Farewell Katie

(Zabs...you may want to not read this!)

Today was Katie Couric's last day on the Today show. It may be a day that passes by and no one even notices. But for me, today is a day of great sadness. I am being very selfish in saying I wish Katie wouldn't leave. And while I'm excited for her new adventure, and am proud to know that she is the first solo evening anchorwoman EVER, I am very sad to not wake up with her every morning. As cheesy as it may sound...Katie was my morning coffee. She was the constant...and has been for the better part of the last 10 years of my life. It was in college that I decided to pursue my education in Broadcast News. A lot of that was in part to Katie. I would tell everyone that I wanted to be the next Katie Couric...when in all reality...I just wanted to be her friend. And that is what I love about her. She has a way of jumping out of the screen and making you feel like she's talking to you, the way a girlfriend would. It is truly a gift.

When I joined my sorority (Tri Delta), in our new member portion, I learned that Katie too was a Tri Delta. I felt even a bigger connection with her then. To me, Katie embodies everything that a morning news anchor should be. Compassionate, informative, caring, bold, encouraging, transparent, among other things. Do I even have to say "perky"??!?! She inspired feeling within me. I have laughed so many times with her, but above all, she has moved me. I have felt empowered by her, and felt like I could make a difference because of a story she has shed light on.

You know how everyone always asks you, if you could ever meet one person in this world, who would it be. Without hesitation, I always answer that question with Katie Couric. She is at the top of the list. And she will continue to hold that spot.

Needless to say, I am wearing all black today in honor of Katie. I will forever miss you in the morning. Gosh...I might actually need to start drinking coffee in the mornings now. Good Luck Katie...I wish you the best. And hey, maybe you will actually inspire me to want to watch the evening news. I know you will break the mold to everything I have known of evening news, because there is no mold that could contain you.

Destination: Liverpool

One of the places that Steve was the most excited to go to on our trip was Liverpool. I have to admit...I was hesitant to give up one of my free days in London to take a day trip to Liverpool...the home of the Beatles. But, I did it gladly. What I didn't know, was how great the day was going to be. Steve and I had a 4-hour private guided tour around to all the Beatles sites. We listened to Beatles music, and we visited homes, schools, clubs, etc. all were vital points of interest in Beatles history. We went to Penny Lane and Elanor Rigby's grave and The Cavern, a pub where the Beatles played hundreds of shows. We also went to Strawberry fields. I was probably most excited about this particular highlight. Strawberry Fields Forever is one of my favorite Beatles songs.



I guess I always figured it was a big field where strawberries grow that was a park area. But Strawberry Fields is actually a house where Orphans went with fields around it. I did see Strawberry plants all around, so that is probably where it got it's name. When John Lennon wrote the song, his home was through the fields and down the hill. So he would wander around Strawberry Fields even though he was trespassing on the property of the Orphanage.



This is a picture of the two of us standing in front of the house where John Lennon grew up. It is actually owned by the government and is a museum today. It was outside this house that John's mom was run over by a car. This is the kind of info that was so amazing to learn on this tour.

I am a Beatles fan. I've always liked their music. When I met Steve we watched the Beatles Anthology together. That's 8 DVDs of Beatles history. It was really cool. I became a bigger fan then. But The Beatles really came alive this trip. To learn new stories...and to see these places in person...is indescribable! I'm SO GLAD we decided to go to Liverpool!

Destination: Amalfi Coast & Capri

Whew...it has been a crazy month! We got back from our trip, and I went straight into a new building with a new team of people around me, and it has just been CRAZY!! My next few posts will highlight destinations on our big trip to Europe. This first one is about the Amalfi Coast & the island of Capri...and it goes out to Andrea the Great! Girl...I wish you could have been there!

First of all, we drove from Pompeii to Sorrento. The drive was amazing along these mountainous roads overlooking the Italian Coastline. Our tour director Earl told us all about the beautiful city of SOO-RRREN-TOW...in his best Italian accent. Earl is from New Zealand, so he puts extra accents on everything to sound more European. Most the time it worked...but we laughed because we knew how hard he was trying to sound "local". We stopped at an overlook and took this picture.



We spent two nights in Sorrento. We arrived Easter afternoon. That night we went into Sorrento and thought it would be dead. But it was bustling with activity. I love so much about Italy and the Italian people. They are very passionate, very loud, and everywhere you go, you are sure to see the "teenage mafia" as I call them. Basically they are young italian punks who wear jean jackets with the collars staight up and have some form of a mullet. But they totally make the vibe.

The day after Easter we spent the day on the island of Capri. Or as Earl called it KA-PRREEE. I have to say, there were 2 disappointments on our trip. The first was our day on Capri...it rained...ALL DAY! I was pretty bummed, but wasn't going to let it ruin my time. When we got there, we pretty much went off on our own to explore the island. We went up the Funicolare (cable car) to the top of the island. After a 15 minute walk we somehow found this amazing view.



One of the things I was most excited to do on this trip was to visit the blue grottos in Capri. We held off for most of the day because the rain and drizzle. But as the afternoon was approaching, we decided to go because we didn't want to miss out. So we took a 15 minute motor boat ride to the grottos...while it was raining. Then you get out and basically get into these tiny row boats that hold 4 people. The opening to the grottos is VERY small, that is why the transfer to the row boats. I thought for sure it wasn't going to be that amazing because the sun wasn't out...so surely the water wouldn't be THAT blue. This photo doesn't do it justice...but this is a glimpse of what it looked like in there.



All in all...Capri was great. I was bummed because I REALLY REALLY wanted to make it to Positano and check out the town. But because of the rain, I didn't want to put the effort into find the right bus that got to that part of the coast before the sun set. I decided to save my first experience of Positano for a sunny day. But Andrea...it was amazing. I am in NO WAY an eloquent writer. I wish I could express what is in my heart in words...but I have just never been good at that. You need to get there...immediately. We decided that next time we go to Europe that we will just do Italy and stay along the coast for longer. It was magical!