Happy Thursday! It has been hot, hot, HOT this week🔥Seriously though we hit triple digit heat for several days in a row. I'm all about summer but this is too hot. I would be totally fine if temperatures were only in the mid 70's for most of the summer. Reporting outside in the extreme heat is miserable, I don't know how reporters in Dallas and other places do it. Anyways, let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud.
1. Have I mentioned it's been hot? HOLY SMOKES it's way too hot even for me. I like summer, but Nebraska heat is intense. I'd be fine with 70 degrees and sunny, especially when I'm outside reporting. No one wants to see a sweaty reporter and it's not like we don't sweat. It happens and I'd prefer everyone not see me as a sweaty mess but sometimes there's no way to get around the heat.
2. Not even the heat could keep a group of us reporters and producers from going out to celebrate one of sports guys moving. The hardest part of this business is saying goodbye to people, especially people you've grown close to. The sports guy appreciate hockey as much as I do and it was always a blast working with him on weekends. Even though I was the only girl in the newsroom all the guys kept the mood light. Best of luck to him as he moves home to Colorado. P.S. if you're ever in Lincoln Barry's is an awesome hangout spot. The rooftop is the best and no I'm not drinking that's a glass of water, I was the DD for the night💦
3. Less than a month until I get to go home and see this goofball🎉 I'm only going home for a few days for my cousins wedding, but I'll be home for my birthday and get some snuggle time in with Cora which I'm very excited about. It's been way too many months since I've seen my crazy dog so I'm looking forward to some time with her because the next time I'll get to see her is probably Christmas.
4. I was out driving to a story when I heard a song come on the radio and it was such a sweet song. Siri came to the rescue and helped me figure out what the song is. I'm not a big ZAYN fan, but it's a really good song. If you're into sweet songs that don't have a crazy beat then definitely check it out.
5. A friend and I were talking this week about how much has changed in the past month. Even since I shared my post about change my life has changed so much. There's a few people I've gotten so close to this month and I can't imagine not having them in my life now.
6. This quote is so true for me right now. I've had people come into my life in the past few weeks and just drastically change it. It was something I never saw coming, but it's been amazing. It's crazy to think how quickly life can change and how much one person can change your life.
Have a terrific Thursday and a great weekend🎉🎉🎉
Happy Thursday! It's been a whirlwind of a week and although I've been more than a little sleep deprived it's been a really good week. Life has a funny way of working out exactly how it's supposed to. This week I've seen that demonstrated multiple times and it's made me thankful things in the past haven't worked out because I wouldn't be where I am today. Anyway, before I turn way philosophical let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud!
1. It's a good thing my photographer is my best friend because I would have NEVER gone down this embankment had it been anyone else. The hill was super steep but he said the live shot would look a lot better if I was down where the incident happened (no worries everyone is ok), but the bushes were moving and I didn't know if I'd be able to get back up. He made sure I was ok and I was able to get back up the embankment. The things I do in a dress no less for my job😂
2. THAT FACE AND THOSE EARS! I went to a dog show where I got to meet this fella. It was love at first sight, literally how could it not be with those eyes and ears😍I was really a goner when he cocked his head at me. Whenever a dog cocks their head I'm such a goner, I can't help it it's the cutest thing ever.
3. Speaking of cute pups I can't not show a picture of Cora. My dad sent this to me on Sunday because after playing with the pups at the dog show I was really missing her. A few days ago was also national rescue day, so I really couldn't resist sharing because I adopted her from a shelter back in Michigan. I'm a firm believer in adopt don't shop. Besides, rescue dogs are the best. Many of the pups have been through heck and back, but they have nothing but love to offer.
4. Did anyone watch the royal wedding? It was my early day at work so I was running on the treadmill before heading in. Normally I watch whatever movie is on TV, but everything was the wedding so I watched wedding coverage. I'm not obsessed with the royals so I didn't care that much. However, I did want to see Meghan's dress. It was a little plain for my taste, but her veil was stunning! Also this picture from the rehearsal cracked me up because the reporter by Harry, her expression is just hilarious😂
5. Thank goodness election night is OVER! I am not about political reporting. It's not my area of interest, but sometimes the job requires it but election night is just another level. Waiting around for candidate speeches and waiting for the polls to close isn't the most thrilling thing. Let alone hanging around an empty victory party until late at night, isn't exactly my idea of a good time. However, I did get free Panera out of the night so I was a happy camper.
6. Yesterday I was driving out to do a story that was really special to me. A long time fire battalion chief retired this week. He was always on the fires I was at and he'd joke around with me. Overall he was just a fantastic person who I have a ton of respect for. I was driving out to his home and it was a picture perfect day. It hit me that I actually like Nebraska. Never in ten million years did I think I would end up here, let alone like it here but here I am. I really do believe God puts you in the places you're supposed to be. For me that's Nebraska and I really could not be happier I ended up here.
7. This is so beautiful. Read it. Soak it in. And believe it. The past does not define you. You can change and be anything you want to be. I promise you.
