Change is inevitable, progress is optional…

So, it’s been a minute since I’ve last blogged.

Okay, so it’s been two months but, I’ve busy with work, a bridal shower, a bachelorette party, my 26th birthday, patiently (okay, not so patiently waiting) for the arrival of my nephew, etc. etc.

Alright, so maybe I haven’t been that busy to where I couldn’t blog but let me tell you, sleep is my number two priority after work. LOL. When I am not working or busy with other commitments you can guarantee I am sleeping or watching ridiculous Lifetime Movie Network movies.

Anyway… Moving along.

So today actually marks the two month anniversary of when I moved into my apartment and then on Saturday it will have been two months since I started my first day at C-T. (That’s The Chronicle-Tribune for those of you who don’t know the abbreviation, lol, because I don’t feel like repeatedly typing it out)

Work has been a learning process–fun, cool, exciting. I still consider myself a rookie because coming in I felt a bit rusty. I had just finished up my internship at HOMTV and yes, I obviously studied journalism and got my degree in it and had my intern at WLNS, etc., but, being back in a print-focused atmosphere was something I was struggling to get a hold of again. Thankfully my co-workers and boss are awesome and have been helping me out along the way. I mean yeah I still have more to learn, and always will, I believe with any job it’s like that, and thankfully I’ve had great mentors along the way.

Of course, while I’m learning a lot and still getting to know the town of Marion, I wouldn’t be being completely honest if I said I didn’t have some challenges along the way. Like for example, after the Fourth of July holiday weekend when I was leaving my cottage to come back I got upset, and quite honestly, it was hard to say my “see you later’s” to my family. My mom saw it firsthand, and as any good mom, she told me everything would be okay. And deep down I knew it would be, but, at that exact moment I didn’t want to leave after having spent an incredible weekend with my whole immediate family, plus my uncle Steve.

Fast forward to this past weekend, and same thing happened. I know, it sounds pathetic, especially being 26-years-old–an adult–living on her own but, it did happen again and, I have no doubt it will happen again until I become more familiar with Marion and meeting friends and having people to hang out with instead of just constantly being by myself in my apartment when I get home from work. Anyway, this time it happened not while I was leaving from home in Michigan to my home here, but rather, leaving Nashville and coming back home to Indiana but wanting to make it all the way back to Michigan for just the night so I could finally meet my nephew Stone.

So Stone was born on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. My sister-in-law, Jamie, went to the hospital early Tuesday morning (like the middle of the night), and my mom called me at 6:30 a.m. to tell me she had so. Of course that was the morning I was scheduled to drive down to Nashville to stay with my old college roommate and friend, Kayla, and see my cousin’s new house and then spend the rest of the weekend celebrating the bride-to-be, Alison, and I was put in a tough spot. Part of me was dying to go home instead so I could be there when he was actually born but, the other part of me wanted to stick to my plan and go on to Nashville because I thought it would be rude if I didn’t. Plus, what ultimately made me choose Nashville over the birth of Stone was that I knew I wouldn’t get to celebrate Alison and her bachelorette party again, but, that Stone would and will always be there when I visit home next. It was still a tough decision for me and as soon as he was actually born and my mom sent me pictures I felt like I was immediately starting to regret making the trip down south. He was more beautiful and perfect than I could have ever imagined. Words couldn’t describe the feelings I had when I saw him (in picture form) for the first time. But, let’s just say I was at out shopping at the mall at the time and definitely started tearing up, in the baby clothes department, looking all kinds of pathetic. LOL.

Fast forward to Tuesday, two days ago, and when I found out I would get to leave early from work I knew I had to make the 2.5 hour drive home to see my nephew. Sure, I will be going home again tomorrow but, I seriously just couldn’t take it any longer. I drove home as fast as I could and when I got to my brother and sister-in-law’s house, I RAN to the front door. (And for those who know me, you know I don’t run for anything–I HATE running, lmao.) I open the door and see Jamie feeding Stone, and I am even more shocked and taken away at how precious, beautiful and perfect he really is. I called Jamie as I was leaving town to tell her I was coming home and wanted to see him and also warned her I would probably cry when I saw him. Thankfully I was able to hold my tears back but I kid you not, every time I look at a picture of him, and even yesterday when I was out shopping for groceries at Meijer but then “somehow” ended up in the baby boy clothes section, I started tearing up. LOL.

