The catch-up: What's new in July 2022

I finally asked myself a question that I've been avoiding for two years.

It's been two years since I graduated from UT Arlington -- two years since I entered the professional world of journalism headfirst in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In that time, I've covered everything from major sports events (the Byron Nelson came to McKinney in 2021 and 2022) and major developments (such as what's coming to HALL Park in Frisco), to news necessities like city budgets. I've covered historic moments like COVID-19 vaccination rollouts, as well as interesting happenings, like the time a north Texas city became the Halloween capitol of North Texas.

I've gotten an inside look at "experience" journalism, both through travel and at home. I've also gotten to write in-depth feature stories about very cool people and the things they do to improve their communities.

In short, the past two years have comprised a kaleidoscope of experiences.

Over that time, the same question has rested in the back of my mind, but I've put off trying to answer it until now:

"Why do I do this?"

I originally became a journalist because I needed a college credit backup plan. I had been planning on becoming a French teacher.

Go figure.

Since then, I have become one of those people whose occupation is their identity -- and I'm proud of it. I get to put pen to paper and write about the world as I see it, and someone pays me to do so.

But every so often, I find myself asking the same question. It's not a question of defeat, but one of curiosity: I've gotten so used to operating with this mission of writing news every week, and much like the Talking Heads, I sometimes wonder, "Well, how did I get here?" The answer, in short, is I am not quite sure.

But I sure am glad I ended up here, and that I get to keep going.

The reason is because since beginning my career, and especially over the past few months, I've been lucky enough to find the kind of stories that answer the "why" for me.

Some of those pieces have allowed me to use the kind of storytelling devices I crave when reading my favorite books, such as this story about how The Star in Frisco hosted filming for a feature film.

Others have allowed me to think about what it means to develop confidence in my own voice as a writer, like a series of columns I did on going through the Celina Citizens Police Academy.

Perhaps my favorite involved developing a profile of a man who doesn't like the spotlight but who earned it after 34 years of working to build the city of Frisco into what it is today.

When I ask why I do this, I turn back to those stories. They're the ones that make me wake up and search for the next project I can pour myself into.

Now, just one question remains.

What's next?