Happy Fangirlversary to me!

Subtitled: Last Year I Met Nick Carter and Scored The Best Voicemail Message EVER.

(Photo credit: @BTToronto)

2011 was a year of getting in touch with my fangirl self, and I have no regrets.

It was a cool morning in August, and me without coffee at 7 AM. Luckily, my friend Katy and I were only a couple of the very few invited to be in studio to see Nick Carter live at Breakfast Television. So really, coffee wasn’t needed. My nervous excitement  kept me plenty awake.

Chatting with the producers while we waited for Nick to come on, all I really hoped for was to get a smile or if I’m lucky enough, a hug.

Apparently I wasn’t dreaming big enough because THIS happened: 

It was surreal. Up until today I don’t remember what really happened in front of that camera. I remember standing next to him thinking “I’m really asleep and dreaming this, aren’t I?” coupled with “Oh wow, he smells good” and “Good Lord, Carlie is in Australia watching this, I’m going to eff up.”

Then there was a hug, me moving away and him staying there for an interview. I was pretty sure I was shaking by the time I went back to my seat next to my fab friend Katy. Everyone was pretty awesome though, reminding me that I totally didn’t eff up and that I was moderately funny. I still can’t watch the video without cringing and thinking “Oh God, my fangirling will be forever in the annals of Canadian television.”

It was an odd feeling, having the object of all your teenage devotion being mere feet away but at the same time, it felt like everything had come full circle. He was gracious, sincere, and really PRESENT as a room full of women (of all ages, really) screamed in his ear.

One of the prizes I got was a personalized voicemail on my iPhone. At some point during a commercial break, his manager (publicist?) Jason requested my phone so Nick could record. I awkwardly stood to the side as he recorded his message. Once he was done, he handed the phone back to Jason and threw me a quick smile.

Was I supposed to remain sane after that? Because really, my brain turned to mush, I didn’t even notice Jason giving my phone back. I just tossed it in my bag and went back on stage for this:

(Seriously, this dude can sing.)

Leaving the studio later on, I couldn’t thank the producers and the hosts enough for the fantastic experience. As I got into my car though, I discovered sadly that the voicemail Nick recorded on my phone didn’t take. I was disappointed for maybe a minute and en route to work, I just called everyone I knew to tell them I was over the moon with happiness. Voicemail or no voicemail, it was still an epic day.

About half an hour later, I get an email from one of BT’s producers asking if they can call me so they could hear the voicemail and record it for TV. I broke the bad news that the message didn’t record but it was okay, I got the full on experience anyway.

This next part still floors me every time I remember it.

About thirty minutes later, I get a call from April, the producer asking how quickly I can get back to the studio. We were meeting Nick at his hotel to rerecord the voicemail.

Hearing the words “meeting” “Nick” and “hotel” in the same sentence almost made me go into shock.

But I did manage to get to the studio in record time. (No one needs to know about me and a couple of “missed” stop signs. Shh.)

We got to his hotel pretty quickly and while we waited in the lobby as Nick finished a few interviews, I took some photos and you know, saw some Hollywood actors *coughColinFarrellinpajamascough*

(That’s April, isn’t she gorgeous? Also, my cardigan matches the wallpaper. Oy.)

What happened next was truly truly unforgettable.

It’s been a year now and although I may have moved on from my incredibly crazy fangirl self, I still think this was one of the coolest days of my life. Not only because I got to meet someone who made my teen years bearable but because it spawned great new friendships and a renewed belief in the power of my dreams.

(Before you start tearing up at that last statement, can we squee for a minute as we read this tweet?)

I can’t even…