A Whole Lot of Screaming for a Monday Night

Floored. Flabbergasted. Elated. Euphoric.

Yep, that sums it up quite nicely. Since the big announcement Monday night, I’ve been floating around on a fluffy Australia-shaped cloud, fielding media requests and encouraging everyone I’ve known since kindergarten to vote for my video. Oh, and trying to keep up with my current job, too!

Last night while waiting for the news, I refreshed www.IslandReefJob.com about 100 times in a row and Tweeted my anticipation to fellow applicants Anny Chih and Traveling Tony. Once I could access the site, all I saw were blank blue boxes with teeny question marks inside. Question marks! As I scrolled over each box, the applicant’s country would pop up, but no photo and no name. Frantically, I attempted to click each USA applicant… and I never once came upon my own.

I clicked around for about five minutes and then accepted I hadn’t made the cut. My iPhone buzzed on the table next to my computer, but I didn’t pick it up. I needed a moment to adjust to life without this exciting project to look forward to.

And then the photos loaded on the page. I scrolled through one row, another, another, another, another… and then my eyes landed on Anny’s thumbnail. “Hurray!” I shouted, a fellow Ninger. (What’s a Ninger?)

Suddenly, I saw another strangely familiar face – and realized it was ME! “Holy cow,” I muttered, not fully comprehending what I was seeing. “Holy cow!” I screamed. Roommate K stared at me bewildered, as he didn't have the slightest idea what I was doing at that moment. From the grave tone of my voice, I’m quite sure he thought someone had died.

Then I started screeching at the top of my lungs and stomping my feet and laughing and freaking out with my entire being. The phone buzzed again - it was Lauren, my Times Square camerawoman. This time, I picked up. Here’s that conversation.

It was the beginning of an inordinate amount of screaming for a Monday night.

Little Sister: Hello?

Big Apple Angie: Hey. (deceptively sad voice)

Little Sister: Well, what happened!?

Big Apple Angie: I’ve got bad news…

Little Sister: Oh, no!

Big Apple Angie: Just kidding! I made it! AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Little Sister: AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We’re going to Australia!

Big Apple Angie: Whoa, don’t pack your bags yet! There’s work to be done!

Sisters In Unison: AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

 

My Grandma: Hello?

Big Apple Angie: Guess what?!

My Grandma: What?

Big Apple Angie: I made the top 50!

My Grandma: Oh my God! Ernie! (my grandpa) Ernie! She made the top 50!

Papa (in background): Well, I knew she would!

My Brother: Whoa, dude!

Big Apple Angie: You answered the phone finally!

My Brother: Just got your message, dude, this is awesome.

Big Apple Angie: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I’m so excited!

My Brother: Dude, yeah.

Big Apple Angie: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

 

Big Apple Angie: Hi! OMG! Mom! OMG! AHHHHHHH! This is so crazy!

Mom: I’m not surprised. Not one bit.

All I can say is it’s a good thing I wrote the press release in advance because I was a hot mess immediately following the announcement. (Of course I wasn’t sure I was going to make the cut – I wrote both a victory and a defeat statement!) I decided to grab a cab to Jamie’s to gather my thoughts and watch the Bachelor (btw: Jason = public enemy No. 1), and I ran out of the house in such a state that I realized I had no coat and was wearing flip-flops. At 23 degrees and with 10 inches of snow on the ground, that only lasted a second before I ran back in the apartment to grab appropriate attire. Jamie ordered dinner for me, paid for it and made sure I was refocused by the time I left. (p.s. She started a new job yesterday! Congrats!)

Stay tuned, BAA readers, because you’re in for a wild ride over the next few weeks! I’m honored and blessed to share it with all of you who've been with me since the beginning and SO happy to welcome the newbies. Enjoy the adventures of Big Apple Angie!