Jet-lagged and unsure of what side of the earth I was on, I walked into The Beachcomber just days after returning from a summer internship with The Bangkok Post in Thailand.

The calm of driving down Vashon’s winding roads, the tips of my fingers coldly tickling the early autumn air as they danced outside the car window, felt like a dream after the chaos of Bangkok. There, taxis and scooters zoom by so close that you’ll swear someone’s about to lose a limb.

As the island’s slower pace sunk in, my nervous system began to settle. Thriftway burritos entered my bloodstream, and too many coffees from AJ’s made me realize I was home.

My first interview on-island couldn’t have been more fitting: Matt Beursken, clad in a striking neon-colored jacket and standing at the island town’s four-way stop, urging passersby and motorists to vote for Kamala Harris. As I walked back to the office, I thought, “That was so Vashon.”

Although I only spent two years at Vashon Island High School — really just one and a half, thanks to COVID — I knew this island had sunk its claws into my heart, and I’d be back, one way or another.

From covering the beginnings of a vintage pinball museum to reviewing a play, witnessing the Witches’ Paddle, and investigating Granny’s Attic’s overflowing donations, my time reporting here has perfectly captured the quirky spirit of the Pacific Northwest.

Much of that is thanks to Beachcomber editor Alex Bruell, who not only trusted me with tough stories but also went the extra mile to ensure I had a good experience. He helped me navigate roadblocks and even kindly accompanied me to my first ever church service (thanks, Rev. Meredith Harmon) when I was nervous and unsure of what I was walking into.

Days in the office spent talking about books, movies, life, and more — sometimes work-related, sometimes not — were just as valuable as the work itself. I’m convinced that’s how you get real mentorship, and I am so grateful for it.

While I’ve completed several internships, this intense mentorship was exactly what I needed for my reporting and writing to grow, and now I feel much more prepared to launch into my career. Thank you, Alex!

And, of course, I can’t forget Liz Shepherd, the backbone of the paper. Her commitment is legendary, and Alex and I joke that she’s “almost always right.” But, honestly, she is. That’s probably why she earned “News Writer of the Year” from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association in 2024.

Liz taught me that “unique” should be banned from the English language — because everything is unique. She wrote an article about island painter Steffon Moody that was so good that I can’t stop thinking about it, especially given our shared love for Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town.” In her piece, Liz described how one of his paintings brought to mind a scene from “Our Town,” which, much like Moody’s exhibition, presents a profoundly emotional portrayal of small-town life — one that always brings her to tears. I recommend giving this article a re-read.

Liz’ work reminded me that good writing taps into shared experiences and universal truths. It strikes a chord because it connects us to something we all understand, whether the quiet beauty of small-town life or the universal emotions that shape our lives.

Alex and Liz, who love to remind each other that you “don’t get extra credit for simply doing your job,” both deserve extra credit in my book. Vashon is so lucky to have them.

While interning, I was also finishing my bachelor’s degree — a schedule I definitely wouldn’t recommend. But somehow, I graduated from the University of Washington with a double major in journalism and psychology, and I’m slowly but surely inching toward adulthood.

Most weeks, I may have exceeded my hourly limit for what The Beachcomber could pay me, but my passion for this job was reignited. I would (almost) do it for free — though Alex insists that journalists, especially early in their career, shouldn’t work for free.

What’s next? Well, I’d recommend not asking a 22-year-old about their “plan.” But you can’t get rid of me just yet: I loved my internship and this paper so much that I’m sticking around as a freelancer.

For now, I’m working part-time as a breaking and general news reporter for The West Seattle Blog, freelancing for the Seattle Times and The Beachcomber, and crossing my fingers that a newspaper will hire me one of these days — because apparently, journalism is super competitive.

Thank you for having me, Vashon!

Aspen Anderson is a contributing journalist to The Beachcomber.