Hey everybody! My name is Samantha…but you can call me Sam. I am the box office lead at the Clay Cooper Theatre, and Ialso help Tina out with some tasks around the theatre. This is my 5th season at Clay Cooper Theatre, and I love Branson! But, honestly, it wasn’t always that way….

The first time my mom mentioned coming to Branson on vacation, I pitched a fit! I didn’t want to come to Branson…at all!  We lived in Iowa, and to me, vacationing one state away was boring. Plus, Branson sounded “lame”. I was about 12 years old and Branson didn’t sound “cool”. Boy was I wrong!!! Once we got here, I completely changed my tune….and I didn’twant to leave! I remember, towards the end of our trip, my parents ran into Walgreens for something, and I stayed in ourvan. I remember this moment like it was yesterday…It was raining lightly; I was sitting there with the window rolled down a little bit, and I could feel the cool rain and I felt so at peace and I said to myself….someday I’m going to live here! From that moment on, Branson was our vacation spot. It started off we’d come once a year, and then we added more and more trips. We made friends here and got to know a lot of people. Ironically, my favorite show growing up was, Country Tonite, which starred….Clay Cooper! We had to see that show every time we were in Branson. My other favorite show, at the time, was 50’s At the Hop. I loved going to see those shows and seeing the sparkly costumes, and bright lights, the singing & dancing….it was so amazing to me watching this live entertainment growing up. I wanted to be up there, on that stage, wearing a beautiful sequined outfit, and singing for the crowd.

As I grew up, and we came to Branson more and more often, some things changed…  The Branson shuffle would happen…shows would swap theatres, entertainers would change shows…but the glitter, lights, and music still made me have stars in my eyes and a dream in my heart. Country Tonite was gone, but Clay wasn’t. We started going to see his show and liked it just as much as Country Tonite. We also fell in love with The Haygoods and Grand Jubilee. Branson was my happy place. I got to the point where I started writing Trip Advisor reviews for everything we went to…and those reviews ended up changing my life. One day, the owner of the motel that we would always stay at sat down to talk with me. She was so impressed by my reviews and my personality; she offered me a job! She asked me to come work for the Carriage House Inn. All my dreams about living in Branson were about to come true! But that meant leaving my family behind…they couldn’t pick up and move here…but they encouraged me to go. After some prayers and soul searching, I decided to take her up on her offer. I moved to Branson. That little girl that said someday I’m going to live here, was right!

I was so excited! My dad and I packed up our cars and made the 8 hour drive to Branson. Dad and I made about 40 trips up and down the stairs to get my stuff up to my apartment, and mom helped me get all settled in. It was hard to have them leave, but I was about to live out my dream…spread my wings…and live my Branson life. My parents visited often, which just meant more vacation time for us. I made connections, met more people, made more friends, and got a lot of experience in the work side of Branson. Unfortunately, two years later, I had to make a very hard decision to move back to Iowa. Family health issues were calling me home. My family didn’t want me to give this life I created up, but it’s what I knew I had to do. So, I moved back home to Iowa, and Branson was still our vacation spot, and I still loved it. Branson would be there in the future for me; I knew it in my heart.

So, I stayed in Iowa the next six years, visiting Branson as often as I could, but we couldn’t travel there as much as we wanted. My mom’s health was declining, and I became a full time care giver for her. Sadly, I lost her in 2020, and unexpectedly lost dad about a year later. As I was trying to figure out what to do with my life after these major losses, and as I was trying to put the pieces of my world back together…I knew what I had to do. I needed to pick up and move back to the place that made me happy…and thankfully there was a job with my name on it, here at the Clay Cooper Theatre. Clay & Tina needed someone in the box office and I needed a job. It was a little scary this time, because I didn’t have my dad to help load my car, I didn’t have my mom to help get me settled…but I had a family of friends that were with me and helped me feel at home!

So here I am…back in Branson…things look different in my life, but I am still that little girl sitting in the van in the Walgreens parking lot, living out my dream of living in Branson. As the years went by, I gained more responsibilities at the theatre and received a couple of promotions, and I still love working for Clay & Tina. The box office can get very busy and can be very stressful, but I work good under pressure and I love my job.

I still love going to shows and having fun in town. I love going to all the different theatres in town and supporting all of the love entertainment. I enjoy going to karaoke or staying in having game nights with friends. One of my favorite things to do is to go to the movie theatre and get lost in a good story. With everything life has dealt me, I have discovered that you have to live life to its fullest. I have found a church family at Shepherd’s Heart Church, I have my theatre family, my God-Family back in Iowa, and a circle of close friends that I hold near and dear to my heart and I thank them all for their part in getting me to where I am today.

Life has changed a lot for me over the years. There have been many ups and downs and new chapters. Branson has also changed through the years…but one thing that hasn’t changed is my love for this town and the people in it. I still love going into a theatre and watching shows and listening to music. I love seeing the glitter and the lights, just like I did as a child, and I don’t see that ever changing. Branson has so much to offer people of all ages, likes & dislikes, and all walks of life. It has live entertainment, museums, restaurants, thrill rides, a theme park, the lake and all it has to offer…plus some of the most beautiful scenery you could ask for. I was born in Iowa, but my heart is at home here. And writing this blog today, helped remind me of all of those things I love about Branson. I look forward to continuing this blog and sharing my life’s story, thoughts, and opinions, as I continue to live my Branson life.