It’s only been a few days, but somehow I feel like I’ve been a part of the TODAY family for much, much longer. As you can imagine, there is an enormous staff who helps get this show on the air seven days a week, and this crew is amazing — helpful, funny, smart and Joe makes a mean cappuccino! From the moment I set foot in the newsroom and in Studio 1A, I knew I was home.
I logged on to my NBC email for the first time to find a note from Savannah, welcoming me to the family. Taking a tour of the studio, we ran into Hoda, who immediately gave me a huge hug.
Friday morning I was in the makeup room when Natalie popped in to say hello, and before we made our way out to the plaza, Matt and Al welcomed me with open arms. All of this was on top of the warm welcome I’d had from Lester, Jenna and Dylan a few days earlier at our team photo shoot. Cue the Katy Perry and smile for the cameras!
Standing on the plaza Friday morning for the first time was surreal. As comfortable as it feels to be at 30 Rock and in Studio 1A, I’m still not sure it’s sunk in. Yet there I was with Lester, Matt, Savannah, Natalie and Al and the amazing plaza crowd, bursting with energy, waiting for Aerosmith to kick off their weekend. And I had a front-row spot. Wow.
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Saturday morning I heard the TODAY music in my ear and I had goosebumps. I wasn’t just hearing the music at home in my living room, I was on the set, next to Lester Holt, a journalist I’ve admired for years, and then the announcer was saying my name. This was it; I was officially part of the TODAY family. And it was time to get to work.
While there was plenty of excitement, this was also an incredibly difficult, busy week. Everyone on the staff was affected by Sandy. Many of us were without power, some people spent hours getting to the office, if they could get there at all, but there were few complaints. We all know how lucky we are to have a roof over our heads, a warm place to work, and a way to connect with our friends and family.
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I’d been listening to accounts of the storm’s aftermath on the radio but hadn’t seen any pictures online or on TV. We lost power Monday night and our only communication was limited texting. Trees were down all over town, many taking power lines with them. Yet the destruction we saw in our neighborhood was no match for what I was hearing on the radio. Entire towns forever changed, homes swept away, a neighborhood reduced to ashes. I could imagine what it looked like, but finally seeing the reality on Thursday (my first day in the office) left me speechless. It also had me itching to get back to work. There are still so many stories to be told, so much work to be done. I am so proud to be a part of this incredible news team, working around the clock to keep people informed and to raise awareness — and more than $23 million for the Red Cross!
I am so happy to be home. Elated and honored to join the TODAY tradition, excited to contribute to the stellar team at NBC News and ready to spend my weekends with you. See you Saturday!
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