If I rounded up 100 TV reporters together, I would guess about 99 of them (who have been in the business for 2+ years, once they really get a feel for the business) would tell you they love their jobs. I mean, you have to if you stay in this business, right? We work long hours, some bizarre shifts, for low pay, with some viewers who seem to get joy out of making comments about the way you look, your clothes, your voice, and the way you do your job. And God forbid you not cover a story the way they want. Then you are biased. Mind you, that's not a regular thing. I'd say the vast majority of people I have interacted with have been kind and understand we are typically running the show ourselves-no crew, no team of hair and makeup people. It's often just us, waking up early trying to look camera-ready, making calls and Tweeting and Facebooking and trying to write/edit/produce our stories by deadline while trying to look out for breaking news, and getting ready for coverage the next day. We see some really difficult things to process-we are not "vultures" that we sometimes get the reputation as. I would say for local news, it is not as glamorous as some seem to think. 

So why DO we do this? Why do we spend so much money to go through journalism school and get a job that has these kinds of responsibilities, just to kind some very negative responses? Because we feel a genuine passion for what we do. We enjoy going out into the community and exploring the area. We have fun getting to hear your stories and find a creative and meaningful way to share that. We like telling you about the latest developments in the community. We want to give people a voice who may not have one at times. We are inspired when we see people beating the odds, talking bout the miracle they tell us they've experienced, they give us hope when we cover some very sad stories, or we get really overwhelmed in our jobs. No two days are the same, and that can be a really good thing. We learn from the different viewpoints we see, we expand our horizons by reporting about yours. 

When you watch the news, the people you watch are most likely people that are trying to cover their community the best they can because they truly care. 

Disclosure: 
I know there are plenty of professional people that are dedicated, working extremely long hours, who face plenty of hardships,etc. in different jobs. I respect that, and I am not doubting that they work hard and contribute a lot to the community. I am speaking solely from my experience as a TV reporter about what the job is like. 

I don't know about any of you that may be reading this, but I've just been feeling stressed out lately.  2018 has been a long year already and it's only February. So when you get a short moment of relaxation, it can feel like total tranquility. That was how I felt today when I was filming at a park in Monroe.

When you just hear just the sounds of nature (albeit, with some cars in the far background), it can put your mind at ease. Just walking on the land without a paved path, surrounded by water, grass, and the sounds of animals passing by, it just hit the "reset" button for me. 

My job can definitely be difficult-everyone has hard parts of their job. But I get to do things and go places not everybody gets to during their work day. Today it took me here to this beautiful place.

This is a short & sweet blog post. I just thought I'd share what I had the chance to experience today. I hope everyone has the opportunity to take a step back and relax, and hit the "reset" button this week. I think getting away from it all and just being alone in an outdoor setting does a lot.

Adventure is calling me. 

As I've said before, I haven't been out of the country since 2012. SIX YEARS. That is a long time for me...it feels like an eternity.  I've been on family trips, like a cruise to the Caribbean when I was a teenager. But in college, I spent a month and a half in Madrid, Spain. I took a biology class and a travel writing class. I learned a lot and had a wonderful experience both in and out of the classroom. I got to see some of the major tourist sites in Madrid. I also took a trip to Barcelona, which was absolutely beautiful. I visited Asturias, a mountainous area, where I did horseback riding and ate fresh wild boar (which was delicious, by the way). I went to the Canary Islands for scuba diving and I got certified there. And I was able to practice my Spanish. 

My other trip was only two weeks long, but we sure packed in a lot of sites. I had the opportunity to visit Israel as part of a Middle East Policy and Security Studies program through my school. And I figured, why not? It could be really interesting. It was an insightful trip. I recommend people visit at least one place that's not on their bucket list. I stayed in Herzilya, which is right on the Israeli coast. Waking up to the view of the Mediterranean Sea was amazing. I was able to visit Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea, Masada, Jerusalem...plenty of other great places. I was raised Christian and being able to see some of the sites that you hear about in bible stories from thousands of years ago is so cool. 

I'm sure many people have said this before, but travel is such an important experience. It gets you out of your comfort zone, it opens your eyes to new cultures and ways of thinking, different opinions. I would rather have experiences than "stuff." A trip to another place on my bucket list like Slovenia, or buying a new laptop? I'll take the trip to Slovenia-see the sites, eat the food, learn some more of the language, and maybe visit some family we still have there. I'll take that in a heartbeat. Even if it's not out of the U.S. Take that trip to New Orleans or Chicago or Austin or Seattle or whatever places you'd been thinking about. At least see some of the awe-inspiring sites that our country has to offer. There are so many to choose from. Those cities are some I've had my eye on for a while as well. Sure it will take some time to save up the money to enjoy all of those experience awaiting.  But I can say with certainty that I'm at my happiest, my most carefree, relaxed, and content when I am traveling. 