I’m sure some of you are probably wondering why I am so emotional over Stone and maybe even some of my family members are thinking back to when their babies were born and how I didn’t act like this. It’s not that I love any of my other nieces and nephews any less or anything like that–I will tell you now that being an aunt is my greatest “gig” yet and I’ve been lucky enough to be one since I was 2.5 years old. But with Stone, it is different. And I will tell you why…

My older brother Adam, is someone, who despite us literally fighting sometimes or him just being a natural big brother and picking on me from time to time in general, is someone I appreciate and look up to. I look up to all of my siblings, yes, and I love them all the same. But, for those of you who know Adam–you know he is, how do I put it? A bit “rough around the edges”, if you will. He’s not perfect by any means but, who is? No one. When he was growing up he wasn’t a horrible teenager but, he wasn’t an angel either. (Love you, Adam) And so of course when he and Jamie told the family at Christmas last year that they were expecting I lost it. Mind you, I had a few glasses of wine in me, lol, but, even to present day, I get emotional thinking about him as a dad. I guess to be honest there were some days, some moments where I thought, “Adam as a dad? Yeah right, not any time soon–more like not for a long time.” And, I think part of me thought this because I had always known him to be the one who likes to have fun, doing whatever it may be. But, after the news broke and time went on, I knew he and Jamie were going to be forced to “grow up” (not saying that they were careless/reckless or anything like that) or rather, “upgrade” to parent status. It was weird to think about, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t have doubts but, at the end of the day, I knew they would make great parents. Like any parents, I imagine (I can’t speak 100% because I myself am not a parent yet), they will make mistakes and deal with Stone acting out as he grows up and gets older but, that’s normal for any family with kids. Seeing Adam transition from the “having fun” guy to dad, is something that’s very sentimental to me. (If that’s the right word to use??) Not that I am not proud of Jamie, or my other siblings with kids, but, this is my big brother, Adam, we’re talking about. It’s just something that’s hard to explain without it coming out wrong so if you’re reading this and taking it the wrong way, I am sorry. It just is something different with Adam being a dad. Even just typing this is making me emotional.

At the end of the day, I love all of my nieces and nephews the same. I hate that they grow up so fast, though, which, is also part of the reason I think I am so obsessed and in love with Stone. That, and we haven’t had a baby boy since… Calvin, I believe, and he’ll be 10 (?) this year. REALLY?! It’s just crazy how fast time goes by and how quickly each one of them grows up. Even Annabelle, who will be 3-years-old in December (OMG, that just hit me… THREE?!), has grown up so fast right before my very eyes. And that’s not to say my nieces and nephews aren’t as fun when they grow up, but, their priorities shift as they get older just like mine did. My niece Madi has two daughters, is engaged… My nephew Drew is in college, has a job… My nephew Zach is a SENIOR in high school and will graduate next year… My niece, Gabi, will be fourteen, WHAT?!… My nephew Max will be THIRTEEN (I think, right? See, I myself am getting too old to remember everyone’s age, LOL) in December AND he now has his own cell phone. I texted him a couple times so far and one time when I texted him asking him if he was watching Big Brother he said “no” and then didn’t really say much to me after that so he must have been too tired to text me too 😦 LOL… My niece Amelia and nephew Calvin will both be 10 in November… My nieces Raelynn and Gigi will both start Kindergarten in the fall… And like I said earlier, Annabelle will be THREE in December. And then my niece, Ashlyn, and her girlfriend are both working and have a place of their own and then my nephew, Corey, and his fiancee have their own place too with their two kids and pets. I mean, they’re all grown up! This is partly why I freaked when I wasn’t there when Stone was born because I there for just about every other birth of my nieces and nephews and to not be able to be there for Stone tore me apart. Even now, living away, it’s hard because I know I don’t get to see him all the time like I did growing up with my other nieces and nephews.

I have to remind myself though that I don’t live that far and can always come home on a weekend if I don’t work, but, living away in general is still taking getting used to. My mom and dad assure me it will be fine, and I know deep down they’re right. It’s just going to take time.

Hopefully soon I will meet people to hang out with and stuff, but, even if not, it’s a part of the growing up process–just like my mom told me. I am an adult now and she said herself, I can do it. I’m thankful to have the best parents in the world who refuse to let me give up when times get tough. They believe in me enough to know that I can work past whatever it is that is thrown my way. So mom, dad–thank you both. Thank you to all of my family for giving me that push I needed to make the move to work my dream job and do what I love most.

I know there will always be challenges here and there in the future, in whatever aspect/stage of life, but, they’re always there behind me.

Until next time…

XO,

Ana

May 2, 2016May 2, 2016

If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere…

This week is my last week as a HOMTV rookie reporter.

It’s crazy to think I began this journey back in January and it is now May. When I first started I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but, as time went on, I gained a better understanding based on my own personal experience and through the advice of advanced interns.

While I came in to this internship with some previous newsroom experience, which was helpful, I learned even more throughout my time at HOMTV. I believe the hands-on experience at HOMTV is unparalleled to any other internship in the area.

youthacademy

As I think back to my first day of orientation and meeting the then other 11 interns, I wondered what my relationship with them would be like by the end of the semester. The advanced interns from the fall 2015 semester came to talk to us that night and one shared how our fellow interns would become like family since we would be spending so much time together. At the time I wasn’t sure if I fully believed it, but now, I can say with certainty I do.

