happy 2nd anniversary

Today Mike & I celebrated two years anchoring CTV News at Six. I love this job.

i'm back....

I'm heading back to work tomorrow (Monday March 5). It's been over 10 weeks since I last anchored the news. These last two months have been physically exhausting and emotionally draining. I'm feeling good now. I'm strong, I have perspective.
I'm still taking baby steps, I'm going back to work four days a week for the first month and will then evaluate my stamina with my doctor.
I will share more details about my journey soon, I'm still absorbing it all and trying to understand what it all means and how it has changed me. There's no doubt that this has been a life altering experience. I have many people to thank...it's overwhelming.
Let me start with this - thank you to everyone who send me an e-mail, a message on Facebook, a tweet on Twitter or stopped me on the street to say a kind word and wish me well. Your words and concern are so appreciated...random notes of kindness from people I have never met - I love that.  Thank you.  See you tomorrow on CTV News at 6....I'm so excited to be back. xx

a year

my first news meeting. olympic anniversary. vancouver 125. stanley cup game 6

It's been exactly one year since I anchored CTV News at 6 for the very first time. Time flies. A year ago today I was freaking out, for a number of reasons. It's always nerve-wracking when you start something new, especially when you know everyone is watching.

2011 was an interesting year. It was exhilarating when it was announced that I would be anchoring the news with Mike Killeen but also quite sad & stressful - I definitely discovered who my real friends were. There's a lot to be said for having grace and some people just didn't have it. I found that people reacted in one of three very different ways: those who were genuinely happy for me and told me, those who were angry that I got the job as they felt I wasn't worthy of it (these people had no problem telling anyone who would listen - but never me) and then there were the people who said nothing and just stopped talking to me.

our first billboard. leadership convention. tv week cover

It's the people that stopped talking to me that I find most interesting as most of them were people I considered friends. Obviously I was mistaken. At first my feelings were hurt and I obsessed about it, wondering what I could do to make it better. Now I don't care. Those people weren't my friends...a tough lesson to learn, but now I know.

This past year has been amazing, everyday I'm challenged and learn something new. Mike and I have anchored the Liberal Leadership Convention, been on location for the Olympic Anniversary, Vancouver's 125th Birthday....and the mother of all broadcasts - 4 and a half hours of commercial-free Stanley Cup Riot coverage, what a night. I have filed stories on rare diseases, breast cancer and the riot...& I have a few more to air in January.  CTV has been my second home for almost 15 years, clearly I like the place and the people I work with. I couldn't have made the leap from weather to anchor without the support and guidance of my co-workers. I feel fortunate to have such a great team to work with...2012 is going to be a good one.

Yes, I lost a few friendships in the last year...some people said some horrible things about me and I had a couple of rough days. It's a job. I love it but it's a job. Seriously. No matter what though, I get to come home to these three little monkeys jumping on my bed. It doesn't get any better than that!

3 little monkeys jumping on my bed. photos by mika inikoshi

I'm excited for 2012. Happy New Year to you, I wish you a year filled with good health, love and laughter.