After graduating from the School of Media Studies at Humber College in 1998, Muskoka is the last place Kristan thought she would be. Toronto was where it was at, especially in the magazine world, but after a year of pounding the pavement, a menial contract job, and another summer in the city looming, it was time to come back home. This Muskoka native proved her skills as a freelance writer for the Muskoka Sun in 1999, and in 2000 became the Sun's student slave, oops reporter, and actually managed to convince the powers that be to do away with the dreaded Muskoka Sunshine girl feature. After one restaurant review too many, Kristan gratefully accepted a full-time reporter position with the Bracebridge Examiner and Gravenhurst Banner that fall. Moving up the ladder, Kristan became the editorial co-coordinator for the company's special publications and in February 2006 took a leap of faith, and became News Editor. During the course of all of this, Kristan managed to meet her husband, Rob, while covering an event no less, and settle down in Bala, where the couple owns and operates a garden centre. While the community newspaper business was not where Kristan thought she would have a career, after being in the industry for more than seven years, she knows that this is really where it's at.