Katie Couric - The Story, The Experience, The Dream Come True

If you know me at all, you know I tend to dream big.

Well, this past week has reaffirmed my faith in the whole "dreaming big" thing.

So, last week, I went on the Katie Couric website to finally submit my YOLO video. YOLO=You Only Live Once and it's a segment Katie has where she fulfills people's dreams if they submit a video indicating why they deserve it.

Anyway, so I get on the website but quickly get distracted by all the other STUFF on it! So she has all these different prompts (i.e. "Are you going through a divorce?" "Are you going through a rough time?" etc.)... well, one of the prompts was about how / why you deserve your "big moment".

I was like - oh my heavens, this is just calling my NAME. So I quickly whipped up a little essay explaining how I would like my "big moment" for reasons x, y and z... once I set my mind to something, I will execute accordingly. You better believe I submitted my little essay right then and there (it was rather therapeutic given the day I'd had! Haha.)

WELL! I get home from dinner on Wednesday to a missed call from 212 area code (New York) and a voice mail... from one of the producers on the Katie show!! They found my story interesting enough, I guess, because... they wanted me to come UP TO NEW YORK TO BE ON THE SHOW FOR A SEGMENT!!!!

The past week has been a WHIRLWIND! I got that call on Wednesday, a camera crew came to my apartment to tape my "bio" on Friday and then I was flown to New York (with car service and everything!) on Sunday and taped on Monday!!! Isn't that CRAZY?!?!?!?!

Sure, I mis-read my flight itinerary and only realized I had a noon flight at 10:45 on Sunday morning... when I was definitely still in my pajamas and not packed in the slightest... but professional traveler that I am, I literally just dumped a HURRICANE of clothes into my suitcase and hoped for the best...

After the speediest cab ride ever and a bit of luck thrown in for good measure (this has GOT to be the only day in recent months that I did not encounter any traffic nor security lines in the slightest), I made it to the airport in one piece and, believe it or not, with about 20 minutes to spare before boarding!

Let the adventure begin!!

The Katie show had a car service waiting for me once I arrived at the airport (and for the rest of my time in New York) - I was in complete awe with the Lincoln Navigator that greeted me, complete with tinted windows... I didn't grab a good picture though, otherwise you better believe I'd be documenting the hell outta that pimped out ride!

After arriving at the Algonquin Hotel (talk about cozy, quaint charm in the midst of midtown Manhattan!), I quickly dropped my stuff off and then headed to 34th Street because I simply HAD to do some last-minute shopping considering I still had yet to decide on what to wear for the show the next day. Just FYI - I HATE shopping (no exaggeration) so this definitely was not the "fun New York shopping experience" that many girls dream of. Rather, it was a bit stressful and, to be perfectly honest, frenzied.

Oh well - I ended up buying a couple of pieces just in case.

Then, I was back to my hotel to prep just a touch for the next day and get a good night's rest - I had no idea what to expect so I wanted to be up by 7 although my car service (I love saying that ;)) wasn't picking me up until 9.

Well, good thing I woke up at 7... because as I was getting ready I realized two crucial items I had completely forgotten to pack in my haste: my makeup powder brush and... well, my Spanx. If you know me at all, you know I am OBSESSED with my Spanx and of ALL days to forget my pair, it would HAVE to be the day I show up on national TV, right? Right.

Sigh, oh well. I guess a girl's gotta wing it from time to time. Anyway, so the car drops me off and I'm still a bit confused - I had no idea what to really expect during "my" segment but, let's be honest, I was just so darn excited about the experience that I brushed that aside. I was immediately ushered to the Green Room which was essentially a pretty large, lofty space for guests to chill in until they needed to get onstage. Well, I had quite some time before my segment, so I took advantage of my time by... well, documenting every inch of that green room of course ;)

Then! I was whisked off for hair and makeup - two things that I pay very little attention to on a daily basis (this is why you'll see pretty much a different looking person on that stage itself). But it was actually kind of fun! The hair and makeup people were just so NICE! And I have to admit, it was kind of fun getting all fussed over ;) (I'm only saying this because I usually HATE being fussed over.)

Well, it was during that time that I learned that I was going to be seated in the first row audience section, where questions would be directed toward me.We needed to figure this out at least by this point, since that was driving the "type" of makeup they were doing for me.

