"Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it." - Dennis P. KimbroSince I've moved back to the Emerald City, I have to say that I feel more like ME. Seattle is my home and who I am. I feel happy, more complete and more than anything more so back on my feet. Although I loved living in Hawaii with the culture, island life, the people, the beach, surf and amazing local grindz... Dorothy says it right, "there is no place like home."
After I was unemployed for six months, I moved to the islands of Oahu on a whim. I felt like I needed to get away from Seattle and grow, so within a weeks notice, I packed my bags and left. My cousin helped me land a job at a local news station working as an Assistant Producer. Although I majored in Broadcast News and Production (side note: and Women Studies) I hadn't worked in news in forever, since I previously worked for a local talk show in Seattle. I was fascinated with this new challenge and learning experience ahead of me and couldn't wait to dive in.
I started working on the morning show after a week of training. Waking up at 11 o'clock a night and working until 9 o'clock in the morning was a killer for me. Whoever told me, "I'd get used to it" was a liar! I felt like a zombie and my body hated me for eating at weird times and my lack of zz's. I was living the life as a semi-vampire and unfortunately without the beautiful Edward or Jacob popping into my window. I tried to live a normal life by going to the gym or beach after work but I was forever tired! The plus side: The amazing people I worked with. I learned so much from the morning anchors and fellow producers who trained me in the process. It's amazing how much you learn during those blood-shot eye hours, being the first to read what's happening around the world due to the time difference.
After three months, I moved to the dayside as an Assistant Producer for the 5,6, and 10 o'clock newscast. I was so relieved to go back to a normal life and do things in the evenings. My goal was to be promoted as a full-time News Producer and after months of working crazy hours, all holidays and sometimes 12 days straight, they promoted me! I was excited that I would finally have benefits and a higher pay. Even though I was excited, I felt like something was missing. I couldn't figure out what it was or what was wrong with me, but I wasn't fully happy. I just didn't feel right.
When I recieved my promotion I had lived in Hawaii for about 10 months. I saw my family once during the summer. I took a trip to Maui with my cousins. I owned my first surf board and I was preparing to run my first marathon! What a great life right? I mean, besides my horrible car accident that totaled my car and left me with disk injuries in my neck that I'm still dealing with to this day, life was good... or so that's what I kept trying to tell myself.
The day that I made my year mark in Hawaii on February 9th, 2010, I felt that I was ready to move back home. I missed my family, my friends and you can call me crazy, I missed the rain and cold! For the next couple months, I looked for jobs in Seattle and nothing really caught my eye. I told myself that although I wanted to move back because I missed my family, I would wait until I found a good enough job to support myself. I didn't want to put my family in that kind of situation if you know what I mean, I'm 25! God must have been listening to my prayers because sooner than later, I received an email from a former coworker about a job opening for a local production company.
I talked it over with my family and as always they were fully supportive of any decision I made. I quickly sent in my resume and to make a long story short, I moved back to Seattle on April 15, 2010 and started my new job on April 19th. Crazy right?
You can say that I act on impulse 90% of the time and the other 10% I let happen, but sometimes you just have to take the jump.
And in that year and four months in Hawaii, I learned more about myself in what I want, don't want, and what I need in my life.