While we had some interns leave prior to now, I am so thankful to have met each and every one of them. I couldn’t have asked for a better group to share this experience with this semester. And so I want to give a huge thanks overall to the 11 other interns I started out with, and a special thanks individually to the 5 interns that remain.

Maya: It has been such a pleasure to meet you this semester. You are an extremely hard-working individual, and I truly believe you will go on to do great things in the TV news/sports industry. You have great potential. I thank you, too, for always helping not only me out, but others as well, when needed.

Treasure: Where do I begin? You are one of the funniest and kindest people I’ve had the pleasure to meet this semester. I see great potential in you and believe you too will go far in life. Thank you for always making me laugh and keeping my sanity in check when I at times thought I was losing it.

Brittany: You are such a helpful and kind person. You have been a coworker who is always willing to help others when they need it, and providing laughs as well. You are a hard-working, determined woman who I believe will go far in life as well. You have great potential–not just based on the stories you’ve covered (and kicked ass at), but, but being a great co-worker and team player as well.

Bri: You are someone I see with a bright future ahead of you. It’s been awesome to have experienced this internship with you, and I thank you for always helping me out specifically when it comes to tear down or set up of meetings–like with the cable cords. LOL. But really, you have been a great person to work with over this semester.

Alexis: It has been so great to work alongside you this semester. I feel we connected so well because of our background and interest in print. It has been a pleasure to have met you, and thank you for being such a great co-worker and friend and the many laughs this semester.

While I am eager and excited to see what the future holds for me post-HOMTV, I am sad to be saying goodbye to my fellow rookie interns. Like I said, I wasn’t sure if I would make that close of a bond with them like the advanced interns had talked about but, I did, which is what makes me sad about leaving.

I couldn’t have asked for better people to do this internship with and I thank them all, both the current 5 left and former ones, for making this an experience I won’t forget.

Of course, before ending this post, I must give thanks to the staff at HOMTV as well, for giving me and the other interns the opportunity to do this internship. I have learned so much during my time at HOMTV and it wouldn’t be without the knowledge and training bestowed upon us from everyone there. THANK YOU.

And, of course, a special thank you to our internship coordinator, Brandie, for being so helpful and always pushing us to do our best and help us see our true potential.

So, here’s to my last week and enjoying these next few days before I become an official HOMTV alumni.

Until next time..

XO,

Ana

March 2, 2016March 6, 2016

Lights, Camera… I’m Live?

This blog post is dedicated to my first two (so far, anyway) real flops of doing live reports at HOMTV thus far. One part of me wishes these videos could be deleted from cyberspace forever, but, the other part of me knows that at the end of the internship I’ll be thankful that I can look back at these and see just how much I grew as a reporter–and laugh some more about it.

reporter3216 — Reporter at the March 2, 2016 Environmental Commission meeting

So the first live shot is in Okemos on the bridge on Okemos Road. I think I may have been cued wrong, and I also thought I could wing it without my script, even though my boss told me explicitly it was in fact okay to hold it while on air, and told me to have in my hands, but, I decided to think I could do without it and well, you can watch what happened…

Meridian News Now (February 8, 2016)

And then there was tonight (March 2, 2016)…

Meridian Township’s Environmental Commission meeting… So, the beginning part, before the meeting started wasn’t too bad but, it’s the AFTER the meeting where I am always fumbling over my words and having a deer in the headlights look. (Not cute, by the way–embarrassing, lol)

Environmental Commission meeting

But, before I go, as embarrassing as it is to watch this myself, let alone have other people watch them (and probably laugh/cringe), it’s important for me, like I mentioned above, to see when the future comes how much I’ve grown as a reporter at HOMTV. We’re nearly halfway through the semester so it can only go up from here. Right???

RIGHT.

Plus, I want other reporters out there who may just be starting out (or even experienced ones–after all, no one is perfect) and have their own horror/embarrassing stories to know they’re not alone and that it’s okay to make mistakes. We’re human, and that’s what practice is for. It’ll make us better. So, like people tell me (and I try hard to actually believe), hang in there–you WILL in fact improve! 🙂

Oh, and one more… The Planning Commission meeting from February, 8, 2016…

Planning Commission meeting

Until next time….

XO,

Ana

March 1, 2016March 1, 2016

Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself…

I was in fifth grade when I officially declared I wanted to be a fashion designer.

fashionsketch

For our yearbook that year we had our own mini “bios” if you will, about what we wanted to be when we grew up, along with what our favorite activity, color was–or something along those lines. But, for what I wanted to be when I grew up–I had no hesitation of what to list.

I can’t recall the exact time that aspiration faded but, looking back now, I am happy I didn’t pursue that dream. Nothing against fashion designers–hell, I love fashion and give designers MAAAAAAJOR credit for all the hard work and effort they put in to making fabulous clothes, shoes and handbags. No, nothing against them at all. I just eventually realized I didn’t have the creativity, passion or even patience, to continue pursuing it.