Well, after a bit more waiting, I was escorted right behind the stage to get all mic'ed up.. and that is when people realized there was a last-minute change and... get this, I was actually going to be put ONSTAGE with Katie (who I am OBSESSED WITH!) and Daymond John (CEO of FUBU and on that Shark Tank show). I found out I was going to be onstage just a few minutes before actually having to GO out onstage - God, it was such a chaotic frenzy that I didn't even have TIME to be nervous!

And you know what's so funny? I thought I would be nervous as soon as I saw the large audience, but I was unusually calm. I have a feeling Katie's persona had something to do with the lack of anxiety though - honestly, she couldn't have been a more welcoming and calming presence. Her smile was absolutely infectious and I just could NOT believe I was face to face with one of my role models. I mean, talk about a dream come true. (Understatement.)

And then... well, then the segment happened. Basically, Katie and Daymond were providing me insight and advice on how to live out my dreams and "have my moment"... you know what's funny? The nerves NEVER kicked in. (I can't get over that!) I honestly think Katie's personality and demeanor really have a calming effect on people, because that interview could have gone so terribly downhill otherwise.

When it was over, we chatted for a bit more and took a few pictures (which, by the way, I'm definitely following up in a friendly fashion with Katie's crew for - I want my picture with my role model!!) and then I was whisked offstage! I couldn't believe how quick it all was! I didn't even get a chance to tell Katie how much I adore her (I'm pretty sure that was apparent in my reaction when I first met her - it took all my self-restraint to not just give her a big ol' bear hug) and how my tweet appeared on her show and... well, I could go on and on.

And shortly after that, I was whisked off to the airport!

Like I said, it was a legitimate, frenzied whirlwind.

And I loved every, single, fleeting minute of it.

All I have to say is - dream big.

So, without further ado... one of my favorite moments - ever.

Day One: The Reunion

Day One involved actually getting to Panama and actually finding the people that were flying in from New York. Trust me, given how little planning had been involved with this trip (all we really had booked at this point was our hotel), these two activities were going to be feats in and of themselves.

Purvi and I were flying together since we both live in Chicago and were able to get on the same direct flight to Panama City. Amogh and Rahima were flying down together from New York. We were just going to meet them at our hotel, since our flights were only a couple of hours off from each other.

As Purvi and I were trying to figure out carpooling situations to the airport, we quickly started realizing just how different our travel styles are. Although our flight was only at 9 AM, I wanted to make sure we allowed ample time for traffic, security lines, etc. So, I proposed we leave our apartments at 6:00 AM... well, just in CASE! We were flying international after all- who knows what we could expect? Purvi, however, was all set to just head to the airport around 7:30 AM or so... when she shared THAT with me, I just stared blankly at her and was like "Okay, well I guess I can just meet you at the airport then."

I mean, 7:30?!?! It was 4th of July! How can anyone be sure that we weren't going to hit traffic or encounter some unexpected lines at the airport, given the holiday?

In any event, we ended up leaving around 6:30 AM... and got to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Thank goodness- I'm a freak about being on time for things... early is more preferable. After hitting no traffic and no security lines (well, what?! Better safe than sorry!), we ended up being ready and set for our flight with a couple of hours to spare before boarding began.

So I overestimated the amount of time all of this would take. Sue me. No fret though- thanks to Purvi's status, we were able to make ourselves nice and at home in the airport lounge!

You better believe we stocked up! We had a couple of hours to spare!

Finally, though, the time came to board our flight... although there were a few fairly disheveled characters sitting around us, it turned out to be a fairly uneventful flight overall. Once we landed in Panama (!), we grabbed a cab from the airport cab stand and began our trip to Panama City... the reunion was imminent!!

Upon our arrival at the Toscana Inn (seriously one of the nicest little hotels ever), we headed up to our hotel room and were IMMEDIATELY accosted by... Rahima and Amogh!!! It has been quite some time since the four of us have been together (when we used to work together everyday) so you can only imagine the hug attacks, squeals, giggles and CHATTER that the Toscana Inn was immediately subject to.

It was seriously one of the happiest of reunions. The next couple of hours just involved some SERIOUS catching up (we couldn't stop talking and laughing... and sharing way too much information!) in our hotel room...

Before we finally decided we might as well begin exploring the city a bit. Keep in mind, we had no plan and/or idea of what to expect from Panama City. Good luck us, I guess.

Thankfully, the receptionists at the Toscana Inn are the most accommodating things ever (we became total BFFs by the end of the trip), and had some suggestions of things to do for our first night. So... off we went to Casco Antigua (aka "Old Town"). It was absolutely beautiful there... we quickly found out that the colors of Panama are so vibrant and the city has such a unique "character" to it... we had so much fun just wandering the streets...

