When my mom realized that my new job would require virtually no creative writing, she exclaimed, "Wow, you're really taking another step away from journalism and writing."

A little defensively, I noted that I would still be able to pursue freelance opportunities. Just last week I submitted another travel story to a major newspaper and I plan on making those submissions a more regular part of my work life.

But it's true: My day job no longer includes creative writing, journalism or even blogging, which is what I clung to while at GUBA. There, the daily blog entries not only were the most entertaining part of my day; they allowed me to continue to call myself a professional writer.

I will always consider myself a writer, but it will be more of a struggle as I've never been the most disciplined freelancer. But even if I come up with one article idea or travel essay a year, I'll continue to be part of media in this new position. Even as I take that next step away from traditional journalism I'm stepping further into the world of social media, which fascinates and excites me.

I love what Digg is doing to democratize media, taking power away from the one or two (often insane and/or unethical) editors who run magazines, newspapers and other media outlets. Digg puts the power in the hands of the users. They control whether a story and the conversation it provokes attains front-page status.

Also, there's a really nice kitchen full o' drinks and snacky snacks. Booya.