by: Nicole Juliette Hetlyn

Yesterday was the kind of day that you secretly dream about, but you think that there is no way that it could ever happen to someone like you. Well, it did. And I am beyond grateful. My amazing friend, Carmen, works at NBC and said there was a chance she could get me VIP for Ed Sheeran on the Today Show. I remember sitting at work (in Nashville) and getting a text from Carmen saying that I was confirmed. I literally screamed (sorry, Patrick!). Two days later, I made the 16 hour drive to my parent's house so I would be near the city. My sister graciously drove me into the city at 4am. I went to check in with NBC; and yes, my name was on the list. They handed me a VIP laminate and I was all set. VIP had our own special section, we were barricaded into the stage, I could literally touch the stage, only three rows back. I was freaking out, this was actually happening!

The next three hours were a beautiful chaos. All of a sudden, crew members handed out DIVIDE / ED SHEERAN shirts that Ed graciously donated for us to have. We instantly turned into a sea of blue and were all making friends (thanks to the guy on my right for the Croissant, and the hilarious Irish teens to my left cracking me up). NBC crew came out; we got to do a section dance off, and chat with the sweet anchors!

ED. SHEERAN. The next few hours, Ed performed several songs for us (some for the Today Show, others that fans requested and didn't go on air). Anyone that knows me will confirm that Ed is my favorite artist (my friends get to hear him in the car, my co-workers get to hear him when I control the music, it's Ed 24/7 for me). As soon as Ed got on stage and greeted everyone "good morning," he turned around and waved, trying to make eye contact with as many people as possible. My heart was melting, you could tell that this wasn't an act, he was so sincere. Ed started off soundcheck with "Supermarket Flowers." Instant tears. Once it got to "Thinking Out Loud," my heart was filled with so much love. If you watch the video for "Shape of You," you can see me singing and dancing, clearly having a good time.

Ed's performance of "Castle on the Hill" was another incredible moment. Then, they announced the "fan pick." People voted on what song we wanted in the set-list. Ed was surprised that "Galway Girl" won (with 52%), and we all sang along! Filming was over, the show was done. Ed decided to play one last song - exclusively for us. He picked my favorite song off Divide, "Perfect." I bawled my eyes out and was overwhelmed with emotion. This was such an incredible morning, I am very grateful for this experience. This is a day I will cherish forever.

Connect with Ed Sheeran:
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Website

Check out Tour Dates HERE

You can catch some videos of Ed's performance's over HERE, and look for me singing/dancing!

Ed Sheeran - The Today Show