An Open Letter to the WITL Family, From Kristen Matthews
It's good to be back!
Allow me to (re)introduce myself. I'm Kristen Matthews, and I began my WITL radio career back in 2017 doing middays and also taking care of our station promotions, like giveaways and live station broadcasts. However, like many in our nation, when COVID struck hard and swiftly back in March of 2020 I was let go from my position. I didn't take it personally; the bulk of my responsibilities revolved around giving away tickets to concerts (which were all canceled or rescheduled sometime in the general future), or planning live remote broadcasts wherein we spent time with you, our WITL family. And none of those things could happen because of social distancing and keeping safe during a global pandemic.
So there I was, March of 2020...I had just turned 30 and was no longer employed during a global pandemic, so I had a bit of time on my hands. I applied for jobs like crazy but wasn't hearing anything back, so I decided to do something with the extra time on my hands. Enter: Animal Crossing, arts & crafts, walking, and little bit of make believe.
Like many during quarantine, I picked up some hobbies that could keep me busy while staying home and staying safe. For me, that was cross stitch and Animal Crossing. Both hobbies keep my hands and my mind focused while allowing me to be creative. Plus, I could put on my favorite show (The Office) or my favorite movie (Clue) in the background while I worked.
Crafts and video games weren't the only things I got up to; I also took my dog on plenty of walks. Seriously, like soooooo many walks. I know my fellow dog owners out there feel me. I also dove head first into the world of Dungeons & Dragons. I've always appreciated fantasy, but short of being in high school drama, I had never done any role play before. Now, about a year into my group's campaign, I truly can't get enough. I so look forward to our weekly game session.
But the biggest thing that happened for me during this pandemic was that my husband and I became first time home owners! We both worked extremely hard to make this happen. Plus, we definitely had lady luck on our side; to buy a house during this market has been difficult, to say the least. But we are very happy and truly so lucky! And wouldn't you know it, it's a very small world...because none other than Chris Tyler himself helped us to buy our home! We wanted to commemorate the moment, so we hired local Lansing photographer, Like the Planet Photography, to document the special occasion.
It's so great to be back in the saddle! Being a part of a radio morning show has always been my dream in life, and it's still a bit surreal that I'm here, doing what I've always dreamed of. I'm so happy to be a part of the WITL Family, and I can't wait to see you in person again!
Get an up close and personal look at all I've been up to in the gallery below. And let us know, what have you been up to since the start of quarantine? Any new hobbies to speak of? Let us know by sending us a message in the WITL app!