What happens after a day of non-stop political coverage

By Maeve Ashbrook

Today is day five of our coverage of the Iowa caucuses. The day started with the news that Cory Booker suspended his presidential campaign after I covered him with our team on our first day here. Then, I ventured to Winterset, Iowa for a Pete Buttigieg rally and later back to Des Moines, Drake University specifically, for coverage of Andrew Yang. However, when our team arrived back to our hotel, we had the chance to talk with Morgan Radford, an NBC News correspondent. This was the highlight of my day.

Morgan talked to us about her path to journalism and why she has continued to work in the industry. Her path included getting knocked down numerous times and lots of no’s, and she said that when she finally got a yes, it was the most important. I asked her about her career path, and she said that it was a good question. That made my day.

Morgan also spoke on how a career that often times requires sleeping in a different city every night has affected her personal and social life. She is recently engaged, but she doesn’t live with her fiance. She also told us that she froze her eggs, because she wanted to focus on her career, one that she loves, but also wants to keep her options open. This was an inspiring story to hear. For years, I have told everyone I know about how I wanted to get married at 23 and have three kids by thirty. However, the journalism industry isn’t the most family friendly, especially for a 30-year-old with three children.

While I don’t want to shy away from having a family, women like Morgan make me believe that is possible to have a career and make decisions about your personal life that are best for you. I might not end up being a co-host of Sunday Today, but I have the power to have a successful career as a reporter that I love and am proud of and the power to have a successful career as a wife and mom that I love and am proud of.

So yes, interviewing presidential candidates and seeing my face on MSNBC are exciting moments that get my blood pumping. But, at the end of the day, it’s the moments that inspire you to become the best version of yourself that matter the most. And yes, I did write a blog post that included the phrase “three by thirty”. You’re welcome and most likely not surprised.