Last week I had my first real hard-to-reach itch to get back in a newsroom since I left The Associated Press. And it was all WBEZ’s fault.

I was in their studio on Chicago’s Navy Pier to record my story that won Story Club’s January open mic. A friend of mine introduced me to an amazing storyteller, filmmaker, producer and radio host, Luis Antonio Perez, who said he’d tape and lightly edit my story to be featured on Story Club’s web site as well as the Overdrive show on WBEZ’s sister station Vocalo.

I was grateful for the help and brought a big box of fancy pants cookies. I remember how well-received free food was in the newsroom. In turn, he gave me a tour of the place, I got to put some faces to great voices, such as Alison Cuddy, Rick Kogan and Shantell Jamison.

Luis showed me their trophy case, which was more like an inset shelving unit, but up front was a gleaming gold Emmy. Unable to resist, I asked if I could touch it. He laughed and said sure. I did, because hey, that’s probably the closest I’d ever get to one. Carpe diem, right?

(To be honest, I had to resist the urge to grab it with both hands and begin a tearful thank you speech. I was only able to abstain because I remembered that these people probably considered me to be an adult instead of the oversized kid that I am.)

We got seated in a studio, I on one side of the desk and he on the other. While he was fiddling with buttons and other radio doodads, he mentioned that we were sitting in the studio where Ira Glass recorded. I looked around at the gray carpeted walls and the public radio geek in me was twitching to whip out the camera, but I again resisted. Not sure where all this self-restraint was coming from.

Unfortunately Luis couldn’t get the keyboard to work, so we moved to a much smaller studio but first, we had to walk across the newsroom. At first glance, it felt like an old home. A room full of cubicles, but with only half of them filled with reporters. Those who were there were gabbing in hushed tones or frowning at their screen while typing furiously. The major news networks were on the mounted flatscreens.

Aaaah, how I missed a humming newsroom. I felt a little pang in my heart and was surprised by its existence. It’s been two years since I’ve been in a bustling newsroom that churns out daily stories, and though I’ve missed it a smidge on big breaking news stories or after a night out reminiscing with fellow journalists, this moment was the strongest.

I guess it surprised me because nothing significant really spurred the feeling, I merely walked through a newsroom.

And what also caught me off guard was the flood of thoughts that came rushing over me, mental snapshots of playing with hot wheels at 10 a.m. and still in my pjs, meeting a gal pal for a liquid weekday lunch in the city, mentoring younger journalists and writing a short story that’s so painful, I always come away blubbering.

I do miss the newsroom and I’m sure I’ll be back some day, but until then, I’m really enjoying sampling different dishes on this media buffet of sorts.

To hear my latest tidbit, you can click here to listen to my story that aired on Vocalo’s Overdrive.