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The story so far...

Over the years, I’ve looked around and found myself in some interesting surroundings, the barest details of which show through in my resumé. So occasionally, I’ve written a little about the places I’ve lived and what I’ve done there. Enjoy.

Theo Goes to Washington

How I got kicked out of the Capitol & shook hands with Newt

Graduating from college is, for most people, a moment of truth. The "real world" looms, bills beckon, jobs are scarce, and the first words on everyone else's lips are: "So. What's next?"

I was, much as I hated to admit it, no exception.

My summer was taken care of, with two months learning German and visiting relatives in Munich. Yet I still had to find something to do come August.

What I did was go to Washington.

A Year in Southeast Alaska

How I ended up in a fishing village & what I did there

The beginning
As my four-month Politics & Journalism Internship with the Chicago Tribune in Washington, D.C., drew to a close, I knew I'd have to find a job somewhere. I wanted to stay in journalism, and I had to face the facts: The New York Times and the Times of London weren't exactly breaking down my door.

I'd have to start small.

Braving the Big Apple

How I went up the river, spent the night with drowsy docs, and got through grad school without breaking any bones

Back when I first decided to take the job in Alaska, my fellow interns joked that I would run into a bear, get lost in a snowstorm and be chased by wolves. Some, congratulating me, couldn't entirely mask a doubtful note in their voice; others said it outright: "Why would you want to go there?"

Eighteen months later, some of my Alaskan friends were similarly puzzled. "New York City?" they said when I told them I hoped to attend Columbia University's graduate journalism program. "Why would you want to go there? It's dangerous."

Blogging the boilerplate fantastic

Two years in the footnotes (and counting)

In early 2010, I was beginning to make my peace with Bloomberg's acquisition of BusinessWeek in early 2010. I wasn't thrilled to have been moved to the newswire from the magazine (though it turned out most of the remaining magazine writers would be laid off soon after), but I was willing to give it a shot. The benefits were good, and as long as I stayed on top of the news, I thought I could carve out some time for some investigative reporting on the side.

Identity proofs: @theofrancis@mastodon.online

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