After that dream fizzled out, my next and current dream was to write for a magazine. What magazine you may be wondering. Why, Cosmopolitan of course. I have loved that magazine for as long as I can remember. And again, I can’t pinpoint the exact moment I knew I wanted to be a writer/reporter/journalist in general, but, I would say it was definitely solidified in high school.

LUCY HALE in Cosmopolitan Magazine, September 2012 Issue

I wrote for the school newspaper, Ramparts, and at one point served as the Opinion Editor. It was a blast. I loved writing for the newspaper then and continued that line of work in college, where I wrote for Central Michigan Life as well as Grand Central Magazine.

However, now that I’m graduated from college, going on almost two years, I can’t help but sometimes wonder when my dream of being a full-time writer/reporter/journalist will come true. I know I shouldn’t but, I find myself constantly comparing myself to others– especially those in the same field, and wonder, why isn’t that me yet?

It’s a struggle from time to time, more often than not, but, thankfully through this blog and my work at HOMTV, I know that when the timing is right (hopefully by this summer), I’ll have landed a full-time job in my field. It’s tough though–I’ll talk to people outside of the news industry and when I tell them my ultimate career goals, they give me this look–probably not meaning to make it look so obvious, but nonetheless it’s still there–like why on Earth would you want to be a journalist? The news industry (specifically print, which is my main and ultimate career goal) is dying, they say. As if I haven’t heard that before… Right?

Anyway… I wanted to be a fashion designer when I was younger and I don’t recall anyone trying to talk me out of that dream (now granted it was only fifth grade but still–if I said that now I would actually hope for someone to talk me out of that one, ha!) and so why now that I am an adult, and spent five years in college studying journalism, do people want to essentially tell me “good luck getting a job” with that degree? It’s not that person’s dream so why do he or she feel entitled to tell me my dream/degree sucks? I think some other people’s dreams suck/are stupid but, I don’t go around telling them that to their face. It’s none of my business, and if it makes them happy, then great!

My point is, my dreams I had for myself when I was younger are different than what they are today.

In fact, while at this very point in time I think I have my hopes, dreams and goals all figured out, the truth is, I really don’t. I think I do, but, only God knows what the future holds for me. What I want and what I actually end up doing could be totally different. Although, obviously, I hope my dreams come true. Not just for my professional career but in the personal aspects of my life as well.

For example, my dream is to be a reporter for a print publication. But, my internship position right now is a TV reporter. That doesn’t go to say I’ll only apply for print jobs when I’m finished with my internship–I’ll of course apply for all and any kind of journalism/news job–but, what’s most important to me is that I am happy with what I am doing. And yes, this internship is an awesome experience. I’m so thankful I was given the opportunity to do it. I have great bosses, co-workers; they want us interns to be successful and will answer any and all questions we have. And trust me, I have a lot of questions. LOL. I am learning so much that I can’t wait to apply to future jobs and show potential future employers my demo reel I’ll have made at the end of this semester.

But, if I’ll actually end up at a TV station once my internship is complete, I’m not sure. I tend to stress and worry too much about the future when I can’t control it–only the present–and it’s something I need to work on more. I would love to actually know and be people to share with the world that yes, this is what I will being doing come May, but, the truth is, I don’t know. I would love to say yes, I will be a reporter at X location, living in Y location, but, the future is unknown. And that’s both exciting and scary. More often scary than exciting but, still.

Right now I can only focus on continuing to better myself as a reporter and become more confident in my on-air ability and interviewing skills. After all, those are pretty darn important as a reporter.

So, instead of focusing so much on the future, I’m going to try my best to focus my mind on the present. And if anyone has any tips or advice on how to stay focused on the present and/ or improving my skills and abilities as a reporter, I would love to hear them. I am all ears.

Or, perhaps a suggestion for a hobby–other than blogging (*although, I really do want my blog to take off and be substantial enough to where people who follow and read it, are genuinely interested in what I have to say. So, please, bloggers/writers/etc., send me some topics to blog about; I would GREATLY appreciate it) and shopping (ha!), let me know.

Until next time…

XO,

Ana

February 19, 2016February 19, 2016

And then I realized adventures are the best way to learn…

***Note: I’m writing this post based from yesterday.

I’m walking on the Michigan Flyer, looking for a spot to sit, annoyed because I’m hungry and tired and have a raging headache, only to be to be more annoyed when I see the number of people on the bus.

(Note to self: Don’t take flights on Thursdays apparently, lol)

I finally find a seat and hear this weird music, that sounded like it was classical or not even that, but, something I don’t hear everyday. At first I thought it was a passenger blaring their music on speaker but, then I finally realized it was playing on the main speaker on the bus. Then, I remembered I had my ear buds in my carry-on so I put those in and turned on Pandora.

I ended up dozing off for a little bit, and then realized we were at the first stop on the way to the DTW Airport. It took me a minute to adjust my eyes to the sunlight and when I looked outside I was again annoyed for how many people I saw standing, waiting in line. I was annoyed because the Michigan Flyer is never this busy. And I like that way, LOL.

