STEELE SPORTS

After over 10 hours of total flight time each way, I have finally returned to Minnesota after traveling the past two weeks to both Ireland and the United Kingdom.

Part of the gig as a sports reporter is that for most of the year, you are required to work nights from Tuesday through Saturday, leaving less time for weekend trips and out-of-town exploration.

However, last week I was fortunate enough to find myself back in one of my favorite parts of the world – London, England – while also getting to travel to Ireland with my mother and sister as well.

After feeling the weight of another fast-paced high-school sports season fall off my shoulders, it was a much-needed bit of rest and relaxation to be able to get out of the country with loved ones for a change of pace.

We were able to see parts of the world such as the Cliffs of Moher, the markets of London, and the fishing town of Galway, Ireland, for some of our excursions, while also mixing in a couple of pints and large dinners along the way.

Yet, outside of just being able to escape the constant stresses of life, what I learned the most from my trip was the importance of finding balance in both work and social life.

As a professional, it is so easy to get caught up in a world of consistent busyness and neglect basic essential needs.

We revolve our lives around making work the top priority and begin to forfeit precious moments such as important relationships, essential nutrition and even the granddaddy of them all: rest.

While I am excited as ever to begin hunting down stories and highlighting the accomplishments of our local athletes, what I realized abroad is that there are more components of my life that I can improve on to better myself and my work simultaneously.

At the Cliffs of Moher, I found myself excited to get back onto my diet and begin working on my overall nutrition as I trekked across miles of hilly terrain.

Not only was I sweating up a storm as I hunted for the right angle to take my photographs, but I realized that the better shape I manage to keep myself in, the more able I will be to run around the fields, tracks, and courts of local teams to take photos for the community.

As I spent more time with my family traveling and exploring new places, I realized the importance of immersing myself further into the community to better learn what makes it special.

I have been in Steele County for two years now, and while I’ve spent a good deal of my time exploring it far and wide, I know there are still plenty more places I will need to go to get the bigger picture of what makes this region so unique.

On top of these realizations, I left Europe with a renewed feeling of purpose.

Now that I have allowed myself some time to catch up, I’m excited to get back out on the move and continue serving the towns that afford me the opportunity to do what I love for a living.

My hope for you all reading this article is that you can find this same sense of happiness and fulfillment if you are searching for it as well.

I’ll look forward to seeing you all out on the pickleball courts and golf courses for another jam-packed summer!