown wasn't my friend, it was my worst fear. It was a facade. She/it was laughing and then Kaitlyn finally took off the mask. I was hyperventilating and she was still laughing. It was a horrible trick, but ever since then she hasn't tried to scare me.
Recently, my boyfriend's brother, Yianni, found out that I have a huge fear of clowns. I was in his room watching tv while Yianni was talking to a friend in the room. Unexpectedly, Yianni said something to make me turn my head towards his computer screen. It was a blown up picture of a scary clown! OMG!!!! I freaked out and ran outside. I had to calm myself down for about a good 5-7 minutes outside. It was not okay.
Fear is a negative emotion induced by the thought of threat. As humans, we use these tactics against threats as a survival response. So it's understandable if you scream or cry because you are afraid of butterflies, bees, crashing, or airplanes. We all know what you feel, and sadly, it does happen to everybody, so never think you're alone when it comes to being afraid.

EW.

San Diego Zoo :)

On Monday, April 11th, my boyfriend, Christos, decided to take me on a date. It's really exciting knowing my boyfriend wants to keep our relationship fun. He took me to the San Diego Zoo! After class, we got in his car and drove an hour and a half to the see some really interesting animals. We literally walked around the entire zoo and saw our favorite animals. The koalas were my favorite part and Christos loved the black leopards. I got a koala backpack and he got a picture of us as caricatures. The whole day we spent together was amazing! Not one part of that day became dull or boring. He and I have a lot of fun together, we joke around, and even while he's whistling like crazy at the animals, I just stood behind him while drinking a souvenir cup with a huge panda on it. hahaha We are such little kids...it's funny. 
One really cool part was the Panda exhibit. There was an actual line to see them and we got to! There were two pandas, one male and female, and they were separated. The information noted that male pandas are isolated unless it is mating season, then after the female is impregnated, he is back to isolation. Also, we saw a show. The zoo keepers brought out these really exotic animals such as the bald eagle, scarlet macaws, the singing dog, an actual wolf, and sea lions! If you ever have a free day and don't know what to do, take a trip down to San Diego and visit the animals! <3 

Here is a link, if you would like to adopt an animal from the zoo!
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/adopt/animal.html

Texas. YEE-HAW!

After injuring my ankle, I thought I would not have enough strength to play volleyball for a while. Unexpectedly, my team captain gave me a phone call saying the team needed me to go with them to Houston, Texas for Nationals. I was ecstatic! I made a phone call to my parents telling them the news and they were so happy for me. A few days later, I hopped on the plane with my team and the club men's volleyball team to Nationals. As we arrived to Texas, the weather was so gross! It was about 80+ degrees and super humid. We walked 5 seconds out the airport and we all became sticky and wet! It was not okay.
The next day, our tournament began. The convention center was hugeeeee!!!!! There were so many people and teams from every part of the country. It felt so good to be there representing my school, Cal State University Long Beach. As our mens and women's volleyball teams supported each other, our desire to win increased. Three days later, we made it to playoffs. We became tired yet, I became captain :) It was the best feeling knowing that even though I had been injured, the entire tournament my team needed me. I felt as though I had succeeded in my will to play well. Even though we lost in single elimination, I had the best time with my teammates.