Anyway… As I watch people start to board the bus I am totally that person who avoids eye contact with people in hopes they won’t sit by me. Thankfully (?) my natural face just says “you can’t sit with me” and people pass by me. Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t feel “thankful” for having a bitchy face but it definitely works in my favor sometimes. Ha!

After the first stop I attempt to doze off for a little bit longer before we get to my stop at the airport but at that point I was just ready to get there so I could find a bathroom. Lol. The bus had one but I couldn’t bring myself to use it. So we finally make it to the airport and as always, I’m there super early. You know how they say to be there two hours early? Well I am always there two hours early. I’drather be super early and bored than late and rushing, feeling stressed.

I go check my luggage in and see the security line and freak out. It is SO long. I mean, I’ve seen long lines but not quite like this. Of course, I figure with it is this long that TSA will somehow get it moving right along but boy, was a I wrong. Then, I see a bunch of women MSU players and ask one of the girls what sport–softball. I thought it was cool and told them I’m from the East Lansing area (well, close enough). But, within a few minutes I was suddenly annoyed, still technically from before, lol, that I was stuck standing in a line that wasn’t moving because these girls were super squealy and just plain obnoxious. Of course, maybe I wouldn’t have found them AS annoying had I had some food or at least coffee in me.

At last it was my turn to go through the body scanner and I had a necklace on I had to flip so it was on my back, and then afterward had to get a back pat down. Just my back because of my necklace. It was weird but, I obliged and then was finally on my way to the bathroom, get food, and eventually to my gate.

I realized I still had a ton of time to kill and it seemed like everyone was hungry, wanting a drink, or both and we’re taking over Ruby Tuesday and TGI Friday. I decided I would get something to eat at Earl Of A Sandwich like I originally planned because I hadn’t had it since last year when I was at the airport, and before that not since 2013. Damn.

After I ate I went to get coffee only to get to the coffee place and have them notify me they were out of vanilla and caramel. (I wanted vanilla) I decided to pass on coffee, for now, and wandered back to Ruby Tuesday. I can see the restaurant is packed and some people waiting in line but I figured I would ask the hostess anyway if there was by chance an open spot at the bar. She advised me there wasn’t, at least not to sit, but that if I wanted to I could stand. At that point I was desperate for a drink so I agreed and went to the bar. Of course with it being so packed and me being short it took me longer than hoped to get a drink. I ordered a beer, thinking it would be in a bottle or a small glass only to be handed a BIG glass. I accepted and got my bill, and was shocked at how much my beer was. I paid and stood awkwardly by the bar hoping someone would soon get up and leave but it looked like no hope was in sight.

But, finally someone left and she let me have her seat and I ended up sitting next to this man and woman (who, by the way, didn’t know each other) who were both on their way to Texas. The woman though had a connecting flight in Nashville so she was actually on my flight. The man called me “kid”, twice, which I couldn’t help but think was odd considering I don’t think of myself as a “kid”, but, maybe he thinks he’s old enough to be my dad? Which, he probably was. LMAO! Anyway…

He was super friendly, chatty. I personally was just trying to get service to surf Facebook and Twitter and expressed my annoyance out loud for not being able to connect. The man heard me and offered to let me connect to his Wifi. I happily accepted and finally decided to be quit being a Scrooge and talk to him. Lol. He asked me what I did for a living and told him I was a reporter and how I had my first live shot experience last week and totally butchered it. I told him it was rather entertaining and that if he really wanted to watch it, he could, at the HOMTV website. I told him there was one condition though–he had to watch it later when I wasn’t around. LOL! God only knows what he thought but as embarrassing as it was, I know practice will only make perfect so the more often I do it, the better I get. Which, speaking of, my next live report is next week so be sure to tune in. Or, you know, don’t, and save me some pressure. HAHA! Also, at some point, probably when I’m not on vacation, I’ll blog about my experience of my first live report. But that’s for another time…

After I finish my beer I head to my gate and am again surprised with how many people are on this flight. Then I’m even more mad at myself for not getting early bird check in so I could have been in the A boarding group and could have gotten a better seat. But I didn’t so I waited until it was boarding group B’s turn and by the time I get on the plane it is packed with everyone doing what I would have done–sitting in the window or aisle seat, all the middle seats empty. I keep making my way to the back in hopes that maybe there is still an aisle seat and just when I think there is one, I look in the aisle and realize it’s a dad and his baby in a car seat next to him. I’m thinking, really?! You’re killing me! Lol. Which, funny enough, I had just been telling my mom earlier that day that I wish they had separate flights for babies and adults. But that’s another story. So it’s getting close to being time to leave and I settled on sitting BEHIND the baby (genius idea. Note: sarcasm) with this mom and her daughter. They were friendly and the girl had a Central Michigan University bag and I asked her if she went there but I found out she was a senior in high school and had just taken a tour. I told her I was an alumni of CMU and how much I loved it but, I think she had her mind made up on another school.

