Ashleigh Hirschhorn
January 2002

Disclaimer: This set experience is very thorough, however, everything that was said is not verbatim, but as much as I could remember. You get the idea - it's pretty much the same, but not the exact words. Okay happy reading!!!!!!

First of all, let me tell you how I came to even be able to go on set, so you can get a bit of a background.I remember being down in L.A. for my orientation weekend in June of 2001 for Loyola Marymount University, the college that I would be attending in the fall. It was the night before I was supposed to go to orientation and I was hanging around in my hotel room when I saw I had a voice message on my cell phone.

"Ash? This is Dana...oh my god, you have to call me back right when you get this message. I have some really good news to tell you." So of course, I called her back the second I got the message.

"Okay, so I was in my room and my mom comes in and hands me this folded piece of paper. I opened it and it said, 'You and a guest have been invited to the set of The X-Files...' and if you can get your ass here, you're coming with me!" I screamed in excitement and accepted her unconventional invitation to experience a dream that I had for quite some time. That night, I couldn't sleep, thinking of what the set visit would be like, and meeting Annabeth, Robert, and Gillian again. I was more so excited about seeing Annabeth since I had only briefly met her in February of 2001, and it wasn't even a formal meeting (that's a whole other story, but if you want, I can post that as well). I immediately began thinking about what I would bring her. I had to make it perfect. That's all I knew. I also knew that I wanted to find way to welcome her to the show, and for her to know that the fans are behind her and love her so much. So I decided to make her scrapbook full of letters from all different fans. That became my mission - to make a perfect scrapbook for Annabeth.

During the summer, we found out that filming didn't start until mid-August, so the wait was excruciating, but after eight long months, and cancellations, we finally got the date in January of 2002. Part of the reason that it took so much was because it was extremely difficult to find a day that everyone would be there, simply because Gillian is not in the show that much this season. The date was tentatively set for January 11th, so I decided to fly down to LA and take the chance, but after being down there for 2 hours, we got a call from the set, and found out that they would be on location that Friday, but that Monday the 14th, they all would positively, definitely be there. So I had to literally go through the ringer to stay, putting myself more and more in debt. But I knew that it would be worth it.

The weekend went by slower than anyone could ever imagine but thinking back, I'd give anything to be back at that time, so that the set visit was in front of me, not behind me. Finally, Monday came but we weren't supposed to get there until 4pm. That whole day, Dana and I hung around, played video games, and tried to make ourselves look perfect. Speaking of perfect, I was working on making the scrapbook just right. When we left for the Fox lot, I thought I'd be much more excited than I was, but it wasn't until we were pulling into the studios that I felt about a million butterflies in my stomach. So we parked, received our visitors' passes, and were escorted down to Stages 5 & 6 by Missy and Sandy, the two women who set the visit up for us. I was very nervous walking down there, although I don't know why, since I've met all of them before. I'm almost positive I was anxious about giving Annabeth the scrapbook.

As we were walking, I remember seeing "Stage 6" written on the outside of the building and I was in total and utter disbelief that this was happening to me. It was very surreal. We went inside, signed some disclaimers, and then we walked over to where they were currently filming.

"We'll take you to where the monitors are so you can watch what they're filming," Missy said as we followed her. I remember walking towards the monitors and seeing Gillian's back facing us as she was sitting in her chair. That was also very surreal and though I was living it, it was like I was watching myself experiencing the whole thing. Almost like it wasn't happening. As we were standing watching the monitors, I heard Annabeth's voice, saying something very jokingly, like, "I know what I'm doing!" Then she starts walking towards us, and as she looked at us, she did a double take at me, saying, "Hey, how are you," very nicely while walking by. At that point, I thought she might have recognized me. We watched them film some more, and by the way, they were filming episode #12, but I was unable to get any sort of synopsis. A bit later, Sandy was talking to another person who was working on set, asking where Annabeth was, and he was saying that she was outside playing with her dog. So we went outside, and I see Annabeth standing in the street near her trailer with a young boy throwing a frisbee. The boy accidentally threw it towards us, and I remember her saying, "Watch out for the girls!" So Sandy, Missy, Stephanie (a production assistant who was with us as well), Dana, and I walked up to Annabeth, making small talk - they were talking about George W. Bush's dog and something else like that...I was more interested in playing with Lola, Annabeth's incredibly cute and sweet golden retriever. Then Missy went to introduce us to Annabeth, so she turns and shakes Dana's hand, and then goes to me, and says,

"I've met you before! Where was that...?"

