It’s official. My bio is up on WHDH‘s website, so I’m officially part of the team. I can’t tell you how super excited I am about being back here in Boston.
To be honest I didn’t think I’d be back. After the first winter in Charlotte, which was sunny and gorgeous, hubby and I kind of thought we’d never leave the South. We imagined my next career move could take us to Atlanta or we’d just stay in Charlotte forever; we didn’t contemplate a move back to the Northeast. I even donated almost all of my winter coats and most of my snow gear. We were done with snow.
Then came the call to come up for three months. The station needed some freelance reporters to fill in as two reporters were out on maternity. I hesitated. I didn’t want to move back, live with friends and work at a station that was once competition (I’d worked at the Fox affiliate from 2003-2006). We had dear friends here in Charlotte and while on sabbatical, I had finished my first novel, volunteered a ton, and took improv classes. I was happy. But I missed working. So I took the assignment with this in mind, I’ll hate it and know I’m done with news or I’ll have some new, updated stories for my resume reel. But it didn’t take long for me to remember why I loved reporting in a big market; stories of national and international significance were constantly happening. I was covering the police raid of the accused Time Square bomber’s Connecticut home. I was standing outside the Garden as the Celtics attempted another championship. I interviewed a concert violinist who left her instrument on a transit trolley, only to have it returned. Even with all that, I still hesitated when the station offered me a full time position.
I thought I wanted to pursue my news anchoring dreams more. I thought I wanted to focus on my fiction writing. I thought I might try something outside of TV news. But in the end, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else but telling peoples’ stories; using their words, my words, my photographer’s video.
While at WHDH during those three temporary months, I gained new perspective, saw a new opportunity, and regained my love of TV news. Ultimately, what I found was a new place to call home.
