Sheilah Kast lived in Romania for a few years while her husband, Jim Rosapepe, served as U.S. ambassador there. He's now a state senator and the couple live in College Park, which seems a long way from the Balkans. But Kast finds the town just as interesting. "Some folks are oriented toward the university, but there's a nice range of people. And it's not snooty, and it's diverse and low key." Kast, 58, the host of WYPR's Maryland Morning, has also done television, but likes radio better. "Radio let's you really focus on communication and ideas. I did TV for a long time, and that's fun too, and pictures are powerful, but being tied to pictures can limit what stories you take on."
1
An MP3 player
"I don't know what kind to get. ... But I think this is really silly that I cannot easily access a podcast. I ought to be one of those people who walks around with podcasts in my pockets."
2
Small saucepan with a heavy bottom and a tight-fitting lid
"I put some eggs on low heat and walked away and now I have to scour the pot. ... I walk away and forget things. When we lived in Romania, we had a cook."
3
Hybrid car
"I commute 32 miles one way from College Park to Charles Village. I'm putting way too many hydrocarbons in the air."
4
Writing retreat
"My husband and I started a book when we were leaving Romania six years ago about interesting people we saw there. Everybody from the patriarch of the Orthodox church ... to an amazing American nun."
5
Gym membership
"Something that's close enough to home and open late enough. I don't really like to do anything at the gym. ... [But] it would be a good thing to be working out occasionally."