My name is Thomas, and I’m an aspiring copy editor/sports writer. A first-generation American born in New York and raised on both coasts, I’m a dual national who’s lived in Oregon for 16 years now and shares citizenship with the United States and England. I spent four years getting my degree in journalism at the University of Oregon, and now I’m finding my way as a young professional in a struggling job field I love.
University is about finding education, but more importantly it’s about finding a sense of self. Despite my travel-heavy background, I’m a homebody who loves having my family around me. Like many college students, my time studying in Eugene, Ore., was my first real stint away from my parents and sisters. I quickly adapted, thriving in the independence of my own apartment and the responsibilities that come with newfound freedom. I grew comfortable in my new city, surrounded by deepening relationships with friends and faculty. But life is about change, and soon enough the time came for another move into the unknown.
After an internship at the Oregonian, I weighed two different job offers: one at a small paper in my adopted state of Oregon, the other at a larger paper in Washington. After some soul-searching, I decided to leave everything behind for a second time and make a career move to Tacoma, Wash. The smaller paper had an obvious appeal: I’d stay firmly between my family in the Portland area and my college home in Eugene. But sacrificing that security for another rung up the ladder toward my ambitions was, in the end, the clear choice. Family and friends will always be there; career opportunities are far more fleeting.
I’m still settling into my new home here in Tacoma. I feel homesick some days, and this city isn’t a perfect fit for me. Sometimes I catch myself missing the trees and fields of Oregon, or reminiscing over old memories. But ultimately, I know I made the right choice. Moving away from everything you know can be unsettling, but life’s stepping stones to better places are chances to make new friends, experience different things and chase bigger dreams. And once you reach that better place, you’ll look back and treasure the adventure of slipping over those stepping stones. Enjoy that journey.