Moving to Georgia forced me out of my comfort zone.
That doesn’t go for just in life, but at work — as I’ve mentioned before.
Recently my bosses wanted to see how I handled the responsibility of designing the A section. Yes, the front page and all of that good stuff.
Was I nervous? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. Mainly because it was new.
There was a certain buzz around Athens, Georgia earlier this week.
As soon as the Georgia Bulldogs dismantled Missouri last Saturday, the town’s focus shifted to Tuesday’s home finale against none other than Kentucky. Yes, those Wildcats who are kind of good at college basketball (29-0 at the time, No. 1 in the nation and expected to steamroll the field in the NCAA Tournament).
Long before the regular season reached the home stretch, several pundits said Georgia had the best shot at ending Kentucky’s perfect run. While the Wildcats are a super team full of McDonald’s All Americans, the scrappy Bulldogs use enough motion on both ends to where it could throw that kind of team for a loop.
When I moved to Georgia, I knew the days of my byline appearing daily in the newspaper were gone — at least for time being. That was no longer my job.
Once you’re bitten by the writing bug, like I was at a very young age (but more on that later), it’s impossible to go back to a non-prose life. Melodramatic? Sure. Yet there is just some incredible feeling associated with eloquently piecing together words, whether or not it’s behind a byline.
There are few feelings as gratifying as hitting a groove.
Any current or former athlete can attest to that statement.
Now that I’m out of my truly competitive days as an athlete — weekly trips to play disc golf notwithstanding — I try to find my rhythm other places. Recently, that spot has been in front of my computer at the Athens Banner-Herald.
When I moved to Georgia, I temporarily struggled with the idea of being on desk full-time. As I stated before, I loved every aspect of beat writing — from the chase to the break and everywhere in between — so it took me a few weeks to settle down.
Practice basket at Little Mulberry Park in Dacula, Georgia.
Who knew Georgia had such a strong disc golf scene?
Seriously, though. Who knew?
Back in Texas, there were more than enough courses within driving distance of San Marcos. I routinely spent time on Texas State University’s 21-hole tract, Steeplechase Park in nearby Kyle and on occasion, Circle C Metropolitan Park (which features two holes that are more than 800 feet in length).
Once I moved to Georgia, I bought some new discs — mainly because my old ones had seen better days and were overly friendly with jagged rocks — and searched Google for nearby courses. I couldn’t believe my eyes: They were everywhere.
One of the toughest things I had to leave in Texas when I moved to Georgia was my presence on social media.
As trivial as that might sound, I built my following from the ground up.
Heck, when I moved to San Marcos, Twitter barely moved the needle.
I doubt Facebook even considered the inception of the ‘fan page’ by then.
Nearly seven years later I had a strong following on Twitter with whom I interacted daily, a fan page with more than 1,000 likes and a blog that broke monthly page-view records like clockwork.
Then I wrapped up all of it with one simple tweet as I embarked on my 14-hour drive to Athens, Georgia, which is nicknamed the Classic City.
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— Tyler Mayforth (@smdrtyler) July 15, 2014
Once I got settled in Georgia, I knew I had to start fresh. But how?
I’d no longer be on a beat, so a Facebook fan page wouldn’t be necessary.
I wouldn’t see a need for a blog since I’d be on desk and I’m not sure how many people would be excited to read about page design and parsing down 1,000-word game stories to a length suitable for print.
So what I decided was to create my own ‘brand’ through Twitter. If you’re looking for me on Twitter, you don’t have to look too far. It’s simply, @tylermayforth.
As I build my followers and look for more interaction, I post daily screenshots of the pages I design and any notes from the games I get to cover.
If you’re wondering where else you can find me online, wonder no longer.
Personal website: TylerMayforth.com
Work website: Athens Banner-Herald
Other: Contently
Like I said before, closing the chapter on my social media presence in Texas was tough, but I’m glad to have a new ‘brand’ that I can build upon in Georgia.
Had to get a picture behind the sign at the Georgia Visitor Center.
Wow.