How often have you moved? 

I was born and raised in a Connecticut city. From there, I went to Syracuse University, I came home, moved up to Potsdam (St. Lawrence County) in New York, and now I'm here in Middletown enjoying Orange County. 

It seems funny to say "I'm a New Yorker." I've been living out of Connecticut for almost 8 years now, if you count 'Cuse as moving. I also spent a semester in D.C.  But I am, indeed, a New Yorker. But when I say "I'm going home," it usually refers to CT.  It's funny how I'm an adult, with my own place, a full-time job, my own car, etc. But I still feel like it's like an extended college leave, just with a lot more responsibility. 

This the life we newsers have. A lot of packing up and going, trying to climb up the markets. Some of my family/friends joke that I have a "nomad life" because I'm always on the go. But I'm sure there are other people outside of the news industry who move a lot.   

Have you moved a lot? For work, family, or some other reason. How do you transition from place to place? 

It's nice to know there are other people who get the same perks from constantly moving around and seeing new places....but who also can understand the difficulties of packing up all your stuff, the stress of moving, and starting all over again. 

It's amazing how you can make New Year's Resolutions, and the next day you can already fall through on them. I told myself "I'll write a blog post weekly, preferably every Tuesday."  January 1st was a Monday, and January 2nd was a Tuesday.  I think that was the FASTEST fail for a resolution I've ever had. But I'll try to pick up the pieces again this week and keep it consistent.  

There are the typical: 

• I'll work out
• I'll eat healthy
• I'll work harder at my job
• I'll be a better friend, sibling, relative, partner, etc. 

But I tell myself I'll eat healthy. Then Nutella comes along and that's done. I have those workout resolutions, but I work so hard then burnout. I'm over those kinds of resolutions. I have a very different set of goals this year. 

• Live every day like it's your last
• Travel more

That's just two goals, but they are all-encompassing for me. Because like so many others, I get caught up in the small everyday things that really shouldn't bother me. I worry about hypothetical situations and get all worked up. I have my sights on long-term goals but I overlook the wonderful things that happen in a single day. I get to drink wonderful coffee, I get to go to a job in my dream industry that I've worked hard to get into.  I get to watch the sun rise and set nearly every day. And all the colors of the sun setting is one of the most magical things I have ever seen in my life. I've gotten much better at dropping what I'm doing to admire and relax. I don't look at my phone, or think about what I'm going to have for dinner or what I need to do when I get home. I just stare at that beautiful painting in the sky. I forget when people compliment me on my work once I have a hard time with something, or someone is rude to me. I let the negative reactions get to me. Why? It's something many of us do. The little things add up, that's for sure. But it's the little good things that we should let add up. 


I've started to keep a journal. This isn't something I've ever done, but hey, when happiness is on the line, it's worth a shot, right? It's called 52 Lists For Happiness, meant to bring balance and joy to your life. Once a week, it gives you a prompt of a list to make, and then it shares how you use that list and reflect on it for the week, trying to act out the instructions. I'll be honest, so far I'm not feeling the balance or joy from using this book. But I love making lists, and I'm giving this a shot. We'll see how it goes. It may help me try to really live in the moment. 

I haven't traveled out of the US since 2012. That kills me inside. I am a traveler, it gives me a joy that nothing else ever could. But it's time to plan a trip. I want to go somewhere for about a week. I have an idea of where I want to go, but it's not fully figured out yet.  I'm thinking somewhere in South America, maybe Machu Picchu in Peru, Iguazu Falls from either Brazil or Argentina , or Sarlar de Uyuni in Bolivia. It's a huge salt flat, but the water looks almost like a mirror. The videos are breathtaking. And I really want to take some time to go on smaller weekend trips. I really miss Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. But there's still so much of the U.S. I haven't seen. I'd like to check out New Jersey and Pennsylvania for the history. I'd have a long weekend getaway to Nashville, New Orleans, Portland, San Francisco, Austin, Atlanta, Chicago....there's really too many cities to list (but I'm also happy to take some recommendations-hint, hint). 


What are some of your New Year's Resolutions? Are you keeping up with them? Please let me know, I'd like to see what other people are doing. Maybe we can swap some ideas! It could be a good motivation. 

