Thanks, Mike Pence

This is not a political statement. Nor is it an actual thank you to the former vice president of the United States. It’s more of a reminder to remember that great things can happen when we least expect them.

One day during the 2020 presidential election I had to cover then Vice President Mike Pence’s visit to Boulder City, Nevada. As a journalist, covering these type of events is just a lot of work. It’s also really hot in the desert, so you’re working for hours in the sun with little to no shade.
It is also a rush to get the photo or the quote that everybody wants, but most of my time  is usually spent just waiting in the heat for things to happen or finding someone who is willing to talk to me for my story.

For this event, I had to get there several hours before it started and park out in the boonies because that’s where the organizers wanted the press to park. Then I had to wait in line for my press credentials and have my gear searched by bomb-sniffing dogs and the Secret Service.
While I was parking my car and gathering my photography and writing gear to begin the aforementioned process, another journalist drove up and asked where the press parking was. I told her she’d found it, so she parked and we ended up walking together to get our credentials and have our stuff searched. 

We chatted back and forth for a little bit during the walk and then throughout the event.

The next day I was headed back into Boulder City to cover an award presentation. I was surprised when I got there that the same journalist was there. Turns out the award was for the company where her husband worked. It was a small ceremony, so we were the only two press people there. We laughed when saw each other and started talking some more. Turns out we lived 1/2 mile from each other. 

Now a year and change later, we’re really good friends who found out we have a lot in common. We’ve had very similar struggles in our personal lives, and we both know the stress of being a journalist and how much money you don’t make doing it. Our husbands and dogs also get along well, and our anniversaries are a week apart. I know it’s kind of crazy and cool at the same time.

Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without her. Having her as a friend (and her family) has enriched my life so much. And I have Mike Pence to thank for that, the former vice president of the United States. Because I never would have met her had I not had to cover his visit to Boulder City. 

So yeah, great things happen when we least expect it. I wonder what’s coming next 🙂

Oh, and here’s a nice picture of something completely unrelated because life is too short not to include one 🙂