| This is Ashlee's account of the breakfast with Brian and the fantastic trip over there from Australia. Please don't use it anywhere else without asking permission first. Thank you. The trip didn�t start off on the best note the Tuesday night before I left I had to work and to go with that I managed to catch a cold and have an asthma attack. But I woke up Wednesday morning, dragged myself out of bed and made it to the airport on time. A few mess ups in Sydney made me late for the plane and after being subject to the security check before I got on the plane. I did not find Sue before I got on the plane as planned, but I did find her before we landed in LA and when we landed made myself known to her and the kids. Our time in LA was interesting to say the least, how we were supposed to manage all of that in 2 hours is still a mystery to me. All I can say is thank goodness that we were all together, because I think I would have still been in LA by the time Saturday rolled around and would have missed the Breakfast. We did manage to get on the plane and we are on our way to NY. And yes we did talk non-stop all the way across the country, but to everyone surprise the whole conversation was not about Brian. Now everyone take the shocked look off of your face we did manage to find something else to talk about. Mind you it wasn�t too long before we got back to talking about Brian. We arrived in NY and got a shuttle to the hotel. The shuttle driver was hilarious he kept us laughing the whole way to the hotel. Pointing out famous sporting arenas and stuff from movies. We arrived at the hotel tired but very happy to be there. I think it was then that I realise where I was and what would be happening in a couple of days. Thursday was the day to do touristy things so we walked around Manhattan and saw what sites that we could. The Empire State Building was the major attraction that day, travelling 80 floors in that short of a time did nothing for my stomach. Tired and exhausted we needed food and to sit down. Upon hearing the music we knew we had to stay. Steven�s insistence that we not dance was the only problem we had with dinner. Friday we meet up with everyone, my first chance to meet a non-Australian BSB fan face to face, it was an exciting morning. Melissa and Amy and her daughter were the first to arrive and we all went on the Circle Line. Every time that was mentioned all I could think of was that movie with George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer, One Fine Day. It was so much better than walking everywhere to see the sites. Getting back to the hotel I was to meet my 2 roommates for the next couple of days. San was the first to arrive from Canada and then Ziva from Slovenia, there was a real international flavour in our room. I had only known both of them for 6 weeks before this meeting so them was a new experience for all of us. Unlike everyone else I think I was the only one that slept Friday night. Not sure why really, probably the flight finally catching up with me. But the clock read 6.30am when I woke up and I was the last in the room. The morning began with Brian explaining what the money from the Breakfast would mean to the HHC. It was a great to know that we were helping in some way, even if we could not directly see how the money was making a difference in people�s lives. The group was divided in half and we all had a chance to have a hug and a photo with Brian, I was in the second group. While I was waiting I looked at the auction items that I would not be winning and ordered some HHC merchandise. First off we got to meet Jackie and Harold, Harold was talking to someone else and there I did not get a chance to speak to him until later. Jackie is the sweetest person, I was greeted with a hug and an astounded look when I mentioned I was from Australia. She told me that she loved the country and that she would love to visit. Then without even thinking I offered my house up for accommodation. Thank goodness she realised that I wasn�t thinking at the time and could laugh about it. Just hope she will remember the offer if she ever visits our lovely country. Meeting Brian was an amazing experience and after a rather embarrassing moment (that I am not sharing with anyone) it was like meeting an old friend that I hadn�t seen for ages. I wanted to stay away from questions that had already been discussed previously during the morning, so we discussed basketball. He did seem genuinely surprised that I had made the trip from Australia and when I asked for the photo of Sue and I with him, he had no hesitations. While in NY I wanted to try and visit everywhere that the Boys had been. I think we managed that, TRL, Virgin Mega Store, and Rockerfellar Centre. While in Virgin we did our best to increase BSB sales and decrease NSYNC sales. Lets just say all of us did our part to hide the NSYNC merchandise. Meeting Brian was an amazing experience and even though it was the second time I don�t think the feeling of meeting him will ever change. He has this presence that puts you at ease, that he is your brother not some famous superstar that we drool over every other day. I have heard people describe talking to him as intimidating because he looks you directly in the eye while speaking. It just proved to me that he was interested in what you were saying and not dismissing you as some psycho fan. While meeting Brian was the main attraction of the trip I met a lot of other amazing people that will be friends for life now. Thank you for the memories that will stay with me for a lifetime. |