Photos courtesy of The Landing
Journalist Hoda Kotb pauses for a photo with residents of The Landing in Alexandria.
Residents and team members at The Landing, a luxury senior living community in Alexandria, got a welcome surprise last Thursday from beloved journalist and author Hoda Kotb for an inspiring conversation.
Kotb, the longtime co-anchor of NBC's "Today Show" who recently retired from the show, brought
Photo courtesy of The Landing
Hoda Kotb speaks with residents of The Landing on April 17.
some inspiring words to the residents at the Alexandria senior living community. Kotb often visits the area since her mother, Sami, is an Alexandria resident. Hoda grew up in Fort Hunt and went to college at Virginia Tech before launching her broadcast career.
Kotb talked about growing up in Alexandria in an interview a few years ago with Northern Virginia Magazine:
"Old Town is, like, my favorite place on Earth, because there’s a feeling that comes over me when I walk through it. I walk to the farmers’ market and I walk along the Potomac, and think about all the times my mom and I and my family spent there. It just brings back all these kind of fun memories. As for restaurants, we always went to a chain, like the Chart House in Old Town, which I still love. My mom introduced me to Misha’s Coffee in Old Town, which is a favorite. My mom’s like the mayor of Old Town, but she’s really the mayor of Misha’s Coffee. When you go there, my mom is like, “Tom, this is my daughter!” And sometimes when she’s there without me, she raises her phone and she FaceTimes me."
Photo courtesy of The Landing
Residents enjoy a talk from Hoda Kotb at The Landing.
Last week, at The Landing, Hoda shared wisdom passed down from her mother including, “Believe you can, and you will" and reflected on the importance of talking, listening, thinking and responding with intention, especially when life gets messy.
She spoke about overcoming fear with the powerful mindset, “You can’t scare me,” and encouraged everyone to share their story because someone else might need it more than you realize.
Kotb shared her own cancer diagnosis in 2007 with the "Today Show" audience and received a positive response and has often noted how "fearless" her attitude toward life became afterward.
The event brought together residents from Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care, reflecting The Landing’s commitment to meaningful engagement and lifelong learning.
Kotb is the host of "Making Space with Hoda Kotb," on Spotify and author of several books, including "Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer and Kathie Lee."