 Stumbling upon a market...

Doing some shopping...

After going a little crazy at the hat stand (can you tell?), we ended up finding this restaurant that came recommended by one of our cab drivers - Diabolicos.

Here... well, we ended up just sitting around and catching up for another couple of hours. Can you tell this was going to be a general theme of this trip?

After dinner, we decided to head to this rooftop bar that came recommended to us by... well, by this random Panamanian guy that we'd run into on the street just prior to dinner. (It's not as shady as it sounds- trust me.) I mean, sure he works there, so he was all about selling it to us but... well, what can we say? He was nice and clearly a good salesperson. For four girls with no real plan... we were sold!

And we had absolutely NO regrets. This place was le-git. It was pretty posh when you enter the first floor restaurant, but you take that elevator up to the 4th floor rooftop bar and... you are in for a TREAT. It had the most spectacular views of the Panama City skyline- such an impressive start to our first night in Panama City. And let's be honest, the drinks at this place were DI-VINE. I couldn't believe how tasty and delicious they were! Mojitos all around!

All in all, I can safely say that Day One of our trip was one sweet success... we ended up heading back to the hotel and being in bed by like 11 PM (this is my kinda vacation!), but in all fairness, we HAD agreed we'd go out the next night... I mean, our trip was just beginning!

the christie version of new york...

whenever someone remotely mentions the fact that they are even THINKING of going to new york, i believe my standard reactions involve some high-pitched squealing, jovial arm punching, envious sighs, and... da da daaa... The Itinerary. The Itinerary evolved at some point in san francisco when new york was like a foreign land to several californians (hello people, california really is NOT the end all be all of the united states...) who were travelling to new york for the first time. and you know me. unable to contain my excitement (and apparently, this incessant need for me to create itineraries... or Agendas... perchance?) and pure, unadulterated love for the big ap, of course im going to take the liberty of creating my own little self-guided tour of new york (which basically is an eating tour of new york but hello. it's new york. it SHOULD be primarily an eating tour)...

after sending along The Itinerary recently, i couldnt help but re-review it with my ever-critical eye and relive, well, one pretty darn fabulous city. so with no further delay, by all means... i welcome you to: The Itineraryalksjflask! SIGH NEW YORK. ol blue eyes really knew what he was singing about. is it weird that i get chills whenever i hear that song? sigh oh well. but i digress (doesn't take much, clearly). okay, back to... The Itineraryalslkdfj! (apologies in advance for the awful formatting. it was just not working for me tonight.)

1. MAGNOLIA’S CUPCAKES – 401 N. Bleecker Street (a few other locations have also opened up but this is the original and by far the coziest, which I’m sure is your top concern)

a. This is a MUST GO (wait, have you been?) – okay, while primarily known for their cupcakes (vanilla vanilla is my favorite, primarily because I’m not the biggest fan of chocolate, but I know others who love chocolate chocolate and chocolate vanilla), I would highly recommend the banana pudding as well. I don’t even like banana flavored things, but this is one of my favorite desserts ever. Oh my Lord, I can just taste the softened vanilla wafers swimming in the pudding right now

2. JOHN’S PIZZERIA – 278 Bleecker Street

a. Oh, look at that. Magnolia’s neighbor. A perfect night would probably be John’s for dinner and Magnolia’s for dessert because they’re so close to each other and both are legends in New York. John’s has one of the oldest ovens in New York (I made it a point to ask the waiter to see it. My friends were slightly embarrassed. Okay, so maybe we had to weave through some crowds. I didn’t CARE. Hello! It’s a part of history here!)

3. THE BURGER JOINT – 119 W. 56^th Street

a. If you get to this address and are confused by the grandiose hotel that you are standing in front of, no worries. This is one of my favorite “typical” New York hole in the walls. This place has the most a-mazing fries and burgers (seriously, my favorite burgers EVER) and the best part is just how basic the burgers are. No, scratch that. The best part is that this tiny little “joint” is located in a little nook of the big fancy Le Parker Meridien hotel! I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS PLACE!!! GO!!

