A bit of news and a megathread: Feb. 28 is my last day at The Associated Press. This decision was entirely my own, and something I’ve considered for a long while. The past year of the pandemic has made me realize one painful fact: life is short.

I’ve been a journalist in some capacity since I was 20. I’m 50 now. Thirty years is a long time, right? I wanted to become a reporter when I was 15, and started working at a small radio station in Massachusetts when I was at Emerson College. I found my way to newspapers in 1993.

I've never not been a journalist. Along the way I’ve written for some great papers and some terrible ones. My first years at the St. Petersburg Times are among my most cherished memories.

I came to the AP in 2008. Among the stories I’ve worked on: the Haiti Earthquake. The BP oil spill. So many alligators, naked Florida Men and weird crimes. Hurricanes! An intimate chat with former SC Gov. Mark Sanford. Eleven mass shootings, thirteen executions, one pandemic.

I’ve written some incredible stories, and lots of sad ones. There were days and nights of laughs, and countless wild experiences with talented colleagues. Too many to list. I didn’t come to this decision lightly, because journalism truly is the best job in the world.

One of my co-workers asked if I would miss the fun of reporting. No, I said, because it's no longer fun for me. There was a lot of anguish in my decision, until there wasn’t. It's time to let someone else have all the fun.

I love the AP, and more than that, I adore the people who work for the company. Journalism will always be my first love.

But I’ve changed in 30 years, and we all know journalism has, too. Being in a relationship with news is like loving shattered glass - sometimes it’s better to leave it broken than hurting yourself trying to put it back together.

I’ll be spending my time in the near future focusing on my fiction. I have amazing things in the works with @wattpad, and I’m also eager to write more mysteries. I might self-publish again. There are lots of possibilities, and I'm excited to explore them all.

Maybe it will work out. Maybe it won’t. Maybe I'll end up as a bud tender at a cannabis dispensary. It’s time to take a chance on something new. (We also have zero debt, no mortgage, and lots in savings, so please don't worry on my behalf. I'm not *that* much of a risk-taker).

Here’s how you can support me: tell people about my books. Read my books and review them. Buy my books! http://books2read.com/u/4A7KLA 

To my colleagues at the @AP: thank you. I couldn’t choose a more talented, witty, and brilliant bunch. I’ll be cheering you on. I’m humbled to have been among your ranks for 13 years.

To the people I’ve interviewed over the years: you have all of my appreciation and gratitude for sharing your stories. I hope I did right by you.

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