‘It’s not a goodbye, I’ll see you around’

Six months ago I published a column celebrating my five-year mark since I moved to Orlando. There were a lot of feelings then because I couldn’t believe it had been five years since I packed my stuff to move to brincar el charco, a Puerto Rican saying meaning you’ve moved out of the Island.

My phone started ringing and the emails filled my inbox, asking me why I was leaving or where I was heading to. I didn’t understand then. I was just thanking the community for opening its doors to me and letting me call the City Beautiful my new home away from home.

Is saying thanks for smaller things, like spending five years at one location or one job, uncommon? I guess there’s more focus on bigger milestones. For me this was a decisive moment. It’s changed me forever and I want to think that I have been able to make a change in this community.

I moved shortly before Hurricane Maria ravaged my beloved island. I moved just at the moment when the Orlando Sentinel was planning their one-year remembrance coverage of the Pulse massacre. These were two moments that have defined me as a human being and a journalist.

I recently got two awards from the Florida Society of News Editors (FSNE). One was for the coverage I led looking into how things were in Central Florida five years after Pulse, especially within the Latino community. The other, for a story I did about a 95-yearold grandmother who checked “Dancing with Marc [Anthony]” off her bucket list. I happened to be at that concert when Fela got on the stage and busted some moves.

This is what I love about being a journalist: Witnessing historic, important events in the best of times and in the worst of times. Being trusted to tell the truth, to tell someone’s story, is the most rewarding thing ever. Being able to advocate for better resources and treatment of underserved communities, giving the voiceless a voice, gives me joy.

I have to thank community leaders, activists, colleagues at the Sentinel and other outlets, so many people that guided me and trusted me to do a good job. I am nothing without them. El Sentinel is nothing without their support.

Everyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about journalism, about telling stories, about the community and about helping people. I apologize for taking this long and burying the lead so much, but this is by far the hardest decision I have made in my adult life.

I interviewed two people this week who made me feel more at peace with my choice. One told me that the most important thing is to “follow your dream, work hard and help someone along the way.” The other told me that I just need to “Focus on the highs. Focus on the moments that make you feel like you are doing something not only for others, but yourself. When you are good at doing something, you need to expand and take it to bigger places.”

Six months ago I swore I wasn’t going anywhere. I love my job and I love serving my community.

What changed?

One Sunday afternoon, as I was waiting to cross the street from St. James Cathedral to the lot where I was parked, I received a text message, a screenshot of another message asking the sender if I was looking for a job. There had been several job offers before. I said no to all of them.

This felt different. I had been praying for a sign. Should I stay in Florida? Should I move? This seemed like a green light. As I crossed the street I texted back.

While this is something I am terrified to do, I am taking a leap and moving from El Sentinel to a new job — more on that in coming days — where I feel will be able to keep growing as a professional and still be a liaison to our Central Florida community.

I am looking forward to still being able to freelance, covering the Latino community and theme parks, just because I am not ready to stop writing and the overachiever in me needs to keep myself extra busy. You will see my byline still for the next edition or two because I am leaving amazing stories ready for print.

So please, I ask you to keep supporting El Sentinel Orlando. It’s literally like my baby, one I poured my heart and soul into with long nights and days of coverage. There is an amazing journalist joining soon to keep covering this amazing community we all love and cherish so much. So, in the meantime, keep sending all your news and pitches to noticias@orlandosentinel.com.

And this is not a goodbye; it’s “I’ll see you around.”

Jennifer A. Marcial Ocasio started as El Sentinel editor in February 2017.