Hello! It’s me.
I was wondering if after all these years you’d like to meet to go over everything?
I’m certainly not Adele, but I am Hayley and it’s been a minute... or years. If I’m being completely honest, I’ve put off writing this blog for more than a year. It seemed so overwhelming to recap three years of my life. Well, now it’s been four years and I am just as overwhelmed at how to summarize it all.
My last blog was when I was just starting out as a journalist. I wrote it about three weeks into the job when I was feeling the weight of expectations. Oh, Hayley. I wish I could go back and tell you not to worry. You were going to do just fine— certainly accomplishing things faster than you ever thought possible.
I went from living in La Crosse and working as a bureau reporter to becoming an evening anchor. When my one-year contract ended, WEAU offered me a promotion. They wanted me to move to the main station in Eau Claire and take over as anchor for First News at Nine. I was 23 and certainly never thought I could be a main anchor at that age. It doesn’t even stop there— I was promoted again to co-anchor of the 10pm newscast, I learned how to produce, I took my storytelling to the next level with in-depth features. I won awards, I made lifelong friends, I found my wonderland. I also missed my family, I experienced a friendship betrayal that probably rivals Kylie and Jordan, but hey— I got a puppy. I left behind people I cared about to move to Eau Claire, then left those people behind to move to Greenville. Being a journalist is hard. You make connections and then leave, climbing the ladder as you move up markets.
Speaking of moving up markets, as I mentioned— I moved to Greenville, South Carolina. I visited Charleston in high school and always felt like I was supposed to spend more time in the Palmetto State. I honestly never even dreamed of Greenville though. I figured market 35 was way too big of a goal. Yet here I am. I’m now 26, living in South Carolina (LOVING the winters btw), making new friends, telling more stories and falling in love with the Upstate.
I launched The Midday News back in January. I truly can’t believe I am a weekday anchor in this market, but I also can’t believe the freedom I was given to make this newscast something I love. It’s a show that’s informative AND entertaining— it combines everything that I love about local news and entertainment news (you know, the reason I originally studied journalism...) It’s been amazing to be trusted with a blank slate and given the chance to create something different.
However, somewhere in the midst of telling the stories of my community, I’ve forgotten to tell my own. I owe you more details of the last two chapters— La Crosse & Eau Claire. I also owe you more details on the chapter I’m writing in Greenville. So, grab a snack, take a seat, and get cozy—I’ve got four years to fill you in on.
‘La Crosse: My Wonderland’ coming soon!