Volume One's Rebecca Mennecke and Joel Pearish at work on a documentary.

”POSSIBLE SHORT-TERM V1 GIG?” The subject heading lit up my email inbox like a lightbulb on an incredibly dull afternoon mid-May in the middle of this unprecedented global pandemic. What began as another depressing day stuck in the basement of my parents’ house turned into the most exciting day in my writing career: accepting my dream job as associate editor at this fine publication right here – fresh outta college.

I know what you’re thinking: it’s every gal’s goal to start a job in the middle of a global pandemic with looming financial, social, and emotional uncertainty. As crazy as it sounds, that was this lady’s dream right here. I loved my time at V1 as an editorial intern, and I was (and am!) so excited to continue telling meaningful stories of our community. I scrambled up my things, road tripped it out to Eau Claire, and got busy.

While my gig at V1 (thankfully) lasted longer than the short-term gig we all feared it would be, most of us aren’t so thrilled that the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over yet. The uncertainty of what tomorrow brings can be nerve-racking. But, there’s also so much potential in what comes next. We can still find the joy in every moment, no matter what those moments bring. We just have to keep moving forward.