TODAY Show Dream

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved to watch the TODAY show. Matt , Katie, Al, Anne, Natalie, Meredith...I love them all. Each morning I switch on my TV at 7 am, that theme songs play, and my little heart is filled with happiness. It's not just me, it's most of my Mom's side of the family that share this utter devotion to NBC.

So when my boyfriend, Pat, told me that he had a friend that was a producer at the TODAY show, I started to feel that my dream of actually entering studio 1A could come true. (Without having to be involved in some makeover, acting gig, or modeling moment) Well, almost 2 years after we started dating, it finally happened! I got to tour the TODAY show! Ahhhh! This experience is like top of the top of my dreams, next to meeting James Taylor or getting invited to Ina Garten's house for lunch.

So one cold day at the end of January, Pat and I met his famous friend, Roberto, at 30 Rock. I was so nervous. We walked over to studio 1A and into the control room, through the green room, and then through a plainly marked door to the studio. It's teeny tiny in real life and was such a surreal moment for me. I walked in on at interview with Willy Geist, my new favorite! He is precious! It was weird bc they were talking so seemingly quiet to me. Then we watched Hoda & Meredith (subbing for Kathy Lee) set up. I shook Meredith's hand too!! Finally we went upstairs to where the kitchen! is located. Roberto was even kind enough to show us the schedules and how the set up for each show goes. I tried to impress him with my vast array of TODAY show knowledge, and he was so kind to humor me and give us a lovely tour.

It was a magical morning and it makes the TODAY show even more special to me now!

Natalie's news desk

not real...NBC store

Roberto! Our favorite tour guide!

To the TOP

What a busy month of January! I felt like I was just all over the map this month. However, this may be the best way to endure the long, cold month of January. That groundhog better be spot on about an early spring because this 20 degree temperature is not fun. 

I got one of my bucket list items done this month: the Empire State Building. I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of this spot because I find the building's top so hideous. It looks like an alien space craft. We went on a cold Thursday afternoon and after we wound around the millions of turn styles and ropes, that place must get packed in the summer, we traveled up the 81 floors to the viewing deck. It was about 5 PM when my boyfriend, Pat, and our friend Marc, and I stepped out to see an almost dark NYC. The temps were definitely freezing, but we slowly made our way around the deck to see all of the stunning views of Manhattan from the North, South, East, and West. The best part for me was looking out over the city with two guys that have spent their whole life here. What a perspective and depth of experiences these two have of the city. I loved it!!

Another great moment of January was a quick trip Pat & I took to Sacramento. Pat had a reffing gig out there an we needed an escape from the freezing NYC temps. Having never been to Sacramento, I wasn't sure what to expect. I loved it! I arrived a little under the weather, but after some rest and magical healing medicines of our friend, Thais, I rebounded for a fun weekend of hot tubing, citrus tree gazing, and a visit to the CA capital. I also went on a food tour while Pat was at his rugby games. After four hours of eating and walking around the cute neighborhoods of Sacramento, I have found there are some great things going on in their food culture! Sacramento, sometimes called "Sacra-tomato," is in the middle of an agricultural mecca. The last moment of the trip, my friend, Rosalind, and I were able to pick some fresh Meyer lemons to take home. I squeezed these sweet, luscious yellow lemons this past weekend and my hands were sticky from their sweet juice. Yum!!

It was a fun January! I also went to the TODAY show studio for a tour. However, that will be getting it's own post, stay tuned...