From the Windy City to Sunny Sydney

Hello friends of Eastside FM! 

I’m excited to introduce myself as one of the newest interns here at Eastside Radio FM. My name is Lauren O’Machel and I am from the famous Windy City (aka Chicago). For those who may not know, Chicago is located in the state of Illinois which is located in the mid-west. The mid-west is a great place to live in the United States because you get all the seasons (yes including a bitter cold winter) and living in Chicago is especially great because you have your very own melting pot of various restaurants, shops, culture and life.

I’ve grown up near the city my entire life. I have a mother, father and an older sister. When it was time for me to go off to college, I decided to join a school that would encourage my love for journalism and was far enough away from home so I could be independent but still travel home if need be. That place ended up being the lovely University of Iowa located in Iowa City, Iowa home of the Hawkeyes! It’s a Big Ten school which means football and basketball are wildly competitive but are a great way to have some fun.  I graduated in December 2016 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication a minor in International Relations and a certificate in Entrepreneurship.

Before I could take my journey to Australia, I took a job at CBS 2 and Fox 28 News station in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, not too far from where I went to school. I got the chance to be a News Producer which meant I formatted, wrote and ran a newscast. Those newscasts ran anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours long. The best part of that job was that I got to experience the news at all hours of the day from really early in the morning to extremely late at night.

If I’m not working, you can probably catch me exploring local shops and restaurants because I love food. And when I say I love food, I LOVE FOOD. So if you have any recommendations to restaurants, please let me know! I also love spending time doing calligraphy and drawing, enjoying a good cup of coffee, taking photos, listening to music, running, or even just spending time with friends.

I’m quite used to traveling around America alone or with friends. I’ve taken a couple of trips to Colorado for snowboarding and summer trip to Rhode Island. I’ve been to Nashville with my family as well! I have been abroad before to Italy but this is the first time that I’ve traveled by myself and it has been quite exciting! I’ve already done a lot of site seeing and spent time at both Bondi and Manly Beach. I know Sydney and all of Australia has a lot to offer and I cannot wait to explore as much as I can.

If you’re on Instagram, I am doing a photo project where I post one photo a day for a whole year so I can look back on my adventures! My handle is life_of_laurenomachel. My other Instagram is omacklemore where don’t post daily but I also have some great adventures on there as well. I encourage you to follow me on my journey!

This is me and I’m so grateful that you have read a little bit about myself. Stay tuned, because this is only the beginning!