Pandering my Pithy Self

Weather Worthy

November is finally here, and the weather in Houston has been nothing short of divine. We have had several consecutive days of cool, sunny skies. These are the days that make Pinkgurugal a happy gal and mmm.. happy to have a cubicle by the window.

Of course, my view is terminal, now that it's official that I'm quitting my job to see the world. Crazy? Maybe. Afraid. Nope. Excited? Definitely. I think a quick dive trip will be first priority.

T Minus....

My final days in TV News will be at the end of December. I looked at my calendar and counted approximately 40 work days, or more accurately (assuming I work 8 hours a day, though usually its more) 320 hours before I lower the curtain on this part of my life....

Yesterday, the whole wide world (okay maybe not the whole world, but a lot of people) found out. Here's a cut and paste of the article that ran in our local newspaper:

More to life than TV job

By KEN HOFFMANCopyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

CHAU Nguyen has a job that TV journalists work their whole careers to get. She is the solo anchor of the Saturday morning news and works as a reporter the rest of the week for Channel 11, the CBS affiliate owned by Belo Corp. in her hometown Houston — a top 10 market. Nguyen is only 34 years old. Last week, she quit her job. She doesn't have another job lined up. She's just had enough of TV news. She isn't running away to join the circus. She's running from the circus. She wants to travel the world, by herself, with just a backpack and no luggage, for several months. And when she returns, she'll try her hand at something new. She has no idea what that may be. She didn't ask for a leave of absence from Channel 11. She flat-out quit. It's the fantasy of many people. Change is exciting. And frightening. Nguyen is either very daring and courageous and bold ... or very foolish. She knows that. This could be the best thing she'll ever do — or a terrible mistake. She knows that, too. "This may be the only chance I'll have to do this. I'm unattached. My finances are in order. I want to do it, and I'm going to do it," Nguyen said. "My friends are very supportive of my decision." Her parents? "Oh, they're flipping out," she laughed. "They're my parents. It's their job to flip out." Nguyen was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and moved to Houston when she was 2. She graduated from Katy High School and the University of St. Thomas in Houston. She got right into television, working as a writer, reporter and anchor for Channel 13, Channel 26 and stations in Guam, Saipan and Atlanta before joining Channel 11 almost five years ago. "That's 15 years in TV news. I'm ready to pursue a new challenge. I loved working in TV, and I'll miss the friends I've made here, but I want a normal life. I don't want to work weekends. I want holidays off. I want to take Christmas off. TV news doesn't fit who I am now. I'm not a glamour girl. I'm an introspective person. Fifteen years is a long time to do only one thing." Her travel plans aren't definite. She will start by flying to Europe, then making her way to Tibet, Bhutan and Vietnam. "I have no real itinerary. I'll have a bunch of Lonely Planet guidebooks, and I'll see where they take me. I'm going to be by myself, which some people think is scary, but I'm a pretty experienced traveler. I'll be safe. I'll be gone for a few months, maybe more. I have no idea what lies in store." While she's away, a friend will watch after her house and dog, Ally, an English bulldog. "I am going about this the same way I approached doing the Ironman triathlon (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run) last month in Wisconsin. I was determined to do it, I trained for it, and I did it. It took me 13 1/2 hours, but I did it," Nguyen said. She is a physical-fitness addict, riding her bike or running several hours a day. She's been doing it for years. "Maybe the running is part of my searching. It gives me time to think. I'm very introspective. Leaving TV has been itching me for about a year. I want to hike, I want to see Mount Everest. I want time alone to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. I know what I don't want to do — television news. Now I need to see what else there is," she said. "I know I have skills that will get me a job when I come back. I can parlay the skills and connections I got from television into a different career. There's no doubt I'll miss parts of television. I got into TV to tell other people's stories. It's time I created my own story. I'm extremely self-confident. I know I'm a smart girl. I'll make it OK." "Hey, if anybody in Houston wants to hire me, give me a call."

Cool. Now my resume is out there! :)

Cheers and happy training!

"Love is an irrestible desire to be irresistibly desired"

Robert Frost