CSULB Women's Club Volleyball Team <3

Spring Break

Spring Break was a combination of every adjective you could think of. It was thrilling, exciting, scary, lazy, hot, tiring, and everything else in between. My first couple days of spring break were spent at Islands, also known as my work. My coworkers and I have been getting to know each other better and I feel like I am finally part of the team. Also, I got to spend some time with people I have not seen in a while including my own sister. I drove my sister all around Santa Monica and Marina Del Rey on Monday just to spend some time with her. It was fun eating lunch and trying clothes on :) On Tuesday, I had an unfortunate car accident on the way to picking up my friend for breakfast. It was so scary, yet I am just thankful for nothing too dangerous or damaging to happen. Wednesday was kind of my lazy day, except I spent most of it with my friend Kelcie and her roommate, Kacie. We went to a baseball game and ate lunchables. YUMMMMMMM. Once Thursday came around, the weather was so nice! My friends and I went to Hermosa beach and played volleyball, football, dug huge holes, and splashed around in the water. It was Christos, Kaitlyn, Lizzie, Nico, Nick, Sarah, Victor, me, and a few people I barely met. It was a lot of fun. The rest of the week I spent it with my friend, Kaitlyn, who has been one of my best friends since my freshman year of high school. We went to Venice and also to a club with a ton of friends. Friday night ended with a concert at the Wiltern in LA. A bunch of friends and I went to go see Rebelution play. The music was soooo good! It was fun singing to songs I knew live. Now, I am finally reunited with my roommate, Alex, in our dorm at CSULB. Spring Break was amazingggggg!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsZtMtyWRVo

Here is my favorite song by Rebelution! :)

Christos Giagos "Spartan"

For those who do not know what MMA stands for, it is Mixed Martial Arts. My boyfriend, Christos, recently fought for the title in Respect the Cage. His opponent Chris Manzo was a very tough competitor, yet not tough enough for Christos. It was the first time I had ever watched Christos cage fight, and I was full of mixed emotion. I was scared, anxious, excited, nervous, nonchalant, worried, and absolutely terrified. He ended up being the 8th fight which meant I had to suffer in stress and worry for 7 fights before his even started. I became antsy and impatient. After seeing so many guys get punched in the face and taken to the ground, I could not even imagine seeing Christos getting hit or even hurt. 
The lights turned down for his fight (he was the main event) and right away I ran to the front next to his sister. I screamed the entire time. His fight was supposed to go 5 rounds for 5 minutes, but Christos KO'd his opponent Chris in the middle of the 2nd round. It was such a good fight and I was so proud of him when he won. His opponent Chris on the other hand was not so lucky. The paramedics came to take care of him as they walked him out on a stretcher. Christos was humble enough to shut the crowd up while they took care of Chris. Christos finally had the belt in his hands and was first to be named as the title. His hard work, determination, and desire to win left him successful in the end. 
Everyone, especially me, was so proud of him. During his speech he thanked everyone for their support including his fans and trainers. Christos then went on to say, "I'd especially like to thank my girlfriend who's supported me, Sami, I love you." It was the first time he had ever said it to me and it was in front of hundreds of people! I was sooooo happy and shocked at the same time. My cheeks turned red and I teared up, but at the same time I could not move. When I saw him I told him I loved him too <3 I am so proud of my boyfriend, Christos Giagos :)

Chris vs. Christos

Here is the link if you are interested in watching his fight!

http://www.sparwithme.com/

Volleyball Let Down

Usually the unexpected never occurred to me until recently. During one of my volleyball games, I landed on a girl from my team coming down from a jump. It rolled and at first I did not think it was too bad. I figured I could just walk it off. Obviously, that was not the case. I ended up going for a run a couple days later at the gym and unfortunately, my ankle gave out on me. I tried to suck it up like the stubborn person that I am. I was hoping and praying I was fine since I had a Las Vegas Tournament coming up. A few days after, my ankle was still swollen and bruised. I could barely walk so I decided to finally go see a doctor.
A couple x-rays after, I was informed that I could not play volleyball. With this news, I was horrified. Volleyball means a lot to me, of course (it's in my blog title). The doctor put me on crutches for a couple weeks and told me to rest, ice, compress and elevate. I did this, and this past weekend, my team left for Vegas without me. It was a little depressing knowing that I missed a whole Vegas experience with the team, but at the same time, I would have rather spent it the way I did with family, friends, and my boyfriend. 
Good News----I am back and healthy which means I get to go play for the Nationals tournament! :)

Beyond Amazing Birthday!