"I think it was Long Beach,"I said.

"Oh yeah!" she said, "I remember you went to school down there."

We were all talking some more, and Dana kept nudging me to give Annabeth the scrapbook, which I had topped off with a gold ribbon tied in a bow around it. I waited for a pause in the conversation, and then I said, "Annabeth, when I found out I'd be coming on set, I put together letters from a bunch of fans who wanted to write to you..." and I handed her the scrapbook. She took it and said, "Wow...thank you so much..." I think she was really surprised to even receive anything from me. She kept looking at it and playing with the ribbon. Then she had to go shoot again, so Dana and I and the clan went inside the stage. Before that, though, Robert was outside, and we were talking to him a tiny bit, but then he had to go, and I overheard Missy talking to him about one of his friends who died the day before, so it was understandable that he was a little short with us. I wasn't disappointed because I know what a nice guy he is from meeting him twice previously. So then we went inside Stage 6 and were watching them film some more, and then I saw Annabeth talking to someone near the monitors. I don't remember what she was doing - all I remember is that her back was to me. Then I started talking to Dana about I don't know what when Annabeth comes up to me.

"I just looked at the scrapbook...it is so beautiful...I've never gotten anything like that before..." and then all of a sudden, she gives me the biggest hug.

"I'm so glad you like it," I said.

"I had no idea it was gonna be like that..." she was saying. She kept going on and on about how beautiful it was and thanking me. I didn't know what else to say! I kept saying, "Aww I'm so glad you like it...you're welcome." She had to go back and shoot, but later after we went to Stage 5 and saw the permanent sets, like Scully's apartment, and the Quantico and all that, we were back in Stage 6 where they were shooting, and Annabeth comes up to me and asks if we're "gonna stick around." I said that we should be and she goes, "Good, so we can take pictures and stuff!" I was so excited. I remember having many conversations before going on set about how much I wanted to take a picture with her, and I was so surprised that she brought it up.

A little later, we got to talk to Gillian for literally 2 seconds, but she was busy, so it was also understandable. Although Annabeth was incredibly busy, she took time to say hi to us and everything, which goes to show how sweet and genuine she is. Missy and Sandy were taking us off set and I was really disappointed that I didn't get a picture with Annabeth, so I asked, "Is there any way we could stick around a little longer 'cause Annabeth wanted to take pictures..." So we went back into the soundstage, and after about 10 minutes, they wrapped the scene, and Annabeth was standing by the monitors, and I was like, "Annabeth? We have to go soon..." So she goes, "Oh okay" And she goes to find some guy's Polaroid but I told her not to because I had a camera. So she comes by me and puts her arm around me and we take the picture. Then Dana took one with her and then we took on with the three of us. After, she goes, "Thank you so much..." And I was like, "You're welcome!!!" Then she goes, "And I have your address, so that's good." I was like, "yeahh...." That means she read my letter when I was there!!!!! HOW SCARY!!!!!! But she was so gracious...I could tell that she was truly touched by the scrapbook, and you have no idea how happy that made me feel that all my work made her so happy. So we left, and I was so incredibly happy. I couldn't believe how nice she was. I mean, I knew how sweet she was before, but every time I meet her, it just gets better and better. She's so sweet and so real. So many celebrities are fake, but she is the complete opposite. She's so down to earth and cheery and sweet. She didn't have to do all the things that she did for me at all, and I would have still been happy, but she did out of the goodness of her heart, and I really knew at that moment how incredible she really was. She lived up to my further expectation of her times a million.

As I think about my set visit right now, it's still in disbelief. First of all, I feel so blessed and I am so grateful that I was able to have this experience with Annabeth. I have been admiring her for so long...it was like a dream come true times a million. She made it come true by just being her incredible self. I feel so lucky to be able to have had the time that I've been able to spend with her, and I hope that I'll get to see her again. She made me love her even more simply because I know what an amazing and astonishing person she really is. I had one of the best days of my life on January 14th, and it wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for my close friend Dana. And to all who contributed to Annabeth's scrapbook, thank you so so so so so much. She absolutely loved it and I know that she appreciates each and every letter that is in there. You guys are the best and thank you for reading about my experience. I'm so glad I am able to share it with you all. Goodbye, all and I hope to talk to you all soon!

Ash