Land of the Living

On January 10, 2011, I started a journey on the road less traveled: night shift. Or at least some version of it. As executive producer of the morning newscast, my schedule was somewhere in the vicinity of 3:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. but could change to a much earlier start time if I had to fill in as producer. Which happened during sick days, vacations, etc. At any rate, it was quite the adjustment.

(My move from evening producer to executive producer of the AM show at WFIE)

Fast forward to October 4, 2015, when I started another soon-to-be night shift producer role in a different state, 500+ miles away from home. I had a similar wake up call, anywhere between 10:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m., sometimes with last minute notice. Plus, it was an overall difficult transition after working at my previous TV station for 11 years.

(The big move from WFIE in Evansville, IN to WCNC in Charlotte, NC)

The week of January 8, 2018, that will all change. After seven years of an erratic, exhausting and abnormal schedule, I am joining the land of the living. No more trying to adjust to normalcy on the weekends. No more having to take naps on vacation, because I just can't keep up. No more waking up between 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. on the days I'm off work, because my brain thinks it's "go time".

(Exciting day at WCNC, Dale Jr. was a guest on the morning show)

My new gig as digital content producer is at the same station, and it's not 9 to 5, but it's a step in the right direction. It's a familiar role, yet different in so many ways it's already rejuvenated my overall career mindset. I'm beyond excited on all counts. Oh, and I get my full Sunday back.

(Puppy Bowl 2017, one of my favorite times on the WCNC morning show)

So here's to starting fresh in 2018, and a promise to myself to NEVER EVER go back to the dark side. Yes, free time during the day has its perks, but there's also so much sacrifice that goes along with it. And I have found it's very hard to crawl out of that black hole once you're in it, or I wouldn't have done it for as long as I did.

Thankfully, I got the chance to make a change, and I've seen the light.