The flight itself felt like the shortest flight I’ve ever been on to Nashville. It was nice but, I brought all this stuff in my carry-on thinking I would need to kill time and it turns out, I didn’t.

So I land and find my way to Kayla and we head to a bar near her house and get a glass of wine seeing as it was National Drink Wine Day and so of course we couldn’t resist. We watched the MSU game and by the end of the night exchanged MY number (thanks, Kayla, lol) with a guy sitting next to us at the bar. That was entertaining to say the least. But after that we finally called it a night and came back to her house, which I was SO, SO excited to see and felt like a little kid on Christmas, lol. It’s a stunning house and the guest bathroom makes me feel like I’m a hotel. So, good job on the design and decor, Kayla.

So it’s Friday now*, which means Kayla is at work (boo) and I am at her house currently watching Law And Order: SVU, and so it’s almost like I’m back at home because this is what I would be doing if I actually were at home. Lol! It’s currently sunny outside and 67 degrees out! Can you believe it?! It’s so refreshing to look outside her front window and NOT see snow. (I’m referring to you, Michigan) Think we’re headed to downtown Nashville tonight and I am so excited! I can’t wait! I have my party pants on so I hope Nashville is ready for us! 💁🏻

Until next time…

XO,

Ana

***Side note: I apologize for any grammar and spelling errors as I typed this on my phone and it kept changing words. I tried my best to catch them but, I’m not sure if I got them all.

February 1, 2016February 1, 2016

Monday: Outfit of the Day

Hello!

So while this blog is primarily focused on my experience at HOMTV as well as other miscellaneous topics I choose to write about, I am going to incorporate some #OOTD into as well.

This outfit of the day (ignore me not wearing shoes, lol) is a floral shirt from Express and black legging dress pants from New York and Company.

I haven’t really worn a shirt this “loud” before, but, as I strive to move outside of my comfort zone and received second opinions I decided to give it a try.

The shirt was $60, which, is expensive to me for a shirt, but, it’s a nice quality and something I can both wear for work or for a night out with my girl friends.

The pants were $60 as well. Again, while a part of me thinks the pants are a tad on the expensive side, I was and am willing to splurge on dress pants as I think they are a NECESSARY staple to my work wardrobe. Now I chose this particular style of dress pant because I love a skinny leg opening pant. Of course I didn’t actually start wearing skinny jeans until college (I believe–don’t recall wearing them in high school), but, once I tried a pair on I fell in love. Now when it comes to dress pants and an outfit in general, I say go with what you feel the most comfortable in. I myself like to dress in what’s comfortable, but also cute, and in style*. (At least, somewhat in style. I’m not sure how on trend this outfit in general is, but, the shirts and pants separately I would definitely say are “in” season right now.) I personally love a skinny pant because I love wearing boots and they never look bad with a skinny pant. Or, even heels, because who doesn’t love heels? (Okay, so they can be painful but now when it comes to shoes, I say style over comfort, LOL) But again, dress in whatever makes YOU shine and feel comfortable and fashion-savvy.

So total this outfit was $120, plus tax. But, again, totally worth it. Plus, while shopping, the pants were on special–buy one pair get the second for some* [cheaper] price (can’t remember now), and the shirt was part of buy one, get one 50% off.

Now I typically wear jewelry in my everyday life, whether it’s for work or not, but. today I decided to now wear jewelry as I felt the shirt spoke for itself and was, again, “loud” enough–it made a big enough statement on its own–to not warrant any jewelry.

I did however (and it may be hard to tell in the picture–the lighting in my room where my mirror is isn’t the greatest) wear a pink lipstick to match the pink on my shirt. Now I am the type of person who likes to be matchy-matchy and not everyone is like that and that’s okay. It’s just a personal preference of mine. Now I won’t necessarily match all the time–or, at least I try not to, but sometimes it just happens naturally. This lipstick I purchased from Ulta for $7.99* (I believe) and the brand is Loreal Paris, color: Pink Flamingo – 180.

image1 (2) — Loreal Paris Pink Flamingo lipstick, $7.99 [Ulta.com]

So there you have it.

My outfit of the day for this Monday.

Until next time…

XO,

Ana

February 1, 2016February 1, 2016

Everyone is a storyteller…

I have officially completed my third week of my internship at HOMTV.

Yesterday we had an alumni training workshop where former alumni members Alexandra Illitch and Local 4 WDIV‘s John Pompeo gave us tips and advice about the news industry.

I learned a lot from both of them and I left the workshop feeling even more eager and motivated to do well not just at this internship, but at any other future news job. I am so passionate about this industry and I can’t wait to see where my future takes me.

homtvalumniWS — HOMTV alumni workshop. #HOMTV #Local4WDIV #WLNS

Ali told us about how the news industry isn’t a 9 to 5 job and if that’s the type of job we’re looking for then this isn’t the industry for us. She also talked about the many misconceptions people have about the news industry and what jobs in the field entail. People think it’s all glam, being on TV and what not, but it’s much more than that.

