August 2012 was a great month for me because it was the month I started writing for the newspaper. First, I met the editor, Tiffany Evers. We seemed to hit it off from the start. I chose “Finding Beauty” as my column name, but something made me want to go deeper and be more relatable to more than just makeup and skin care issues. What I loved about the East Coast Current and the NSB Observer was that there was no room for negativity. It was fun, entertaining, informative, community-oriented and a great reflection of the women I worked for.
I was a little nervous when I met with Tiffany, because I didn’t know which Karin would show up. It had been a rough couple of months – I lost my mom, had a pulmonary embolism, was stripped of my estrogen and thrown straight into full-blown menopausal hell. Somehow I managed to keep it together and I got the position.

I wanted my first story to impress. I wasn’t sure of the perfect topic, but I knew it would come to me. I sat at my computer sweating profusely or standing with my head in the freezer, occasionally crying, angry because my mom had left me alone, and I didn’t know what was normal and what made me certifiable. And then it hit me. I’ll write about menopause. It’s not pretty, but most women could relate.

I chose “Finding Beauty” because it forced me to always find the beauty in things. This was important therapy for me; no matter what I was writing about, I had to find the beauty by the end of the story.

For my 10-year anniversary of being a journalist, I wanted to stop and review the past 10 years. Joining the East Coast Current staff was and is the best. I absolutely love to write. I work for three smart, hard-working women: Carol Court – co-owner and chief sales officer, Kelsey Walters – co-owner and chief financial officer, and Tiffany Evers – co-owner and editor in chief. I respect them and I am so proud to call them my friends.
I want to wish Tiffany, Kelsey and Carol a happy anniversary with me. You were the beauty I found 10 years ago, and I am so glad I did!
