It’s a long way from Delaware, Ohio to Baldwin County, to say the least.

By car, it’s a 13-hour drive. By air, it takes less than 5 hours. But for me, it’s a journey that began seven years ago.

Only moments after walking in to an Intro to Photojournalism class at the beginning of my junior year at Ball State University, I knew this was the career for me.

I could have never known at the time where this career would take me, but every time I’ve moved to follow my calling over the past few years, I’ve tried to take a moment to look back on the journey up to that point.

After leaving school in Muncie, Ind. in 2009, I worked each evening to sell driveway sealing over the phone while I spent my days at an unpaid internship in Columbus, Ohio.

Yes, driveway sealing. And yes, over the phone.

I had no idea what I was doing or selling, but I knew that small income would help me pursue my dream of being a full-fledged photojournalist.

After that three-month foray into sales, I have since found work at newspapers in Lima, Ohio, Natchez, Miss., and Selma, Ala. before life led me to Baldwin County.

Life has a funny way of taking you places, and introducing you to faces, you will never forget.

Why a paper in Natchez, Miss. would ever want to hire a kid from central Ohio was beyond me. Why a beautiful girl from northern Alabama would ever want to sit next to me at that restaurant the night we first met makes no sense.

But sometimes, life knows what its doing.

Sixteen months after I set foot in Natchez, and 15 months after she and I first met, that pretty girl and I are preparing to walk down the aisle together.

In Rachel, I’ve found a friend who laughs at my jokes, forgives my Northern love for snow and ice, and tells me when I need to get my act together.

That last task keeps her busy.

The truth is I wouldn’t have met her if not for this career.

I would have missed a lot if I hadn’t signed up for a random class my junior year of college.

The biggest joy of my professional career has been telling the stories of people and communities of the different places I’ve lived. I can already tell I am going to love doing just that here in Baldwin County. From Gulf Shores to Little River, there are undoubtedly thousands of stories just waiting to be told, and I look forward to sharing them with you over the coming years.

It has been a long and winding journey that led me here to Baldwin County, but I’m honored to be here and excited to see what the future holds.

Jay Sowers is photo editor of Gulf Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at jsowers@gulfcoastnewspapers.com.