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In this week's episode, I’m talking to journalist and listener to the podcast, Janelle O’Dea. 

Janelle (Jay) O’Dea is a data journalist who lives in St Louis, Missouri with her cat, Phoebe. She works for investigative news non-profit, The Centre For Public Integrity, whose mission is to investigate inequality. She is single, childfree, and loves being both of those things! She also happens to be a listener to Spinsterhood Reimagined - woop!

Topics that Jay & I cover are:

• how passionate she is about her work, and how it’s a big part of who she is; 
• how she has learnt so much about herself through working as a journalist; 
• how her dreams as a young woman didn’t involve marriage and babies; 
• how Jay wants mid-western women in particular to know that there are other options for their lives;
• the serious car accident Jay was involved in when she was 18, and how it impacted the way she subsequently lives her life;
• how Jay loves - and requires - time on her own, and how she enjoyed spending time alone during the pandemic;
• how being single and childfree has allowed Jay to be available for other passions and pursuits;
• the environmental crisis, and how Jay can’t imagine having a child given the uncertainty of planet Earth’s future;
• how the issue of overpopulation is a conversation that needs to be had by everyday people;
• how Jay strongly believes that marriage and babies shouldn’t be the primary focus for young women;
• how she knows herself well enough to know that parenting isn’t for her, and why it isn’t for her;
• how people confuse being alone with being lonely;
• how rather than wanting someone to ‘take care of her’, Jay relishes not having to rely on anybody.
• how Jay isn’t a fan of people saying ‘it was just time to settle down’ in relation to getting married.
• how she’s thinking of starting a podcast!

Follow Jay on Instagram:
@itsjayohday

Check out the company Jay works for:
www.publicintegrity.org  

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And thank you so much for listening!