 I had a phenomenal weekend celebrating my birthday. Another year older,  another year wiser (I hope). I'm from Connecticut, and decided to go home and enjoy.  So what is one of the first things I made sure to do? I booked tickets to see a comedian, of course. What better way to start a new year, getting some laughs in? 

I saw Sebastian Maniscalco, and he was so funny.  He was at Mohegan Sun casino, so I took the trip over on Saturday.  After the show, it was time to check out the casino. I'm not much of a gambler, but it was fun to walk around and see what was going on. Afterwards, my best friend and others surprised me with balloons and cake at her house, and it didn't hurt that we had pizza either. It  was a fun night, but it was so long. I was drinking coffee like crazy the next day. 

On Sunday, I got to have a family barbecue and enjoy time with my loved ones.  And because it's my family, and this is our luck, we had a visitor pop in....A black bear. Yup, an adult black bear looking to join in on the fun. Half of my family backed away, the other half tried to get a photo. We're an interesting group. And we always have unique stories to tell. Let's just say, this was a birthday to remember. 

Since I've been out of college, I've felt like gifts just aren't necessary anymore. Of course, I don't complain when I get them. It's very thoughtful for people to get me things, but it's just not what I'm excited about. I got what I truly wanted-spending time with some of the people that are closest to me. And cake. Cake is important too. 

I'm a big believer in celebrating birthdays, not just mine. I've always felt that birthdays are important. When I was younger, it blew my mind that adults had to work on their birthday.  I see the occasion as another year of life. Another year of growing, laughing, getting joy, giving joy, and so many other things to look forward to. Maybe I won't feel that way once I'm older, but right now I just look forward to the celebration. 

It's hard to believe it's mid-summer already. It seems cliche to say, but it really has passed by so fast. I feel like I haven't really been able to do all the things I've wanted to do here. I wanted to go white water rafting this summer, zip lining, more hiking, and I still haven't had a beach day yet! I'm from a coastal state, I feel like I'm obligated to go to the beach a minimum of two times before summer ends. But that deadline is fast-approaching. 

While all I can think about are the things I haven't done, there are a lot of things I HAVE done. I've been able to check out breweries, wineries, and distilleries in the Hudson Valley. I have gone hiking (as you can see from my last post). And I have never been a huge concert person, but I went to Bethel Woods this summer and got to sit out in the lawn section and listen to some great music, perfect weather and surrounded by loved ones.  I've gone home to Connecticut a lot to see family, and just two weeks ago, I attended a baby shower. My cousin and his wife are having a baby next month, and I found out they name they picked for their son. I have also been able to celebrate with friends as they said their "I do's" for their weddings.  I recently made some chocolate zucchini bread, using a recipe my aunt gave me. If I ever wondered whether or not I have willpower, I have proven to myself that I don't. I ate that bread so fast. But if there's zucchini in it, it's still healthy, right? :) 

Summer still isn't over. My birthday is next weekend, and I'll get to celebrate my birthday with family and friends. I want a nice cookout before the season ends, and there's still time to hit the pool before it starts getting cold. Plus, I haven't gone to a farmer's market yet! I enjoy going to those, so I need to make it happen. 

What have I missed in the Hudson Valley this summer? Does anyone have a recommendation of where I should go, or what I should do?  Please let me know! 

I've been in the Hudson Valley for 8 months now. I can't believe it's been that long already. Time flies when you're having fun! I always enjoying seeing new places, and learning what the area has to offer. I'm originally from Connecticut, but I feel like a New York transplant. I went to college at Syracuse University for my bachelor's degrees. Then I spent the past 2 years in the North Country (Potsdam, St. Lawrence County), and now I work in Middletown in Orange County. 

With this beautiful summer we've had, I've had the opportunity to get out and explore. Over the weekend I went to Sam's Point at Minnewaska State Park Preserve. To say it was beautiful was an understatement.  The views from the top were absolutely breathtaking. It seems like in the hustle and bustle, I tend to forget that I need to disconnect sometimes. This was  a good chance to become one with nature for a few hours. For me, I need to take the time to "recharge the batteries.," and this was the perfect way to do it. I'll admit, I got a little out of breath at some points on the walk up, but that didn't stop me one bit. 

My favorite part of Sam's Point? The Ice Caves Trail. I loved the cool air hitting me on a hot day, the calming sounds of water, squeezing through the crevices in the rocks, climbing up the ladder in that loop. It was so much fun. I would definitely go back again. Next time I go back, my plan is to check out the waterfall at the preserve. 

I'm always looking for new places to check out. If you have a recommendation, let me know!