Jessi the Explorer
Yesterday after the show, Tuquyen turned to me and asked if I had any good plans for my weekend, which made me realize I hadn’t really explored my new home. I can still name the restaurants I’ve been to on one hand, and I had yet to see any section of the beach that wasn’t “the last local.” So, with the help of some co-workers we came up with a list of must-sees, one of which I saw today- Seaside!
Almost nauseatingly quaint, Seaside consists of endless tiny shops and boutiques, sunny sandy white beaches decorated with blue umbrellas, and a gelato shop that is to die for. The half-hour drive was worth it just for some peach and lemon in a waffle cone.
I have to admit there are a lot of hidden treasures here around Panama City. I’ve been discovering restaurants, bookstores, and local bands that add a touch of good flavor to the routine. Finding a new hot spot or taking a day-trip really makes life more interesting. It’s one of the great things about living so far from home. I get a whole new list of must-sees, day-trip opportunities, and of course, gelato.
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A Slice of My Life
I’ve always been big on sampler platters. I love all kinds of food in general and I find that my favorite meals are made up of little tastes of different dishes. I never eat very much of one thing, just snack all day like a scavenger on whatever I can find. (I believe that half the media lives this way, especially after last week’s reaction to food in the newsroom.)
But, I think this is also why I like being a reporter. I wake up uncertain of what I’ll be doing each day. I go wherever the story takes me, and live it for a short period of time.
This week, I’d have to say my favorite slice was my experience covering the Harry Potter phenomenon. Not only was it unique because our own promotions producer received her copy early, but covering the book release revealed something that,-during the age of video games, text messaging, television, and computers,-I thought was being thrown to the wayside.
Children still read. It was amazing to walk into Books-A-Million Friday night and see hundreds of young kids as excited about a book as they were about the Nintendo Wii. I only hope this trend continues and people of all ages realize nothing beats a good story.
So, who knows what the next week will bring, what news will break, or how late at night I’ll still be working as the weekend approaches. But one thing is for certain: when Tuesday rolls around I’ll be hungry for more.
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Getting Involved
I’ve been looking for something to do in the community so that I can meet some new people and get involved, and last week I found just that. I’m excited to be the new publicity chair for Panama City’s Relay for Life. But it’s not a position I just fell into carelessly. It’s one that comes with a load of responsibility and emotion for me.
I’d been involved in Relay for Life during college, more-so last year than this, because I had a friend who was diagnosed with leukemia. She fought for a long time… and my friends and I fought for her, raising as much money as we could. With the help of generous donations from the community, I was able to raise the most money on my team, and as a whole, Virginia Commonwealth University pushed well-over our goal and raised over $20,000 in our first year hosting the event. My friends and I adopted the slogan, “Do it for Yin!”
In August of last year, Yin lost her battle and I did something no one should ever have to do…spoke at the funeral of my 21-year old friend. I remember feeling angry that I had tried so hard and somehow it still didn’t save her. The next year, my friends and I talked about starting a team, and we went to the first couple of meetings, but we just didn’t have the same spirit and hope that we’d had the year before.
But, I still attended the event and was surprised to see how much it’d grown and how successful it was once more. Looking around at the faces of survivors, some of them 5-year-old children, I wished I’d been more a part of it.
Yin was the kind of person who never lost hope. Somehow even though she was in the hospital when we visited her, she’d actually cheer us up. Always smiling, always talking, she made it look so easy. She would’ve wanted me to keep fighting for everyone else who suffers from this disease and so I am proud to say I’m getting back up to continue the battle. I hope you all get the opportunity to attend, if not Panama City’s relay, then one of the other relays in your community.
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About Me
I was born and raised just outside the nation's capital in northern Virginia, and recently graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a major of Broadcast Journalism and minor in International Relations. I studied abroad for a while in Italy and also traveled to Shanghai, China for a journalism class. During college I worked at CBS6 in Richmond, VA as well as FOX5 in Washington D.C. I'm glad to be in sunny Florida and look forward to making Panama City my home for the next few years...
Recent Entries:
- World of Couch Potatoes
- Trying the Trolley - Day 5
- Trying the Trolley - Day 4
- Trying the Trolley - Day 2
- Trying the Trolley - Day 3
- Trying the Trolley - Day 1
- A Year-Old Newby
- Throwing a Bone
- Relay for Life a Success!
- Sometimes Too Removed
- Those Born Without Wings Should Jump Instead
- Those Born Without Wings Shouldn’t Fly
- February Sweeping me off my Feet
- Palm Trees and Pine Trees
- Staying in Shape
Other News13 Blogs:
- The Casual Historian - Larche Hardy
- Behind The Scenes - Heather Kretzer
- The Resident Gator - Megan Albright
- The Newby - Jessi Chapin
- Bloggin' From The Beach - Bree Sison
- Gainesville, Georgia's All American Girl - Tuquyen Mach
- ... and yes, my hair is naturally curly - Jessica Foster
- Derby Girl - Enocha Van Lierop
- Cracker Cat - Jeannie Weller