I’ll admit, when I first graduated and even every now and then, I think how wonderful it would be to have a Monday-Friday 9 to 5 job. My best friends have that kind of schedule and I always imagine how nice that would be. But, as I’ve learned, I am very much passionate about the news industry and accepted that that is a sacrifice I have to make to have a job in the field. It will never be 9 to 5, and as Ali explained, some days reporters work up to 12 hours. And as she mentioned, and I knew–the news never sleeps.

While she said it’s a lot of work, she also said how truly great it is to be a reporter. Her passion showed when she talked to us and it made me hopeful that one day I can be in her shoes talking to rookie and junior interns expressing my passion for the field.

Not only did Ali share her passion, tips and advice to us interns, John Pompeo did as well. He’s been in the industry for over thirty years and he said he’s still doing it because he LOVES it. It was inspiring to see someone still so passionate about the industry this many years later.

He showed us his work he did and through it I learned so much. The way different he shoots stories made me excited to incorporate those ways into how I share my stories. I found the way he finds his stories to be unique, and how he doesn’t necessarily have to be the one telling the story through a voice track, but to have a main “character” in the story and having him or her tell it.

Something I also found interesting that he said was that

“Everyone is a story teller.”
– John Pompeo

While I came into this internship with previous newsroom experience, others did not, and I thought how this really hit the nail on the head for not just me but especially for the others. I never gave that idea much thought before but, with the right tips and creativity and thought process, I realized how right he was.

Like I mentioned above, I can’t wait to take the tips both he and Ali shared with us and apply it to my future stories both at HOMTV and other future jobs. During the workshop I was already thinking of possible different stories I could cover this semester and what angle I would take with each one using these different tips.

Why I also enjoyed him saying this is because I believe everyone has a story to share.

That’s a huge reason I want to be a journalist, a reporter, is because I want to be able to give a voice to people–especially those who might not otherwise have one. Also, a tad off topic, but the name of my blog–“Coffee and Curiosity” is titled that because a) I love coffee (who doesn’t?) and b) because I am a curious person. I am always eager to learn more about people. Which, ironically, although I love learning about people, I will be the first admit that I am extremely shy outside of my reporter self when it comes to getting to know people. But anyway…

I love learning about people’s experiences. I believe everyone has a unique story to share and as a reporter, I long to discover what it is. And as it is now officially Monday, I start off a new week, working on my first assignments for HOMTV and while brainstorming what angle I want to take for my stories, I’ll be keeping in mind the tips Ali and John gave us. 🙂

Until next time…

XO,

Ana

January 14, 2016January 14, 2016

There’s No Place Like HOM…

It’s Thursday night, and I am currently sitting at my kitchen table, feeling a tad hypocritical for having just had leftover pizza for dinner, and wanting an ice cold beer, but, not having any, while I stare right at my new It Works! starter kit that came in the mail today.

For those of you who don’t know the gist of It Works!, it’s that “crazy wrap thing”… That aims to help you tone, tighten and detoxify your body. Along with a line including a bunch of other products designed to help you be healthier.

Anyway, not my point of this blog…

It’s Thursday night, and I have officially completed week one of my internship at HOMTV.

While it has only been a couple of days, I must say I am super eager to see what the rest of this semester/experience holds. I have already learned so much in such a short period of time, that I can’t wait to find out what else I will learn from the program/workshops itself, but through my own trials and tribulations.

The first day was orientation, where learned the overview of the program along with the usual procedures and policies. Oh, and we went over dress code… Note To Self: Create shoe bag and leave in car. LOL! I am seriously going to find my best shoes and put them in a bag and leave them in my car so I am always prepared. I wore my Ugg boots to the Wednesday night workshop and while no one said anything, I accidentally forgot my work shoes from my coat closet at home. But, given the weather this week, my initial thought was Uggs=WARMTH! LOL.

We also got our picture taken for the HOMTV website, which, I am super geeked about. And yes, I just used the word “geeked.” (A one-time thing, I swear, lol) Not only will this picture be used on the main HOMTV website, but it will also be used for my soon-to-be in live action, FACEBOOOK FAN PAGE! Yep, that’s right. Us reporters get a fan page! I am telling you this now so you can remember to “like” it on Facebook as soon as it’s up and running.

The following day for my morning shift we watched archive videos of past newscasts and wrote our bios for the HOMTV website. It was a little strange at first, writing in the third person, about myself, but, once I got going I couldn’t be stopped. I wrote the serious stuff, like where I graduated from, what I studied, and where I see myself after the internship. And then, of course, I put the fun stuff–like that in my free time I like to watch my favorite TV shows Pretty Little Liars and Criminal Minds, and that I am a coffee mug collector. And course love Chipotle and shoes. (Although, Chipotle, not so much lately… You know, given their whole E-Coli deal…)

Then, later that evening was our first workshop–the reporting workshop. During this we learned about the Society of Professional Journalists: Code of Ethics, the various terms used in television, and watched previous interns’ work, i.e. packages and stand-ups. I most excited about this workshop, as this is the track I will be focusing on–reporting.

