My grandfather sold Broadway theater tickets in Times Square for 40 years, and my mother grew up revering Dick Clark on American Bandstand. So it is no surprise that I was glued to the tube each New Year’s Eve watching the one and only Dick Clark count down to the new year in Times Square each December 31. This past year I was given the ultimate honor of being named the Official Host of Times Square New Year’s Eve, interacting with the 1 million dedicated revelers – they not only stand for hours in sub-freezing temps; they do so while wearing sight-hindering sunglasses that somehow form a shape resembling “2013”.  Props! This was hands down the most incredible experience. Arctic tundra temps and all.

My duties (and the innumerable amount of clothing layers) began around 6pm where I counted down each hour leading up to midnight with one of the evening’s big broadcasters such as Anderson Cooper, Mario Lopez, Carson Daly, and Univision’s Raul De Molina…with whom I tried to hone my Spanish skills. Muy bien.

It was the most surreal evening I have ever experienced and I ofcourse got to kiss the biggest star of the night at midnight…the belle of the ball…the ball itself! I know Lady Gaga got to kiss Mayor Bloomberg at midnight last year, but, uh, I made sure to stay close to the ball.

Well it was certainly one of those nights on which you feel on top of the world, and you just keep pinching yourself. Yes it was a dream come true, but actually it was that cold, and I needed to keep circulation going.  All joking aside, being part of this iconic night was a gift, and I cannot wait to unwrap it again next year.