Have a terrific Thursday and a great weekend🎉🎉🎉
Happy Thursday! Holy guacamole it's been one heck of a week🙆 I've worked a crazy amount of hours thanks to primary elections, but we also celebrated the elections being over yesterday night and were out way too late. Sometimes it's just nice to unwind with friends and forget about work, even if it means staying up way past my bedtime...whoops at least it's my weekend now. Anyway let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud!
1. I know it's past but a belated Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there! I got to do fun stories for Mother's Day. We made a sign (super fancy I know) and stood out at a local farmers market and got people to tell us about their moms. So many special moments were shared, it was pretty awesome. All of the news staff also recorded a message for our moms and we shared pictures with it, of course all our moms loved it and we got such good feedback from viewers.
2. I AM OBSESSED. I love poetry and always have, but I am absolutely obsessed with Atticus. His poems are short, beautiful and perfectly capture raw emotion that can be so difficult to put into words. I picked up his book at Target (it's also on Amazon) and have been flying through it, while also forcing myself to stop and savor it. My boyfriend has been teasing me for reading so much of it, but I could easily read the entire thing in one sitting. It's beautiful and I highly recommend picking up a copy.
3. Another book I'm obsessing over is A Dog's Purpose. My cousin recommended it to me and warned me I would be ugly crying by the end. It's weird because I don't get emotional over stories or movies with humans but hurt a dog and I'll be tearing up. The only movie I've cried over is Marley and Me...
4. One of my best friends stories got picked up by national news! All of us were so excited for him. It was a scary situation for the homeowner who almost had their cat stolen, but it ended happy because the cat got away and the lady who tried to steal the cat got busted by police. I'm not sure why anyone would want to steal a pet when you can adopt your own at the shelter.
5. So I'm leaving TV to become a police officer now...just kidding😂 One of the stories I did was the local fire and police departments putting on an event where kids could see inside a police cruiser, and how a fire truck works. The police officer gave me a sticker so I could be an officer too! In all seriousness I could never do their jobs. They put their lives on the line to protect us and get very little thanks for it.
6. This past weekend I met someone incredibly inspiring. There was a walk for M.S. in town and a man who has the disease gave a speech about how feels so blessed to have the disease. I was thrown off because no one wants to have a disease so I knew I had to talk to him. Beyond a doubt he's the most inspiring person I've ever met. He said he's blessed to have the disease because he's been able to use it to reach out to others with it and help them in their journey. He opened a special gym for people with the disease that has all sorts of modified equipment and therapy tools to help them. I walked away in awe and I know that conversation is one that's going to stick with me forever.
7. I thought it was fitting to end with an Atticus poem. When people are passionate about what they do you can tell. Their faces light up and work isn't work. That's how I feel about my job. I'm very blessed to work with the most amazing people and have a job where I genuinely love going to work. Not everyone is so lucky, which makes me really sad. Everyone should have a job they enjoy. Even the long days are made better when you're doing something you love and surrounded by great people.
Have a great Thursday and a terrific weekend🎉🎉🎉
I've been trying to gather my thoughts for this for a long time.
Those who know me know I'm blunt and to the point, but I also don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I got to the point a number of months ago where I just wasn't happy. I'm not an unhappy person in general, I'm pretty happy go lucky, so this was a frustrating place for me to be.
If you know anything about reporting you probably know it's a 24/7 job. The hours are long, the pay stinks, and even when you're "off work" you're never really off because you have to keep in touch with what's going on. It wasn't the long hours or being away from all my family that brought me to that place. I genuinely love my job and find it incredibly fulfilling.
Rather, while I was all makeup and smiles on camera off camera my personal life was a mess. There's no other way to put it. I was in a relationship (not sure you could even call it a relationship at that point) that instead of adding happiness, it sucked the life out of me. I was also doing less and less for myself while putting more and more into my job as an escape. There's nothing wrong with wanting to succeed at work, but it's also not worth losing your sense of self over.
I finally took a step back and made some changes. I got rid of the relationships that were pulling me down and starting reinvesting my time (the little time I'm not working) in ways that made me happy. I started doing yoga again, hanging out with friends more, going out to grab drinks or food, working out with friends (something I normally don't do), and just living more.
I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I'm happier than I have been in a long time. My friends have noticed how much happier I am and have been commenting on it.
I didn't want to hurt feelings of anyone, but you have to do what's best for you. For me it was getting out of relationships that dragged me down. Now do I expect every relationship friends or otherwise to be perfect? Absolutly not. There will be disagreements, but there's a difference between disagreeing and tearing another person down. All of my friends and I offer constructive criticism to one another, but we're never mean about it. We're also the first to tell one another what an amazing job they did and tell one another how beautiful we look. Those are the kind of relationships I want in my life. I know those girls have my back no matter what and if I needed them they'd come in a hurry.
It's ok to grow and change, in fact it's only natural. I'm not the person I was a year ago or even six months ago and I'm totally ok with that. Had I not gone through those rocky months I wouldn't be where I am now, which is much happier and genuinely living, not just surviving.
