A Quick Update From Nicci

Transcript

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Hey everyone, Nikki Ruth here. I'm sure some of you are probably surprised to hear from me on a random Saturday evening, but I really just wanted to pop on here and give you a little update. After a lot of thought and a lot of conversations with my family, I've decided that I'm going to take a hiatus from Valley of Secrets. And this wasn't an easy decision for me. I don't think people always realize just how much time goes into making a podcast. The research alone takes me many, many hours for every episode. And then there's the writing the script, recording, editing, and putting everything together so it can be released to you. It really does become a full-time job all on its own. And for those of you who don't know, I also work full-time as a registered nurse. So between nursing, the podcast, my family, and everything else that comes with life, I've realized that I need to give myself some time to step away and regroup. I wish that I could make podcasting my full-time job. I really do. I would love nothing more than to be able to spend my days researching these cases and telling these stories. But the reality is that the podcast just isn't at a place right now where I can do that financially. So I still have to be a nurse, which thankfully I do love my job. But right now, I think taking a break is exactly what I need. It gives me time to regroup, figure out what I want moving forward, and focus on some other things that are happening in my life right now. And I also just really wanted to come on here and say thank you. By Labor Day weekend, Valley of Secrets will have been around for a full year. I can't even believe it. So for almost 11 months now, I've been researching these cases, recording these episodes, and sharing these stories with you. And it has been quite the journey. I have truly loved doing this podcast. I've loved learning about the people at the center of these cases and having the opportunity to tell their stories. Because that has always been one of the biggest reasons that I even started Valley of Secrets in the first place. I don't want these victims to simply be remembered for what happened to them. I want people to remember who they were, their lives, their families, and the people who loved them. And for the cases that are still unsolved, I want to see those cases solved. I hope that even in some small way, talking about them, sharing their names, and getting their stories in front of more people can help keep those cases alive and eventually bring answers and justice to the families who are still waiting. I'm incredibly grateful to the families who have trusted me with their stories, and I'm incredibly grateful to every single one of you who has listened, shared an episode, sent me a message, followed the podcast, or supported Valley of Secrets over this past year in some way. It really has meant more to me than you probably realize. And I do want to make one thing clear. This is a hiatus. I am not saying that Valley of Secrets is over forever. I would absolutely love to come back to this podcast at some point, and hopefully that will be in the not too distant future. But for right now, I'm going to take this much needed break, spend some time with my family, and focus on some other things in my life. I'll figure out what the next chapter of Valley of Secrets looks like in that time. And when I'm ready to come back, you guys will be the first to know. So once again, thank you, truly. Thank you for listening, thank you for supporting me, and most importantly, thank you for caring about the people whose stories I've had the privilege of sharing. Take care of yourselves, and as always, stay safe, stay aware, and stay curious.