But why is there a new guy in town?

Hello Washington, Iowa! I'm Jacob, a recent implant in town. Maybe you've seen me at Walmart with a cart full of kitchen and bathroom supplies. Maybe you were behind me while I was fumbling down Washington St. not knowing where I was going. Or, maybe I interviewed you for story I'm working on. In any case, if you've been wondering who the new guy in town was, let me take this time to formally introduce myself.

I grew up in Los Angeles most of my life and I went to college in southern California where I studied English - the best option I could think of at the tender age of 18. Following college, I worked several random jobs until I decided to go back to school for a master's degree in journalism - yet another useful degree.

Following my second stint at school, I got a job as a news producer for a TV station. Then a succession of questionable decisions led me to making a move overseas where I took some time to reevaluate my life. After a year of thinking things through, I knew my next step was to come back to the States and push play on the life I was pausing.

'But why Washington?” You may be asking.

The truth is, I wanted something different in my life. I wanted to get out of the concrete jungle. I was sick of the three-hour daily commutes to and from work. Above all, my year abroad and the people I met there made me realize I needed to go back to what I really wanted to do - tell stories. I also wanted to be a part of a community where people look out for each other and greet each other because it's the nice thing to do - something difficult to come across in a place like Los Angeles.

From there, it was just a matter of figuring out the specifics. Thanks to a good friend from my school years, Eastern Iowa quickly became a top candidate and Washington soon thereafter.

So here I am, a reporter for the Southeast Iowa Union in the community of Washington, Iowa.

Hope you have a better understanding of who the new guy is in town.

Feel free to say hi when you see me around!