Oh Charlotte! What a Great 8 years!

This next week will mark 8 years that I will have lived in Charlotte! Honestly - I can't believe it! It's the longest I've lived anywhere at any one point in my life except Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Many of you might be wondering how I ended up here? Well, I'll give you a short rundown of how I made it to the Queen City.

* 1997 - graduated from LSU but continued to live in BR and work at a local TV station for another year. During this year -- I searched for jobs in Los Angeles. Got a freelance offer with E! News but my Mom refused to let me take it because it wasn't 'steady' work.

* 1998 - decided to get to the West Coast somehow and took a job in Reno-Tahoe, Nevada at a local TV station working the morning show(ughh..my day started at 11pm). Skiied, hiked, had a blast.

* 2000 - my TV company decided I was 'good' and asked me to move to the Las Vegas station.
Partied my a-- off, gambled, met celebs, new friends, hung out with old ones who lived there but then...

September 11, 2001 happened.

I was depressed, missing family, starting thinking about long term things and what I wanted out of life. Living the fab life so far away from the people I loved didn't seem to be important anymore. I starting researching on where I would go next.

I literally made a list of what I wanted out of a city:

* To be back in the 'South'
* Where people appreciate SEC football and I could actually go to see my Tigers play.
* Near mountains where I could get my hike on.
* No more than 8-hours from my family
* In a TV market where I could actually make some $$

It was narrowed down to 2 cities: Nashville and Charlotte. I found a job in Charlotte first.

* 2002 - I moved to Charlotte on Memorial Day weekend which happens to be one of the biggest weekends in the city. It's RACE Weekend(NASCAR). I knew no one except cousins who I lived with for 6-months.

Since then - I have enjoyed many SEC games including several where I have gotten to see my Tigers play at University of SC!

I have gotten my hike on in more ways than one!! Here's me hiking the Grandfather Trail at Grandfather Mountain. Happens to be one of the best trails in the Carolinas.

I've enjoyed the NC and SC beaches.


Partaken in many wine tastings at area wineries including ones in the Yadkin Valley.

Met awesome friends like Dana. I met her the first year I lived here through the Jr. League of Charlotte(where I've met most of my friends here).

And most and best of all... I met Brad. (this was exactly one year ago in Uptown Charlotte at a concert).

Charlotte is a great city for many reasons. No, it's not a SF, Chicago, or NYC but it's the South and there is a great quality of life here.

I don't forsee us living anywhere else unless there's some major job change(and you never know).

Here's to Charlotte!!! CHEERS FOR A GREAT 8-YEARS!