Netflix And The City

 

Divorce is hard. Or so I’m learning as my best friend navigates the path of division from her husband and high school sweetheart. To be honest, I don’t know what to say to her half the time, so I just constantly tell her that she’s doing the right thing and I’m here for anything she needs. I guess neither one of us knew at the time, what she really needed was Netflix and the City.

As a blogger, I get to do some pretty cool things and last week, I was invited to fly out to New York City for an event surrounding The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, one of my absolute favourite shows. I was practically levitating off my chair as I read the invitation email and then I saw the words, “you can bring a friend”!!!

OMG!

The timing couldn’t have been better for her to get away from all the stress surrounding her personal life and New York is like a second home to her given that her mom and some extended family live there. It was meant to be. A few meetings moved, kids carpooling arranged and bags packed, we were off for 5 days and 4 nights in 1 crazy city.

The kick off to our Kimmy Schmidt adventure in the city started at the W Hotel in Union Square. We boarded a luxury limo bus and off we went to the trendy neighbourhood of Chelsea and The Park NYC restaurant. What an amazing location! Even though we were indoors, the atrium glass ceilings and creeping vines everywhere gave the feel of being in an outdoor garden, complete with trees and natural material artisan furniture. The food was, of course, amazing to go along with the conversation. 5 #StreamTeam members from Canada and a handful from the USA side all gathered together for the first time to share a drink and some food and talk all things Kimmy Schmidt.

Back on the bus again and headed across the water to Brooklyn for the big event, we arrived at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) shortly before 7pm. As fans waited to check in, we were escorted to our reserved seats in a small, intimate theatre. Popcorn and drink in hand, we were told to take out our cell phones and then promptly turn them off and put them away for the pre-screening of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, season 2. Top secret stuff! So you remember all those hilarious one liners from season 1 like, “hashbrown no filter”, “I’m not really here! I’m not really here!” and of course, everyone’s favourite, “pinoooooot noir”. Well just wait for season 2 to air on April 15, 2016, so far “au revoir, le felicias” is my favourite, I’m still laughing!

When the lights came on and the packed theatre lowered their applause, 2 of the most talented stars in Hollywood appeared from the wings for a Q & A with the audience. Here’s what I can tell you. Yes, there will be romance in season 2. Yes, there will be more singing. Yes, Tina Fey will be on the show as a more regular character. And yes, you will laugh your ass off as much as you did in season 1. I admit that I was slightly star struck meeting both Tituss Burgess and Carol Kane. I mean, being in the presence of a legend from (my all time favourite movie) the Princess Bride and Taxi as well as broadway was more than humbling. Carol Kane is a true star in every sense of the word.

The whole 5 day trip was an amazing gift that I am so grateful to have been able to share with my best friend. Seeing her smile and laugh and have such a good time, filled my soul and made this easily one of my favourite trips. I now realize that we as women and moms and wives and sisters, carry so much stress and burden in our daily lives that sometimes it takes a well deserved girl trip to realize how much we needed it. As the Kimmy Schmidt theme song says, “females are strong as hell”, but even the strongest need a little Netflix in the City.

 

Special thanks to Netflix and the #StreamTeam for including me and my friend on this amazing adventure!