I had the chance to be on the other side of the proverbial interview table last week. A gal from the Peace Corps' Midwest Office interviewed me about my service and my decision to attend grad school at Missouri.

When time was right, Peace Corps led to grad school at Mizzou for returned volunteer

Learning how to be on the community beat

I signed up for the community beat at the Missourian because I want to learn how to write features. Even though it's all a bit intimidating, I want to refine my curiosity, develop my intuition and learn how to identify intriguing stories.

The challenge is that I moved to Columbia exactly one month ago, and my understanding of the city is still quite basic. So last Friday, I biked over to the visitor's center and filled up my backpack with maps, welcome guides and informational pamphlets. Then, I actually spent the weekend reading them. I have never, in my life, actually sat down to read a city's welcome guide. And, I am surprised to say that I enjoyed the experiences. The ledes left much to be desired, but the content was perfect for my needs. My natural inclination is to absorb a city slowly and let it unfold before me. So, while this experience does at times, feel forced, I know that getting myself out of my comfort zone will only build character.

My other inclination is for bare walls. Simplicity in my living space keeps me focused, or at least that's what I've been telling myself. For the first time in several years, I now have two wall hangings: a Columbia city map and a Columbia city map with all the bike lanes.

I spent the other part of my weekend actually out in the city. My roommate, Ben, and I rode our bikes out to Rocheport. I loved every second of the ride. I saw eight miles of the MKT and another 10 miles of the Katy. I also saw the Missouri River and perhaps the smallest town I've ever been in. After the concrete and steel of New York City, Missouri feels quiet, peaceful and beautiful in a very different way. I still miss New York and will always be called to the urban side of life, but for now, it's wonderful to explore farmland, bike paths and a much quieter way of living. We also hit up a bike swap over at Walt's and then had a chance to walk though some of the older neighborhoods in Columbia.

As for my assignment in the Northwest part of Columbia, I am still pretty unclear on the boundaries. Is Rocheport considered Northwest? I need to spend more time with my maps, my bike and much to my chagrin, my car.

Learning how to be a researcher

"At this point we are leaving the world of common language, and joining a discipline of scholars who make distinctions that are not required in everyday language." - Steven Chaffe in Thinking about Theory

Life story

I wrote my first life story yesterday on the general assignment shift. Again, I was nervous. But, once I got started, the nerves faded. In between communication law and answering the front desk phones, I pieced together the story of Louis Lohman, a man who lived to be 92. I heard about how he met his wife. I learned about their canoeing trips in the Ozarks. I spoke with his grandson. His family shared so many kind sentiments about their father. I left the newsroom at 8 p.m. hungry, tired and proud. I like the Missourian's life story policy and think it is also a valuable learning experience for young reporters.

Today, I mailed the story to 2 members of Louis Lohman's family. I'm not sure how many more chances I'll have to write a life story, but I would definitely do it again.

Louis 'Ming' Lohman embraced family, farming and canoeing

First article

I wrote my first article for The Missourian over the weekend (Boone Dawdle raises money for True/False, builds community for cyclists). I covered a bike ride fundraiser called The Boone Dawdle. I felt nervous before the event, but quickly loosened up and realized that many people were happy to speak with me. Only one interviewee made some comments unfit to print (!). Here are the six things I learned from my first reporting experience:

1. A small notebook is much easier to write on than a large pad of paper.
2. Repeat name spellings back to people (or show them what you wrote down).
3. Do more interviewing than you think you'll need to do. I felt like I spoke with too many people, but actually used most of what people said in the story.
4. Before leaving, be sure you can answer the who, what, where, when, why, how questions. (Thanks to Lee Anne Denyer for this excellent advice, which helped me fill in the information I'd overlooked.)
5. Reporting is less scarier than it first appears.
6. I have much to learn.

missing home

I miss New York desperately.

I miss the way my bike navigated those Manhattan streets so seamlessly and got me to my destination. Every time.

I miss arriving at work meetings just a tad late; always with a great story to tell about the new volunteer who had kept me in the first place.

I miss the way the sunlight came through my fourth-floor walk-up in the morning as Washington Heights awoke to another New York day.

I miss the kids at Harlem RBI and the way their city smarts mixed with youthful innocence in such surprising ways.

I miss Alberto.

I miss his apartment and his cooking and the way his speech slowed before sharing a contentious thought.

I miss his laughter and his kitchen.

I miss boiling water for green tea over his gas stove and then accidentally letting it spill over onto the burning gas.

I miss the runs around the Central Park Reservoir with Prospero and the way he always stayed just one step ahead of me.

I miss our weekly visits to the Duck, East Harlem's grittiest dive bar.

I miss my housemates and the pesky cockroaches that covered our dishes after midnight.

I miss the subway.

I miss the skyline at sunset.

I miss the trees in Brooklyn and the dinner parties we often had there on Friday afternoon.

I miss the joy of my life there.

And, though I am thrilled to be studying at the University of Missouri and realize that this dream of studying journalism is now coming true, I still wish, sometimes, that I could be there instead. I know that city isn't going anywhere soon. Although, by now I am old enough to know that once I get back, everything will have changed. Even the cockroaches.