CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Calling it "really tough" and a "bittersweet" decision, WEWS Channel 5 reporter Homa Bash is leaving the station for a reporting job at NBC 5 in Dallas.
"I could see myself living here forever, but you have to be close to your family," she said.
Bash said she wanted to stay in Cleveland, but the opportunity was too good to pass up.
"When I called my mom and told her, she just started crying and said 'All of my prayers have been answered," she said.
So, after two years here, Bash, 29, will be trading the Cavs for the Mavs, and her beloved Barrio tacos for Texas barbecue.
"My parents are in Tulsa, I grew up in Oklahoma. My brother is in Dallas and my other brother is in Houston. So, Dallas makes sense for me," Bash explained. "I've always been a plane flight away for the last 10 years, so it's just time to be closer."
Bash, one of the most active local TV personalities on social media, announced her departure on Twitter, where she braced for the reaction by posting, "Please don't burn my jerseys :/"
The response, she said, has been overwhelmingly positive. "I think everyone understands how much it means to go home. It's nice that there's been a ton of support."
As nightside reporter at Channel 5, Bash leaves Cleveland having reported on some of the biggest stories the city has seen, from the Tamir Rice shooting to the Republican National Convention.
"The news I got to cover in Cleveland was incredible," she said.
Bash is perhaps best known to viewers for her live shots among rowdy Cavaliers fans before and after every postseason game.
"It started off as a joke [during the 2015 playoffs]. My boss thought 'Let's put Homa out there, she knows nothing about sports."
Bash said it became her favorite thing to do.
"Having hundreds of people almost crush you after a win is awesome," she said. "It looks scary on TV sometimes, I know, and sometimes when you're standing out there you think 'Oh boy, this could go sideways at any moment.' But it's just contagious when everyone's excited."
When asked what she'll miss about Cleveland, Bash mentions her co-workers, the lakefront and community.
"The people here are really cool," she said. "When I came here for my house-hunting trip two and a half years ago, people were saying 'Why are you moving to Cleveland?' They seemed so down about it. Now, everybody's attitude has totally changed. Which is cool. I feel like I grew with the city in the last couple of years."
Bash's last day at Channel 5 is Aug. 31.
"I'll definitely be back. My friends are here. I'll leave a little piece of myself here for sure."
Watch one of Homa Bash's favorite stories: Cleveland teen with no arms sketches Kyrie Irving with his toes