Live at 5! . . . Karina Kling

Karina on the set of her political show, Capital Tonight, in Austin, Texas.

When you're young and fearless, and you have a big dream, you just follow it.

You don't think about the long hours, the moving from city to city, or the "how am I going to pay the rent?" that sometimes accompany pipe dreams.

But if you have passion, courage, and a whole lot of follow-through, that dream can become your livelihood.

This is the story of Karina Kling, an evening political news reporter and host in Austin, Texas. She's someone who seems so familiar, yet also is part-celebrity in her city. She is the girl next-door, though...a genuine diamond in the rough cutthroat world of journalism, a shining example of someone whose interest lead to a dream that has become her life's work.

Her desire to land in the fast-paced news business can be traced back to her high school days, when she wrote features for the yearbook. She realized storytelling came naturally, and once she headed off to college, Karina chose broadcast journalism as her major. (Yes, she's also one of the rare breed who actually finished college studying the same thing as she started.)

"Broadcast journalism was part arts, part performance...part writing and English major," the music and theater-loving, education-focused Karina said. "I was able to combine a lot of my interests."

She joined the college TV station, though being on TV never was the driving force. Telling people's stories through video really inspired her to continue pursuing the idea of television news. And since her college graduation, she's chased the dream, and has worked exclusively in the news industry.

Karina landed a job in a small news market in Nebraska before working three years in Lincoln, Neb., where she was able to do everything under the sun in the realm of news. She started spreading her wings and realized she really enjoyed political reporting.

Karina had the honor of interviewing esteemed journalist, Dan Rather.

The life a journalist is not as glamorous as it appears on the cushy couch-side of the TV screen, though. Karina encountered countless bumps in the road, surviving many mistakes and on-air flubs along the way.

"Struggling to survive on the salary is a challenge, too," Karina said. "The news business is so demanding. You're always on call. But it's a pretty cool job and worth it in the end."

Just as the news business moves quickly, so do its employees, and it was around this time in 2008 that Karina decided it might be the right moment to move away from the comforts of Nebraska.

She started sending out audition tapes to many markets, specifying her proficiency and passion in political reporting. It didn't take long before she got a call from a cable news station in Austin. [It might be important to note that most journalists work in several markets before ending up in a place like Austin--the capital of Texas--but for Karina, the third time was the charm.]

Much like the theme of her life, Austin fit very nicely with her passions and interests, as the live music capital of the world and as a fitness- and food-obsessed, diverse oasis in the big expanse of Texas. But scorchingly hot weather and extremely long hours welcomed the midwesterner, and Karina struggled to find her rhythm for the first couple of years.

"I think I wanted to figure out what I really wanted to do," she said. "There's not a lot of room [in the news] for a nightly political show."

That, however, became Karina's new challenge and dream, to host a show of her own, to do the writing and producing, and to call the shots in her area of expertise. After many years covering local and national politics, Karina succeeded, creating her current role as a political show host at the same station where she started in Austin almost 10 years ago, something she says is truly fulfilling.

On the opposite end of the microphone--when asked questions, rather than rattling them off herself--Karina forgets the laundry list of famous people she's interviewed over the years. She doesn't even think to mention any of the numerous awards she's racked up. She's as humble as they come, and to this day, she continues to say the everyday people she's met and been able to interview are the most wonderful part of her career.

Karina behind-the-scenes on Election Day 2016.

"When you're telling someone's story, you're educating others," she said.

Which leads her to her next dream...that of teaching at the college level. Something tells me this bright and beaming broadcast journalist is going to achieve that goal, too.

IN HER WORDS

Advice for dream seekers:

"Don't apologize for being a perfectionist or a procrastinator. Also...be a strong woman who knows what you want, and be able to voice it. Even if there are hardships along the way, it'll be worth it in the end."

Other females who inspired you:

"My mom!"

Favorite kitchen utensil/appliance:

"Does a coffee maker count? Otherwise...a blender."

Favorite style of cooking:

"Simple! Been doing Whole 30 recipes for about a year now, so I'm getting more creative."

Can't live without ingredient:

"Salt!"

Karina's go-to recipe:

Pecan-crusted chicken...find the recipe here.

Follow Karina here:

Karina on Twitter
Karina's political show on Spectrum News