baby's first business trip

(warning: super-sized entry, but lots to talk about. the font size is increased for your viewing pleasure)

deep breath. ok, so let me preface this story by reiterating to everyone how much anxiety i have experienced over the past few weeks leading up to my first business trip to los angeles. in no way did i foresee this trip as any sort of vacation. it was always just work (with a really long commute). so... why was i going out there again? well, i was basically responsible for coordinating an entire marketing event in support of the upcoming I Love the 80s 3D series. (think wedding planner at donald trump's wedding...at least that's how i felt). you can only prepare so much, and then suddenly you're live, and everyone looks to you for answers to everything, and you have to have them (whether or not you really do). running the show is kind of cool, sure, but you can hopefully imagine the stress that leads up to it.

day 1 alone overflowed with highs and lows, and unexpected twists at every turn. aka, everything i anticipated (and somewhat feared) came to be.

it all began when i scheduled my car to pick me up entirely too early. i had an 8:30am flight out of newark, and had the car pick me up at 6:15am. i arrived at 6:45, and basically waited over an hour to board the plane. better early than late. whatever. my driver was russian, and was obsessed with my last name. he spent the first 15 minutes trying to make conversation with me over my polish heritage and all that jazz. i think i disappointed him that i didn't speak the native tongue, and neither does my dad. i apologize for not being an immigrant. but, at least we didn't change the name. that made him happy.

the flight was fine, though jetblue and song have spoiled me. if you have to fly coach, you should at least have your own tv to entertain you. it makes me sad that american and the other legacy airlines don't have them on their planes yet. they should really look into them...or continue to declare bankruptcy one by one. i'll let them decide.

so i got to LA, and hertz gave me a fancy gold ford taurus. it took me a few minutes to figure out the gps system, but soon i was off...annnnd missed the second turn i was supposed to make. after a few more turns, i eventually got the hang of the system and made it safely to my hotel in marina del rey.

i check in. go to my room. pull out my phone. find it off. think that's strange. turn it on. can't. freak out. take out the battery. find it wet. flashback to the car. (i had stuck it in the ashtray, like i usually do in my cars.) realize there was water in the tray from the a/c or something. mild panic attack. pull myself together. fire up the laptop. find the nearest t-mobile. back to the valet. and 25 minutes later, i am the proud new owner of a moto razr. thank goodness for small favors.

after diverting disaster, i rush to the venue for the scout without my fucking in-n-out burger, (which i had to sacrifice for the phone debacle). everything went well there, and blah blah blah, short rest, group dinner, and then back to the ritz.

[random note 1: LA people talk about traffic the same way we, as new yorkers, talk about delays on the trains...except more]

i must digress for a moment. i've stayed in a lot of nice hotels in my short time, but it always warms my heart when the service at a hotel really goes that extra mile to make my stay all the more pleasant. the ritz carlton definitely set the standard in this department. sure, it's great that the entire staff was warm and welcoming, and the valet knew me by name the entire stay, but what really blew me away was the turn-down service. usually, it's like fluffed pillows and a chocolate on the pillow. blah. at this hotel, i came back to my room and found everything exactly the way i like it at home! [OCD alert] the bed was turned down. the curtains were drawn. there was a robe waiting for me in the bathroom. and most importantly, the tv remote was moved to the nightstand, and there was a bottle of water and a glass waiting for me next to it. perrrrfection.

after a wonderful night's sleep (considering), i was up the next morning and off to the big day. it's really just a blur. but all i can say is, once i got to the venue, met the pa's and interns that i'd hired locally, and put on my walkie, i was totally in the zone. all of the uncertainties and anxieties were suddenly irrelevant, and nothing was going to stop me from putting this show on perfectly. my team was incredible. i was able to trust them all, which is very key, and everything just came together.

[random note 2: aamer haleem, the vh1 vj, is a really genuinely nice guy. now i know why everyone loves working with him]

i won't go on and on about what we went through during the day, because that would take hours, but lucky for you, partial broadcast from this event will be available for viewing on V-Spot (vh1.com ) starting next week, so check it out! the highlight of the show for me, (slightly embarrassing, but not too ashamed to admit it) was Tiffany's performance. she may be an 80s relic, but at least she can really sing. "i think we're alone now" is just one of those classics that is pure fun to hear, especially live.

[random note 3: last incident worth mentioning is that hal sparks had a real live stalker that came to the show. we thought he was kidding. when he went to the front to do the comedian panel, she moved to sit in the seat he had occupied. we had her escorted off the premises]

and, before i knew it, it was over. and it was such a high. all the anxiety kind of just faded away, and it all became worth it. i feel so fortunate to get to do something that i love. and even though los angeles is fun, i love that i get to come home to new york!

exhale.