From the very beginning

I saw an ad on a Web site saying the radio station was hiring for positions in reporting, editing, and news, so I sent my resume and headshot over. I got a call a week or two later and went down to the station for an interview. When I got there, a woman told me and another interviewee that there would be a writing test, and asked us to sit down and wait. She glanced at our resumes as we waited, and although I'd told her I was there for a reporter position, she told me, "No, I'd like you to do news," and then gave me some sheets of paper that had various news stories on them and asked me to sum them up in my own words for radio.

The woman allowed the other applicant to try out for the reporter position, and I was envious. "BLARG!" I thought in my head. "News!?? Again!? I'm gonna be stuck in news forever!!" Although I don't mind the news and sort of enjoy being up-to-date on it each day, well, to be honest, news isn't fun. Everyone around you when you work in news is so serious. I'm a huge jokester, and while I think I do my job fully and honorably, at the end of the day, I'd rather not work in news.

To make a long story short, they wanted me for news, and I turned it down. (After several years of trial and error, I've decided that working as a full-timer doesn't suit me or the people who'd have to deal with me.) So, I guess I thought that was that, ho hum, but then a week or two later someone else called me from the station and said she'd like me to audition for something else. So about two days later I found myself back at the station. I'd been told to write about a minute of "talking." Nothing in particular, just talking. So there I was in the booth. "Hey, everyone, it's 9:14 am, so you're probably on your way to work, but I hope you're not stuck bumper-to-bumper somewhere, but if you are, don't worry, we have some fuuuun songs coming for you!...." Blah blah blah for a whole minute.

I came out of the booth, and they said they liked it and then said, "Do you know what you just auditioned for?" It's funny that it hadn't even crossed my mind. I said, no, and they explained the show to me and hired me right then and there! It was surreal, and it happened so quickly that I had no idea what I was getting myself into! What I mean is that a) I was completely shocked that they would actually want me to host a show and b) it is so stressful yet so much fun that it's basically a whirlwind that never stops - at least it's almost been a month now, and the tornado has not lost its momentum. But I am excited and grateful every day, and it's such an interesting experience that is an everyday challenge.