In the past, my birthdays have never been 100% satisfying. Usually one of my best friends ditch me or people forget it even is my birthday. This year was different. Being with and around the right people made my birthday weekend the best days of my life. On Friday, my roommates and I went out to a party in Lawndale. Even though the cops came in about an hour after it started, I still had a lot of fun with them. We made a stop at In-N-Out, watched the Jersey Shore at my boyfriend's house, and had a good night sleep. 
On Saturday morning, I had orientation for work until about 10:30 am. When I got back to my dorm, a few of my roommates and I decided to hitch a ride to the beach. It was such a gorgeous day outside and the weather was perfect. Laying out on the sand never felt so good and so necessary. Later, I got ready for a dinner with my volleyball team. My roommates and I went on the bus to Panama Joes on 2nd Street where we met the rest of my teammates. This whole group of girls in one place turned out to be extremely entertaining. They were all so fun, super nice, and hilarious! We met some cool people who welcomed us into the restaurant. After, my boyfriend picked me up and something happened next. He was driving and said, "Oh my gosh babe, my shoes are hurting me. I think I have another pair in the trunk...will you go get them for me?" Of course I was going to get them. I took the keys and as I opened the trunk, a group of 16 red balloons flew out. I did not expect it at all! I felt my face light up with excitement. He smiled at me and said, "There's more..open up!" He handed my a present to open. As I got to the bottom of the wrapping, it was a piece of paper. I was a little confused at first but then I kept reading. It was a ticket to STAGECOACH!!!!!!!! ahhh!!! HOW COOL IS THAT?! Omg, I was so happy! I gave him extra kisses and long hugs full of thanks and appreciation. 
The night was not over. He was about to drop me off at my friend Cristina's house until something came up and he had to pass by his house. He made me get out of the car and go inside for a second. I walked into the door and BAM, "SURPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISEEEE!" All my friends popped out of the dark and yelled out a huge wish of happiness on my birthday. It was scary, yet so thrilling at the same time. After I got shot with nerf guns and popped in the head with an abundant amount of balloons, I went around to give all my friends hugs. It was so exciting to see all my different friends in one room to celebrate my birthday with me. 
This weekend turned out to be my best birthday yet. I still have about 42 minutes to spend of it too. Hehe. I can't believe God has given me such great friends and has surrounded me with so much love. I am so thankful for all these people in my life. Happy Birthday to me! :)

Me on my birthday with the cup Jr made me for Valentine's Day :)

Crazy Week

Little did I know, volleyball would take such a toll on my life. I had two games this week. One against UCLA at home on Tuesday and the second was against UCI at 10 pm. Not only was it hard enough to compete two days in a row, but at the worst times. Tuesday was my friend Alli's birthday and by the time I got to the restaurant all our friends went to for dinner, they were already waiting for their check. I missed out :( The next day was extra long. After I went to my morning class, I had a lot of homework I needed to catch up on since I was away all weekend. Then at 830 pm, I left my room to head to my game. I do not know why we played our match so late, but by the time I got back home, I knocked out on my bed because it was so late. 
Not only volleyball has been taking up my time besides homework, but this weekend has been in need of preparation. I will be turning 19 on Sunday and everyone keeps asking me what I am going to do and inviting me to different things. Honestly, I have no idea what I want to do this weekend because I am tired of being pulled back and forth. All I know is that on Sunday I am going to church to thank God for another year of life and to the bowling alley to challenge my parents in a game or two. It is always fun playing against my parents because they met in a bowling alley and I tell my friends that bowling is a natural talent of mine hahah. I hope this weekend turns out better than I think. For my birthday I just hope to get an ice cream cone and possibly a car. I do not want to get my hopes up so we'll see! :) 

YUMMM!!!!

A couple girls and me from my team having fun on the Macbook in the hotel at Davis. 

P.S.

