…a license to ask questions. If you see something unusual or interesting, you can ask questions–sometimes for stories, some times for curiosity (which could always become a story down the line). The other day, the poor garbage collector made the mistake of getting out of his truck while I was jogging past. This resulted in a lengthy discussion on how Aussie trucks work (dual collection system–very cool!) and then a shorter discussion on the pros and cons of shifting with your left hand vs. your right.

…a license to try new things. Ok, sometimes it helps to have a big of an excuse to try something new and who knows, maybe others have been wondering that very same thing. Last week, Tameka and I saw a sign that said beginner pole dancing lessons, $10. It was a blast and once John got over the shock of two of his students going pole dancing (we kept our clothes on mostly), he suggested we write it up as a feature piece for the Independent.

…the ability to see life as a series of stories and tease out the good ones from the not so interesting.

…mostly a job that you are constantly learning, constantly searching for answers, constantly wanting to know more and share what you’ve learnt with others. I came here thinking I’d take the skills and go in to PR. Now I’m definitely staying in journalism for a while. I know where PR will go. I want to see where this field takes me.