4. RICE TO RICHES – 37 Spring Street

a. If you like rice pudding you are going to looove this place! I bet this is the only place in the U.S. that has an entire restaurant devoted to rice pudding and only rice pudding. SO MANY FLAVORS and you can select whatever toppings you would like to put on it! And the portions are ginormous! The smallest size will fill you up to the point of sickness. You could probably easily split it too. AND, if you get any size aside from the smallest size, you can “mix and match” (ie: put a couple different rice pudding flavors into one dish! Delight!)

5. S’MAC – Sarita’s Macaroni and Cheese – 345 E. 12^th Street

a. A restaurant solely devoted to… mac and CHEESE!!! Delicious. Plain and simple. I mean, it’s pretty hard to screw up mac and cheese, but then again, I also find it quite difficult to “do” mac and cheese “up”. And this place totally does it up in STYLE. Yummers.

6. Sarabeth’s – 423 Amsterdam Ave

a. My favorite brunch spot by FAR. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS eggs benedict (and I’m not even the biggest fan of eggs!). Very cozy. It’s not unusual to do four hour brunches here. No? Just me? Oh well. Just to forewarn, the wait is RIDICULOUSLY long on the weekends so get there early

7. Kitchenette – 1272 Amsterdam Ave (way uptown, right by Columbia) or 156 Chambers Street (a really “hip” part of town… Tribeca… never been to this location before)

a. ANOTHER AMAZING brunch spot!! If you like sweets for brunch, they are a winner. Their other food is good too, but you will be inundated with bakery deliciousness as soon as you step in the door. Again, gets crowded, but it’s New York brunch. If a place doesn’t get crowded, you shouldn’t be going there either.

8. Serendipity!! – 225 E. 60^th St

a. This place gets super crowded too, thanks to the overhype from the movie, but their desserts are le-git. Don’t get a meal here though because it is definitely a downfall. They are known for their frozen hot chocolate. I highly recommend their PEANUT BUTTER FROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE. Oh wait. If you happen to be weird (I don’t judge. It is just a fact.) and don’t like peanut butter, then just stick with the frozen hot chocolate. A definite plus plus plus. But just to forewarn- these things are HUGE so you could easily (very easily) split just one with someone.

9. Koronet’s Pizza!! – 2848 Broadway

a. Unfortunately, this place is so far down the list even though it’s my FAVORITE PIZZA PLACE IN NEW YORK. The only reason I put it so far down was because it’s way uptown (again, by Columbia) but one of the all-time best hole in the walls ever. Pizza slices the size of Yield signs for about $2, which is unheard of in Manhattan. Very popular after a night out for college kids, but good pizza any darn time really. HUGE AND DELICIOUS!

10. Mamoun’s Falafel – 119 MacDougal Street

a. I’ve never been here but everyone who goes RAVES about it. Mediterranean at its finest… cheap and quick! Popular among NYU students as it’s right on NYU’s campus.

11. Max Brenner – 841 Broadway

a. A restaurant entirely devoted to CHOCOLATE. Not even being the biggest fan of chocolate, this place is an experience. Even if you don’t get anything, you should definitely walk by and see what the fuss is all about. You can smell the chocolate from a block away! (and I don’t even have a sense of smell!)

12. The Strand – 828 Broadway

a. Conveniently, this is located basically right across the street from the aforementioned chocolate shop! And, sadly, the first non-food related thing on this itinerary. 18 miles of books! It’s a new and used bookshop that is famous worldwide. You can find all kinds of rare gems here. Seriously, just an experience to walk its hallowed halls. Think Powells (Portland) except a little bit more rundown (come on, it is New York after all).

13. The Angelika Theater – 18 West Houston

a. I know the last thing you would want to do in New York is go see a movie, but if you happen to get bored, you should see a movie HERE!! An independent movie theater that is just an experience as well. I don’t know why I love it so much but it’s just darn fabulous. And in a fun part of town (SOHO).

14. The Shake Shack – In Madison Sq Park (Madison and E. 23^rd)

a. It might be too cold for this but they have the most delicious milkshakes ever. It’s a little shack just in the middle of the park! Granted, they got in trouble for some health code violations but so did Magnolia’s and please. You think THAT’S going to stop people? Hell no!

15. Mike’s Bagels – 4003 Broadway

a. This is dead last because, while these are the absolute best bagels in all the land (they literally melt in your mouth), it is located in Washington Heights… aka: the Ghetto. (It was right by Columbia’s uptown campus and a favorite among students because it’s super duper cheap and delicious). It’s not worth a whole trip just for this sole purpose but just in case you want to explore life as opposite from the Upper East Side as it gets, here you go.