Listen to my song of the day....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REoYDVAWdVQ

Adventurous Weekend

This past weekend, my club volleyball team and I had a tournament in Davis, CA. After a  long car ride there, we all wanted to experience something new and memorable. Our final option ended up being a barn party. Not knowing what to expect, we all went with high hopes and team spirit. We got to the barn and surprisingly not much except drunk people were there. Our team tried to bring in some positive energy and fun vibes by dancing to crazy music and singing to our favorite songs. A little while after we realized we needed to get back to our hotel.
We left in a rush, and four of us squished into a big truck. Another car of ours had about 9 girls following us. Because we were in a time crunch, our driver was going above the legal limit. We saw some fog so she slowed down, but then suddenly our truck crashed into a huge puddle or lake. The four of us in the truck screamed! My first instinct was hold on to the door so water does not flood into the car. With support and comfort by our teammates, we were able to help our driver drive through the flood. At the end of the day, we all agreed that if it were not our trust in each other, we probably would not have made it through. We ended the weekend in the top ten of our tournament, drove home safely, and survived the crazy weekend in Davis.

Success?

Lately, I have been feeling a sense of achievement and a lot of confusion. At my last volleyball tournament I received the award of All Tournament. It was an extremely exciting feeling to take back an award to my room. All the congrats comments from friends and family made me happy and stuck in a state of excitement. A couple days later, I realized I was missing a piece of achievement. 
A couple weeks into my season, I began thinking about what I was going to do next semester (housing wise). A couple friends and I agreed to finding an apartment, yet I barely have any money. Thankfully, a teammate of mine answered my prayers. Her boss at Islands was looking for new employees and she got me an interview with him. Hearing this news cheered me up, but I also thought about how I was going to prioritize my time. After the interview, he told me I got the job. I was ecstatic, yet freaked out. How was I going to accomplish everything while having a boyfriend, going to school, playing volleyball, and trying to start a job? I have no idea. I guess this is just the time where life begins to get real and set in motion. At the moment I am nervous, but I know with all this going on in my life right now, it will help me in the future. 

Dorm

As a student, I have chosen to live on campus for my freshman year. I live on the 3rd floor of the Los Alamitos dorms. My friends and I have created this group we call the DPTs. I am not going to actually explain what it stands for, but basically we have our own made up sorority. I mean, we even have the sign down. Last night was two of the girls birthdays; Alex and Sara. We went out to dinner at BJs on 2nd street and quickly finished a pazookie under a good two minutes. I am proud of my girls :) When we got back home, all of us decided to hang out in one room, so we did! I do not remember how our conversation got to this, but we started telling scary stories. It was not the best subject to talk about at 11:30 pm right before we were all going to go to sleep. After about 20 minutes, none of us could go to our own rooms to change or go to the bathroom alone. There have been some scary things happening here little by little and it is starting to freak us out. Whatever is here in the Los Alamitos dorms needs to go. I need my sleep.

Surprise Surprise!

