“Good evening and thanks for being with us tonight.”

That saying becomes a routine and habitual phrase for all of us newsies. Personally, I can attest that being in news is not a job for the average person. It takes a special kind of crazy to be willing to do what we do every day and still be motivated to come into work.

There are many days where we ask ourselves, “Why do I still do this? Is it worth it? What if I just walked out right now?”

Sometimes, I really envy my friends who chose the more conventional path. Starting their careers in cities they want to build their career in. Working Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Holidays off. Working a normal schedule. Getting to enjoy vacations. Not missing family events. Not having to cancel dinner plans because of last minute breaking news. I could go on, but I digress.

So, I put together a list of answers based off a survey from newsies across the nation who answered the question, “What would you be doing if you weren’t in news?”

And here are some of their answers:

Marketing Specialist

Instagram Model

Social Media/PR Specialist

Public Information Officer (PIO) for a School District

Real Estate Agent

Park Ranger

Art/Antiques Dealer

Novelist

Teacher

College Basketball Coach

Astronaut

Business Owner

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Firefighter

Yoga Instructor

Event Planner

Wedding Videographer

Actress

FBI Gang Task Force Unit

Lobbyist

Adoption Recruiter

FBI Profiler

Veterinarian

Makeup Artist

Fitness Model

Addictions Case Manager

Chemical Engineer

Horse Trainer

Horseback Riding Instructor

YouTube Personality

Licensed Therapist

Showgirl

Zookeeper

Nutritionist

Event Planner

Microbiologist

Gymnastics Coach

Medical Field Communications Specialist

Registered Dietician

Dance Teacher

Chef

Flight Attendant

Law Enforcement PIO

Humane Society Leader

Running an elephant sanctuary for retired performance animals (yes, that was an actual response)

Dance for Beyonce

Leader of Twerk Team (yes, also real)

Farmer

Pretty interesting, huh? Seeing what all these people would do if they weren’t delivering your news to you each night. But you know what the most interesting thing about this list is? Despite how different all these jobs are, they do have one thing in common:

All of these jobs require a lot of hands on, social interaction or community work.  Similar to news, in those respects.

But as I said, news is not for everyone. It’s not even a path that some of us choose to be in for the rest of our lives. Many get burnt out and simply want to pursue other dream jobs. Or are tired of going above and beyond as part of the daily grind. Or simply don’t want to be in the local spotlight any longer.

But with that said, some of us feel there really isn’t another job out there that would be as fulfilling as getting to do what we do every day. Yes, some days are absolutely horrible, stressful and daunting. But other days where we get to tell really amazing, impactful or heart-warming stories and give a voice to the voiceless… those days are reminders of why we stick around.

Our office is wherever the news of the day is. We get access to things other people with more conventional jobs don’t get. We get to bring you important information and share it with you and your household every night. We get to know more people in the community than anyone else. We get to travel and learn something new every day. We build relationships, get exclusive access to the front lines of some of the world’s most important stages, and get to share your story with thousands of people every night.

But after a while, we begin to wonder… what if?

Regardless of what job you have now, your journey may look much different in one year or maybe 10 or maybe you will have the same job until you decide to retire. The point is to build a successful life… no matter what that looks like.