Has it really been 10 months since my last post? That’s insane.
Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. ~ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Let me take this time to recap the biggest change in my life since April 2014.
I’m no longer in Texas.
Back in July, I turned in my resignation at the San Marcos Daily Record and moved to Athens, Georgia. Now I didn’t move to the Classic City on whim (even though crazier things have happened). I accepted a position with the Athens Banner-Herald as a designer/online producer.
Leaving Texas pained me. It really did. I’m not afraid to admit that I shed legit tears as I drove along Highway 80 and passed the city limits sign. Seven years is a long time and I grew as a person and a journalist more than I could have imagined.
Moving to Georgia forced me out of my comfort zone once again, but I was ready for it. I knew what it took to create a new footprint since I had done it twice before and since I hit the ground running in each of my previous stops, I’d do it again.
Needless to say, I feel as if I’ve excelled in my current position. Not only am I getting the thrill of deadline in a completely different way, I am learning from some awesome folks with tons of experience. Plus, I’ve been able to write a few sidebars here and there, which keeps those award-winning skills sharp.
Thanks for reading. Hopefully I’ll do a better job of updating this site in the future.
The call couldn’t have come at a better time.
Moments earlier, I began seriously doubting just about everything that was about to transpire on my shotgun trip to New Orleans to see Wrestlemania XXX.
Was I spending too much on tickets?
Did I make the right decision on where to stay?
Would my assistant be adept enough to handle a few days alone in the office?
I love the thrill of working on a deadline.
Whether it’s hammering out a game story from a tight, overtime thriller, designing a full section or anything in between, there is nothing like the rush of putting together solid work under time-constrained pressure.
To me, that’s not stressful: That’s fun.
Where I feel anxiety — or at least something like it — is right after I turn in my entries for the annual Texas Associated Press Managing Editors awards.
This year was a strong one for me professionally. Thanks to help from some great mentors (you know who you are if you’re reading this — and I am indebted to you), I hit a groove and turned in captivating copy.
From a game story during the Western Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament to my five-part series about my involvement in the Texas Water Safari as a member of Channel 5’s “Go Hard or Go Home,” I put everything into my work.
Last December marked my sixth anniversary at the San Marcos Daily Record. While I have grown as a journalist, I can count on one hand the number of stories I felt this strong about in those last six years compared to now.
If someone asked me what is one thing I could add to my resume to make it that much stronger, it would be an award. Now it’s time to go out and get one.
Look, Ma! I’m on TV. I mean, it’s my TV — but the point remains!
What’s in a nickname?
Apparently everything for the Texas Water Safari.
This 260-mile trek in the Lone Star State from San Marcos to Seadrift is affectionately dubbed “The World’s Toughest Canoe Race.” Each year hundreds of brave paddlers test their emotional, mental and physical fortitude in this truly life-changing event that gives contestants four days to complete the task.
Last summer I took part in the race as part of a British reality TV show called, “Go Hard or Go Home.” Now if you want to learn how I got involved, go ahead and check my enterprise work on the subject.
After months of wondering when the episode would air, it finally appeared on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom on Jan. 27, 2014. Thanks to the marvels of modern technology, I was able to have a full copy of the show just a few hours later.
It was the third episode in the series and each episode runs about 48 minutes. Most of it, as expected, is dedicated to those changing their lives training for the event, with the final 10 minutes centered around the actual event. Due to the fact that I joined the cast late — after one of the contestants failed a drug test (anabolic steroids) — my appearance lasted those 10 minutes, punctuated by a monologue in which I spoke the fateful words, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Needless to say, those words came back to bite me as I got well acquainted with a tree and capsized once on camera (many other times otherwise) going through a dangerous section of rapids. Perhaps the toughest aspect of it all was that I didn’t get to complete the challenge and had to pull out after 33 miles.
Truth be told, I should have asked, “What’s the best that could happen,” because that would have been more fitting. I got an experience that will last a lifetime, and this summer, I will return to the Texas Water Safari with a new teammate (possibly teammates) and finish the entire race.
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