By Kristi
Ten years ago today, I walked out of the office of The Associated Press in Oklahoma City for the last time. It was the job I had been working toward since college and I had achieved it while still in my 20s. I worked there for about four years before leaving. Colleagues were surprised. My family was supportive but had one question: What will you do?
Below is a snapshot of what I did:
-I wrote a book about Main Streets in Oklahoma’s 77 counties that was published by The History Press
-I ate bugs in Cambodia (and noodles and rice and eggs and vegetables) during a six-month stint there as a volunteer and freelance journalist
-I was able to see and report on President Obama in Oklahoma
-I moved to small-town Oklahoma and lived with one of my best friends and we had numerous #danceparties
-I became a travel writer, traveling to and sharing stories about places as close as Branson and as far away as Thailand
-I studied Spanish in Guatemala for six weeks (though still not anywhere near fluent)
-I published stories in Marie Claire, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, NBC News, The New York Times and many more publications
-I spent some time as a UN Volunteer in Indonesia
-I was selected to be a Tulsa Artist Fellow, first focusing on sharing the stories of women who are incarcerated in Oklahoma and later immigrants and refugees in Tulsa
-I moved into a few different apartments in downtown Tulsa
-I received fellowships to report from India, Ethiopia, Iceland and Zambia
-I was able to meet my niece for the first time and watch her grow and hold her own #danceparties
-I had surgery and battled illnesses for a period of time
-I completed two half-marathons
-I made lasting friendships
-I bought my own house after always living in apartments as an adult
-I completed a full marathon
-I started my own business, ke comms
Starting my own business has been one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking things I’ve done in the last decade. I’ve long freelanced, but starting a formal business and bringing on people to support it was something I had never thought about doing until I fully embraced my entrepreneurial spirit. I thrive when given the ability to make, break and/or follow the rules, depending on the day and the situation. I’m so proud of what I’ve done in the last decade and can’t wait to see what I do in the next.
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