Heading east?

Things are moving a bit faster than I last predicted. Instead of late August, the Norfolk folks want me to come out at the beginning of the second week.

On the one hand, that's great, because it means I'll know my fate all the sooner. On the other hand, it's scary, because I'll know my fate all the sooner.

They still haven't told me what the job is, exactly, which I'm taking as a good sign. A friend out there said they're good about hiring talent and finding a spot for them. It sounds like they're doing some restructuring and will have a few openings to work with.

I talked to my boss the other day, so he knows what's going on. I'll probably tell my staff Monday. In such a small office, you can't keep these kinds of secrets too long, so I think it's best to be out in front.

The logistics of picking up and leaving are probably what's haunting me most. We've done it before with relatively short notice, but this time we have twice as much stuff and a dog.

Yeah, I realize I'm getting ahead of myself, but if this opportunity doesn't materialize, one of them will. I'll miss California in a few ways (the wine....oh, the wine), but I think I'm ready to give urban living a shot. Plus, I feel like I've wandered pretty far from the intensity of daily metro newspapers, so it will be good for me to get back in my old field.

One bit of good news with my current job is that there are several people in line to take my place. When I interviewed for city editor, there was only one local candidate, and he was really just doing it to take a stab at management. Now I think there will be three people at The Union interested, and probably a handful of folks from other papers in our chain. It makes me realize what a lucky break I got with this job. Not many folks get trusted managing a staff of seven at age 25.

It's interesting hearing from larger papers who aren't interested in hiring someone from a small paper, even if it got me management experience. If I had stayed at my old paper (circ. 70,000 daily), I would probably get an audience with just about any paper short of The New York Times, Washington Post, etc. But I would still only have experience as a reporter -- maybe with some time filling in as a night editor.

Instead, I went to a smaller paper and got some amazing experience as a manager, doing stuff I wouldn't have gotten to do at larger papers until my 40s, probably. I launched new sections, served as an interim editor, hired about 10 people (yeah, turnover's a bitch), and fired two. Yet most larger papers just look at the circ numbers and don't really care what experience you picked up. I've worked at every size of paper now, and they're all the same. The only difference is the number of people and the amount of money they have to throw at stuff. The personalities, the day-to-day stress, is exactly the same.

That's why I'm so excited a paper like Norfolk is willing to give me a chance. Even if it doesn't work out, I think it says a lot about them that they were willing to fly me out for an interview.

As a closing note, I've been watching the paper out there pretty intensely, and they're just finishing up a great series, if you're a history buff like me. Check out their 14-part series on how yellow fever devastated the town 150 years ago.

I'll obviously keep you all posted as the trip nears.