Throughout Norah O’Donnell’s airy, light-filled New York City apartment, there are glimpses of her far-reaching career in broadcasting. For example, bookended by the CBS This Morning co-anchor’s two Emmys are elegantly framed photos of O’Donnell with dignitaries, a pope, presidents, and other politicos. A broadcast journalist for more than two decades, O’Donnell, who turns 45 in January, has covered six presidential elections and traveled the world to interview notable newsmakers.

Born into a military family, O’Donnell grew up in such far-flung locales as Landstuhl, Germany, and Seoul, South Korea. She is married to Geoff Tracy, a restaurateur, and the couple has 11-year-old twins, Henry and Grace, and another daughter, Riley, 10. Read on as O’Donnell—who splits her time between New York City and Washington, D.C.—shares her four favorite things in the world.

PAINTINGS

“We’ve gone to Sea Island, Ga., for many years and when we stayed at The Cloister, I noticed a painting of kids on the beach that I really liked. I asked the concierge to give me the name of the artist and learned that the paintings were by Ann Conrad, an artist in North Carolina. I tracked her down and now I send her photos and she makes [these]. The one of my son and husband at the beach is a favorite.”

EARRINGS

“My husband gave these star earrings to me two Mother’s Days ago. I’m not really a jewelry person, but I spotted these in an ad and loved them. I ended up wearing them to the Time 100 Gala. I usually get Mother’s Day cards, so this was a big deal!”

MILITARY COINS

“Traditionally, if you meet with a commander or the secretary of defense, you may be given a coin. It’s considered an honorary gift. I have about 20, each of which tells a story. For example, there’s one here from USAG-Yongsan, the airbase in Seoul where I lived as a child, that was given to me by the commander. In military circles, a coin is a sign of respect, a memento to be treasured.”

BOOKS BY JOURNALISTS

“These first-edition, signed books, A Reporter’s Life by Walter Cronkite and In Search of Light: The Broadcasts of Edward R. Murrow 1938-1961, were given to me as gifts and I treasure them. In fact, in our CBS This Morning studio, we have the original map of the world that was on set when Cronkite read the news. The values from those days are the same: original reporting and great storytelling....[but now we] have a very powerful group of female correspondents who dominate the broadcast.”

NORAH O’DONNELL

At home with Norah O'Donnell