I’m off on a new adventure. . .

Dear reader,

Preparing to leave the newsroom, I have gone through the entire range of human emotions in just one month…

From anger and resentment, to grief and fear, to excitement and euphoria.

Most of the negative emotions arose from a feeling of losing a part of my identity. After a decade in the newsroom, it will be difficult to think of myself as anything but a journalist.

This has been much more than a job for me, it was a way of life and a part of who I was.

Personal growth and new challenges, however, are very important to me. I feel that you have to move forward and allow yourself to be exposed to new experiences in order to learn, grow and widen your perspective.

I do not believe that I will ever be able to entirely give up journalism, having often joked that I have ink in my veins, and I now hope that I can use the skills I have acquired in the newsroom in my new position at CANSA to help people, make a difference, and in some small way change the world for the better.

Moving on to a non-profit organisation feels right. Ten years ago I ended up in the newsroom purely by accident, but ever since the first story on the first day it felt like it was where I was meant to be. Now, moving on to a non-profit organisation feels right in the same way.

Working with people to make a difference in their quality of life feels like the right way for me to progress.

It is now time to say thank you.

To my colleagues at the Advertiser, who have become more like family over the years, to my family, who have supported me through so much and served as my sounding board that I often bounced ideas off, to my sources for their assistance in obtaining factual information, and to you, the reader, for your trust and for the lessons I have learned.

Thank you.

Estella