A very emotional week

We are sad to leave, but happy to be moving on to other great experiences.

Jackie will be moving to a fantastic city filled with great news, Emily will be working for the Congressional Quarterly this summer, Heather will be reporting for the Lansing State Journal, Caitlyn is going to Ohio to write a book, Megan says she will find a paying reporting position in California, and I will go back to Texas to work for the San Antonio Express News.. It just so happens that it is the third largest newspaper in Texas in terms of circulation. (just thought I would throw that in)

According to my good friend David Rauf, my duties will include listening to the scanners all day long..

That basically means you'll be driving the Crime Jeep to breaking news all over the city -- shootings, stabbings, fatal car crashes, fires, etc. You'll have to get used to listening to those radios. That shit can be tough.

Granted - this is all the experience he had and mine might completely different from his. I will be at the Criminal Justice desk (where Rauf used to work) and the Digital News Desk, where the mantra is "online first." I'm an unpaid for credit intern, so they may not have me doing the really demanding stuff - but I'll still ask for it.

There'll be lots of emphasis on taking the laptop into the field and filing short stories for the Web almost instantly (like 15-25 minutes after police give you the official line). You'll also give Web editors dictation over the phone on occasion if there's something super breaking. That's basically the standard. You'll learn it and find yourself pumping out content like never before.

I can't wait. The summer will be tough.. but I can't wait. He says "it will be a real experience," and I believe him. I am working on a final video project for the semester. It will be posted on the wire for all prospective applicants. I'm trying to finish today. The countdown to London: 5 days.