This past weekend, my club volleyball team and I participated in an enduring tournament, here at Cal State Long Beach. Saturday and Sunday we played until we dropped. Our competition were some pretty tough teams mostly from out of state such as Arizona State and NAU. Overall, our team did really well :) But before I was about to leave, I was in for a great surprise. They awarded me All Tournament which means best player/best sportsmanship player throughout the whole tournament. I was in shock at first, but after minutes of silence I screamed and got all excited. The weekend turned out to be great, but also volleyball is not the only thing in my life. I guess you can say I have a romantic side.
Yesterday was Valentine's Day. Honestly, I did not expect much to happen, but then again I was surprised. Last week my boyfriend, Christos, informed me that he had to work Monday and would not be able to spend all day with me, yet at 6 am, an hour before I had to wake up, I heard him, "Baby baby, it's me..surprise!" At first I was confused and thinking to myself, "Who is climbing into bed with me..oh wait..it's Jr. (his nickname) Am I dreaming?" haha I wasn't dreaming. He brought me a pig pillow pet which I have been searching for and a card. To me, that was everything I needed. As he walked me to my second class, he had a little smirk on his face and I could sort of tell he was up to something. A few minutes into my class time, a man with flowers, a balloon, and peanut M&Ms comes to the door, "Is there a Sami in here?" My eyes opened wide and I felt my stomach drop and my cheeks slowly turning red. I raised my hand and he brought them to me. I was so happy! 
After class I ran to him and gave him a giant hug and peck on the lips :) We got back to my dorm room and I gave him my present. I drew him a picture that looks like our names carved into a tree, plussss I also gave him a home-made card. After I got ready, we took the D bus to 2nd street in Long Beach. We had lunch at BJs and drinks at another restaurant. As we were walking down hanging out, we walked past Color Me Mine. I asked him if he was in the mood to paint and his face lit up. I said, "Let's go paint! I'm paying!" We walked in and chose things to paint for each other. After our masterpieces were finished, we gobbled up some Rite Aid ice cream and then headed back to school on the bus. 
From there, Christos and I went to Mulligans. We miniature golfed twice, rock-climbed, hit some balls in the batting cages, and raced in the go-carts. It was amazing! We went back to his house and he had one more surprise left in store for me. He gave me a small box to open and said, "I have always wanted to do this for a girl and what better time than Valentine's?" He opened the box and it was a locket. It was perfect. I opened the locket to see inside and it had two of our pictures. It was sooooo cute!!!!! It was a perfect ending to a perfect day.

He hates this picture but I love it!

Welcome to my blog!

Before beginning my thoughts and comments about my life and volleyball, I would like to give you a brief introduction of who I am. My name is Samantha Claire Almaraz, but for short, Sami. Right now, I am a freshman at Cal State University Long Beach majoring in Nutrition & Dietetics. Even though I plan on studying nutrition, I have a weakness for ice cream and other junk foods. I am involved in many things such as Club Volleyball here at the University, Basketball as a Mission (Check out our website for details), soon choir, and also Beach Newman, the Christian Club. I enjoy going out on adventures, repeating movie lines, and sipping on my favorite Pacific Cooler Caprisun along with many other things. I hope that this blog may be  somewhat interesting, fun, and inspiring to read.
Okay, so a little background on my volleyball history. My dad says I've held a volleyball in my hand since I was a baby in my crib. I am guessing it was either a mini one or I was giant baby. From what I remember, I have been playing since 3rd Grade. I received the MVP award which made me proud of what I did so I grew from it. In high school, volleyball was the main sport at my school, Bishop Montgomery in Torrance, CA. I tried out as a freshman and was awarded MVP on the Junior Varsity team. At the end of my first season, the coach boosted me up to the Varsity team and I had the pleasure of going to playoffs with the varsity girls. Since the beginning of my sophomore year, I became part of the Bishop Girls Varsity Volleyball Team. It was a huge success for me. My Senior year came around and I became an all around player, starter, and leader. I was named 1st Team All League and received a few scholarships for volleyball. Even though I turned down a few scholarships, I am happy with where I am at today. I am proud to start and play for the Women's Club team at CSULB.
Volleyball has always been a huge part in my life. It is ultimately one of my main priorities, plus it helps me stay in shape which is a bonus :) Not only is it a game, but it is something I love and I have a passion for. Everyone out there has something they are passionate for as well, if it is art, basketball, writing, or even helping others out. Volleyball just happens to make me happy so I stick with it. After getting injured, I never gave up. I made myself get stronger so I can keep going and playing the sport. Now, the most challenging thing is playing volleyball while attending college. Of course it is just the beginning for me, but this blog is going to help me explain everything to you. 


Game tonight against UCI! woopayyyyy :) 
xoxo,
Sami


For those intereseted in basketball, traveling, coaching kids, or mission trips, check out this website for the club I'm in!
http://basketballasamission.org/