Change is necessary and it's part of life. Don't feel like you can't change because you absolutely can. It might be painful, messy, and throw you in situations you never thought you'd find yourself in but that's how you grow. I've grown so much personally and professionally in the past few months and I'm pretty happy with the person I am. Of course I'm still growing and changing, but that's the fun of life. I'll never settle with being just ok and neither should you.
Happy Thursday! This week has felt long because I've been waiting for today. I've got some fun plans tonight so I'm pretty pumped about that, plus the weather is GORGEOUS! Winter felt so long so it's amazing to be able to spend nights outside soaking up the sunshine. Anyway let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud!
1. I cannot believe it's been FIVE years since I brought Cora home. She was only six months old when we adopted her from a local shelter. She's been a handful (that's putting it lightly), but I wouldn't change anything because she's given us so much love and laughter. Shelter dogs are the best dogs, I will never be convinced otherwise.
2. Evidently we're skipping spring this year and heading straight into summer. We went from the mid 40's to the mid to upper 80's. I'm not complaining because all the flowers are blooming, the sun feels amazing, and the world seems more alive. Plus the mornings are finally warm enough to run outside.
3. Speaking of running outside look at this beautiful view😍I love sunrise and sunset, but running while the sun rises will forever be my favorite. While it's not quite the same as running at sunrise in Hawaii it's still pretty dang beautiful.
4. Do you ever have those days when you're just DEAD TIRED. That was me on Saturday at work. I was running on 2 hours of sleep, which is my own fault for staying up late, but I also couldn't sleep once I got to bed. I had to sit through four hours of graduation at a local university for work and it was torture. About the only thing that made it worthwhile was our videographer/one of my best friends graduated so I got to see him walk across the stage. Overall I felt I didn't look too shabby for running on so little sleep. A little (or a lot of) makeup does wonders😂
5. Sunday I reported on the local half and full marathon. It was an incredibly long day (I had to be in at 5am), but it was pretty fun because it ended on the 50 yard line at Nebraska's football stadium. I've been on the field several times before, but it always strikes me because when you look up and around you it's massive! I can't imagine playing surrounded by so many people🙆
6. We had CPR training at the station yesterday and EVERYONE posted a meme from The Office😂Any other office fans out there?🙋I think the instructor got a little annoyed with us because we could not take things seriously and were cracking up the entire time. The important thing is we did learn CPR (which I had certified previously) and then we learned how to use a defibrillator which I didn't know how to do. Both are so important to know because you never know when someone near you is going to need it.
7. I'm just going to leave it at that because the quote is so true. It's not an easy thing to do but some of the best lessons come from stepping outside what's comfortable.
Have a great Thursday and a terrific weekend🎉🎉🎉
What is one way you've stepped out of your comfort zone recently?
What is your favorite time of day and why?
Happy Thursday! This week has felt like such a long one, but I've also been running low on sleep so that might be why. Regardless I'm happy it's my weekend. I plan on catching up on some sleep and laundry and doing some cooking. Thrilling weekend I know😂Adulting isn't always fun, but I do appreciate naps more than when I was younger. Anyway let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud!
1. The wind here has been INSANE🙆try standing and doing a live shot with 50-60 mile per hour wind gusts. My hair was all over the place and just insane. Of course I didn't have a pony tail holder on me or even a rubber band so I had to roll with it. I came in the next morning to an email from a viewer who felt the need to inform me my hair was messed up during my live shot...no duh fella.
2. First and only time in my life (so far) I've gotten a dust storm warning. My videographer and I were out chasing these crazy dust storms along the interstate when all our phones started going off. It sounded like an amber alert, but it was for a dust storm. Whenever we'd get out of the car to get video we would be pushed back by the wind because it was so strong. Going through a dust storm is probably one of the crazier things I've experienced.
3. Every May this is the best meme on the internet. On our morning show we even showed some of the music video from NSYNC's It's Gonna Be Me. The news director and older viewers had no clue what was happening, but the female news reporters were fan girling. Plus NSYNC got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame so that was pretty cool. Seeing this meme all over my social media feeds never fails to make me laugh.
4. I'm still working on my yoga. I haven't had much time to practice this week with work being crazy busy, however I do plan on indulging in some yoga during my weekend. It's such a good way to relax and I love feeling that I'm getting stronger. I've also found it's a good mental workout too because you have to focus and letting everything else fall away is so relaxing.
5. Cora is still a conehead and the dirty looks continue. My parents have been snapping pictures and sending them to me. Cora's leg is healing, but if the cone is taken off she will go right back to picking at it and then it's back to being in the cone. It's better to let it totally heal than having it partially heal and being injured again. If only she would learn her lesson, but the silly pup won't listen.
6. This quote just summarizes where I'm at right now. I'm working on a post about it, but for the first time in awhile I'm totally content with where I'm at. It's taken a lot of work and some not so easy conversations, yet here I am. Nothing beats the feeling of being totally content with where you're at. Once I get all my thoughts out I'll share it.
Have a great Thursday and a terrific weekend🎉🎉🎉
What is one thing you're thankful for today?
If you could have one superpower what would it be and why?
