Hervey Bay

This is my new home; the ever beautiful Hervey Bay. For those you of who haven't been following, I landed my dream job as a reporter for Channel 7 and packed my life up in June to start this crazy new journey.

It wasn't easy. I finished uni and quit my job at Australia Zoo to start a paid internship with the Sunshine Coast Council. The Council kept me on after the three months and then let me go a few weeks later. I applied for journalism positions across the country, including tiny newspapers in Perth and Tasmania only to be met with dozens of rejection letters and even more unread emails. I finally accepted that I might not have a career in journalism and started working in a pineapple packing shed with my Dad. Surprisingly, I fell in love with life in high-vis and starting feeling a little more content with life. While working in horticulture I kept trying to expand my network and had an internship lined up with the ABC when I got THE CALL. My now News Director had rang me a few days earlier to see whether I was keen on moving to the Bay to which I jumped at. I was then over the moon when I was officially offered a full time TV reporting gig.

I would like to think my humble days working with Dad in the sweaty, dusty farming shed put me in the perfect frame of mind to start this job. I was more than ready to see Beerwah in my rearview mirror and even more excited that it was only two and a half hours from my new home. Mentally getting to this point was tough. It was difficult to see my friends 'succeed' while I didn't. All I know now is that if you work hard enough and really want something it will happen. It might take a little longer than others but you will get there, you're on your own path.

I'm now five months in. I've covered murders, bushfires, storms, a royal visit, council meetings, a police siege, near drownings, music festivals, town celebrations and so much more. I've met the PM, Premier, state ministers, cancer survivors, firefighters, business owners and regular people on the street. I've written lead stories, shot PTC's, made it on the Brisbane news and instagramed some of my favourite moments.

Every day brings a new challenge and sense of excitement. I bloody love it. While I'm still a bogan at heart I'm working very hard not to sound like one on air. That's been tough but I'm finally getting somewhere with my voice too. I'm not going to sugar coat things, it's not been an easy ride. There have been many emotional break downs and days where I've questioned my role. My confidence has taken a toll too. But I am sure of one thing, I can't imagine myself doing anything else.

I feel very lucky to be enjoying this ride.