The second day, morning shift, we continued/finished watching the archive videos of old newscasts and began working on our first exam. Our first exam is due Tuesday. Will work on that this weekend. EEEK! The evening portion was our field production workshop–where we learned all about how to use a camera. It was a lot of information to process, but, I definitely learned a lot. It makes me even more eager (although just as nervous, too) to get out there and start shooting stuff.

HOMTV1 — Me and Ar-Rel getting ready for our future close-ups.

This morning I had off. In the evening we had our editing workshop, which involved even more information than last night. I feel super nervous and overwhelmed at the moment, but, after talking to some of the other interns and a seasoned intern, I can move forward knowing it’s okay/normal to feel this way and that everything will be okay. The workshop tonight taught us how to import, export and edit our footage. It’s a lot to do and a lot to remember, but, like I said before, I AM looking forward to it! Can’t wait to see how I improve over the course of the semester. Yay!

Anyway… So that is what my first week at HOMTV was like. I’ll try to update this more frequently as the internship goes on, but, I know the internship itself will keep me fairly busy so, we’ll see. Anyway, look for me on Facebook soon–my fan page. And, if you haven’t already, be sure to like the HOMTV Faceboo0k page itself by clicking here as well as their Twitter handle at @HOMTV.

Until next time…

XO,

Ana

September 10, 2015September 10, 2015

She believed she could, so she did…

Last week I received a phone call that would be the phone call I had been waiting on for just over a year.

In August 2014 I received my Bachelor of Science degree in journalism. It was more than a major I studied but an extreme passion of mine. I couldn’t wait to see what job opportunity would be awaiting for me once I received that official piece of paper and started applying for my dream job.

Well, it turns out, landing my dream job would take much longer than I anticipated. I applied anywhere and everywhere I could think of. At first I limited it to just Michigan but then after some time I decided to apply outside of Michigan as well. But, as more time went on I decided that I in fact DID want to STAY in Michigan. After all, I grew up here, most of my family lives here, and I just like Michigan.

After three months of having graduated I finally landed a job at Becky Beauchine Kulka Diamonds and Fine Jewelry. I was ecstatic, especially since I love jewelry (and later on became OBSESSED with Alex and Ani). I worked there until July of this year when deep down I knew my one and true passion was to work in the news industry. I enjoyed my time at BBK and definitely learned a lot, especially about great customer service, but, I knew I wanted to focus on pursuing a journalism job. While my ultimate goal was to work in the news industry, I knew that was probably going to take some time, again, to land so I decided to apply and work at Bath and Body Works in the mean time to focus on gaining sales experience. I had gained some while at BBK, but, I wanted to expand on it at BBW. After being at BBW for little bit, I learned I was accepted into an internship program at HOMTV in Okemos. I was beyond excited, thrilled, and couldn’t wait to start. I was going to be a social media/promotions intern and I knew this experience would help me in the long run. But, little did I know, I would later have to respectfully rescind my acceptance.

A week ago on Wednesday was when I received the call I was being offered the job of news assistant/producer at WILX in Lansing. I kid you not as soon as I got off the phone I was jumping up and down freaking out. I couldn’t believe it and was BEYOND excited that my dreams of working in a newsroom were FINALLY coming true. During the phone call I immediately said yes before Kevin, the news director, could even finish explaining the details. He even paused for a minute to say how agreeable I was being. I told him I had been waiting for over a year for someone to give me a chance to get my foot in the door. He said, well, now you have your foot in the door. I couldn’t stop smiling after I got off the phone. I was on cloud nine.

He asked if I could start one week from that day and I of course said yes. So here I am on my second day of work and I still can’t believe it. It’s an incredible feeling working in the field I am most passionate about and to be surrounded by people who share the same passion for news.

While this journey took a long time (to me anyway) and at times I wanted to throw in the towel and say “forget it”, I’m certainly glad I didn’t. And I didn’t because of the constant and continued support from my family, friends and colleagues. And after experiencing it myself, I’m telling you, to whoever is reading this and still waiting to land their dream job: DON’T GIVE UP. It can be easy to want to but, like so many people told me, something WILL come along. So hang in there, and don’t stop trying. You never know when you’ll get that dream offer via phone call or email. 🙂

As I continue to learn I will be trying my best to blog about my experience on a daily or weekly basis. As you know, I LOVE to write and being able to share my experience working at WILX is a great way to showcase that love.

Also, before I end this post, I must give a shout out to a former WILX member for being an inspiration and a huge reason I wanted to work here. I can’t wait to learn from the best and showcase what I learn. So thank you, for the advice and support along the way to landing this job. It’s nice to know I can now call you a colleague.

Until next time…

XO,

Ana