Hi Marco! Interesting question and a difficult one to answer. It's not always easy to separate the two.

When you are at work though, you are in work mode, I guess you train yourself to do so. But that doesn't mean that the emotions don't surface. I have gotten tears on the set when anchoring or have gotten "choked" up after watching a story, especially those involving kids who were hurt. I have noticed those emotions surface a lot more now that I am a mom. I just try to get past it because I have the rest of the newscast to anchor.

Still, when I leave work I take it home with me sometimes. I have laid in bed sometimes at night, praying for some of the kids hurt or their families. I also remember on September 11th.... as you can imagine that day was very busy here in the newsroom. With updates every hour or even more often, there wasn't much time to think about the future. But a couple of days later it all finally hit me and I cried, worrying about the future for my son. I guess the best response is that keeping an open mind is what I am trained to do as a journalist. I report on the facts but that doesn’t mean I am not affected.

Have a great day and again thank you for watching us on the KFOX Morning News and for writing in!! :)

Noreen

I would say yes and no. It was a difficult decision to leave the bay area because we enjoyed what that area had to offer. Did I like the overcrowding and sometimes 1 1/2 commute home from work? No, but it is a beautiful place. There are mountain lakes just about everywhere, the ocean and coastal beaches are just a drive away, the delta in the east bay was also enjoyable and the landscape is so green. Not to mention I had the great experience of working in a large market for one of the best stations in the country. That being said, my husband and I also knew it wasn't "home." So when the opportunity came up which would allow us to return to El Paso in a position where I could spend most of the day with my two kids then no, it wasn't a difficult decision. In fact, knowing this opportunity was in El Paso was the easy part because we enjoyed our lives here before we left to California.

One thing I noticed since I have been back is that I am not the only one who wants to make El Paso home. The growth in the city is very energizing. Maybe leaving is the key to realizing just how much the area has to offer. I was very blessed that I was able to experience life in anther part of the country and also because I got to return to the region I call home. Thanks for writing in, it was nice to hear from you.

This is actually a funny question or should I say, ironic because we both get confused for each other all the time. I know Liz has been mistaken for me and even referred to as Noreen. And I've been called Elizabeth. We don't mind and always have a few laughs about it. But no, we're not sisters.

The best thing is that we have been good friends for a long time now and I can say I take the mix up as a compliment. Thanks for writing in!

Gosh, I have seen so many changes since I have been back. The most noticable is the growth! A lot of new neighborhoods and homes and businesses. I have to admit I have enjoyed a lot of the new restaurants, maybe a little too much. :) There is also a positive vibe I am picking up on... I can't really explain it. Maybe "positive energy" is a good description. I have talked with a lot of people, business owners in particular who say "business" is good. My husband and I just bought new bikes... and the shop owner told me that a lot of people are getting out and walking, riding bikes on the trails. He was excited about what he called the "shift." It seems as though residents are happy with the direction the city is headed! Just another reason I am excited to be back. Thanks for writing in!

Hi Maria! The decision to come back to El Paso basically came down to great timing and in my opinion a better quality of life. Living and working in Northern California was great, but when it came down to the decision of whether we wanted to stay and raise our two children there, the answer was "no." The area is beautiful and has a lot of offer but so does the El Paso - Las Cruces area. My husband and I are much more comfortable with idea of raising our kids here. We will no longer have an hour (or sometimes longer) commute into and back from work. I get to work the morning shift, so that I will have more time with my children. There's open space here. We are closer to family in New Mexico. And I have the honor of returning to a quality, award winning news station. Gosh, I can go on and on. I am just glad it all worked out and I am thankful for the great viewers such as yourself! I look forward to seeing you bright and early starting on Monday!

Hi Troy, nice to hear from you. Yes, I love to have visitors come by and see how a newscast works. I have been in this business for some time now and I still think it is exciting and interesting. A lot of people are amazed to see what goes on behind the scenes. I also think it is a great idea for students to get a first hand look at the process. I highly recommend this career for those who are thinking about it and the best way to learn more about it, is to visit a station.

At KFOX we invite students to come in groups for station tours. Teachers who are interested in arranging a tour can contact us at 834-2118.

Thanks for the question!

Noreen :)

As for my assignment in San Francisco, I have a two-part answer. Emotionally it sometimes became "challenging" to report on so many murders and deaths. There was one month when for about six days straight I did a report on someone dying - whether it be a drive by shooting, car accident or a pedestrian killed. I remember my heart feeling heavy after that week. On a lighter note, it was also challenging in positive way when I covered the issue of same sex marriages in San Francisco. Not necessarily because of the issue but because this was a huge, nationally watched event and when the story broke I was there. Talk about chaos! And for several days afterward this remained the hot story. It was hectic but rewarding when I met my deadline each night!

In El Paso my most challenging assignment was September 11th, both personally and professionally. That day everyone was glued to their TV's and we had the huge responsibility of being the source of information for them. Viewers were concerned, scared, uncertain, angry and needed to be assured that the information we were bringing them was up to date and accurate. It was a difficult day for everyone in our community and our country. In the newsroom we were on air for hours and days with continuous coverage, juggling our own personal emotions with our professional duties. The events were tragic and we all wish that day had never happened. But when I look back I am proud of how the team at KFOX responded when viewers needed us most.

Okay, you are right. Some people might think I'm crazy for giving up a great job and life in the Bay Area but the truth is... it wasn't home. Don't get me wrong, we really enjoyed our time there and I look back and think about how when I drove to work I would see the Golden Gate Bridge. Yes, it was a great experience but my husband and I were more comfortable with the idea of raising our two children in the Southwest, closer to family in New Mexico. And I really believe this area has a lot to offer. In my opinion the quality of life here is much better. When the opportunity came up to return to KFOX, we thought 'what great timing!' And I knew KFOX was committed to delivering a great news product. I am honored to be a part of the team again... so here I am. Hey, at least now I can visit the Bay Area as often as I would like and still return home. :)

Oh, thank you so much. That is very kind of you to say! We would love to stay in El Paso for a long time and we hope to raise our children here. We have always felt very comfortable in El Paso and Las Cruces because of the people in our community. Maybe I am always smiling because I enjoy the friendly people!

I would say the issues are similar, but I think on a much bigger scale in California. Unfortunately while I was in California I covered many stories dealing with child abuse and crime and a lot of the crimes were murders. The murder rate in both San Francisco and Oakland was near or more than 100 per year for the three years I was there. That always shocked me. I would share with my co-workers how El Paso is recognized as one of the safest big cities in the nation, which would shock them.

Even though there is a huge Hispanic population in Northern California, especially in San Jose, I cannot remember ever hearing about Mariachi events! That's another benefit of coming back I suppose :-)

There are parts of Northern California that are just beautiful. I think what I will miss most will be driving North from San Francisco along the Pacific coast with my family, and then camping at some spot we'd find along the way.