Broad Magazine

As I mentioned in the last post, I wrote an article for an online literary magazine. It was actually two articles! Here are the links to both articles in Broad Magazine: LGBTIQ Issue, page 23, "Bursting the Proverbial Bubble" http://issuu.com/broadmagazine/docs/lgbtiq/5?e=6050484/3706089 and The Body Politic Issue, page 39, "Hope" http://issuu.com/broadmagazine/docs/bodypolitic

Once Upon a Time...

I've published two articles in online literary publications and here is the beginning of an article that I was writing about the 2012 Presidential Elections. The article ended up taking a different direction and I found this opening to be irrelevant.... I am a member of the "Disney Princess Generation". I grew up enchanted with the idea of Prince Charming galloping in to my life on his white horse and swooping me off my feet, carrying me away to the land of "happily ever after". Like many young girls, I didn't know love, but I sure as hell knew that I wanted a spectacular affair to celebrate the imminent arrival of my fairytale existence---complete with Cinderella's gown. I held tight, onto that belief until I was 21. When I made peace with my sexuality, I also made peace with the idea that we (as a community) didn't have the right to get married. I was living in Orlando, FL at the time and the marriage of 2 women was so far off from reality that it just was what it was and I settled for giving up that dream. A few years later, I was still living in Orlando and I will never forget the night that President Obama was elected--people stopped traffic downtown and were dancing in the streets, music was blasting out of the bars along Orange Avenue and people cheering and crying because they knew that change was possible, the feeling of hope was palpable. Over the last four years, the country has made beautiful progress. I now live in New York City, where gay marriage is legal (and celebrated, as it should be)! We have an army where soldiers who are gay, no longer have to lie about who they are (also, as it should be). We've made progress and we're going in a direction that represents equality for all citizens. And that's what this campaign is all about for me: hope. Hope that the United States will continue to move in a direction where all of it's citizen's will not only feel like they are equal under the law, but that they actually will be protected under the freedoms and the laws that govern this land.

And so we meet again.

It's been two and half years since I have blogged. Living the always busy life of a New Yorker, combined with the inside elements of being a girlfriend, daughter, friend, sister and mom (to kitties), as well as the consistent pursuit of my dreams, have kept me from writing on a continual basis. Although, if we're being honest here, when was I ever really consistent in keeping up with my blog? It's funny, I was rereading the posts that I wrote more than four years ago when we first moved to the city, they were full of hope, wonder, excitement, with just a touch of naiveté. I was 24 when we moved here and shortly thereafter I started writing my "Pretend You're a Tree" excerpts about all my new experiences and the growth that was rapidly occurring. I suppose I started growing at rate that even my writing couldn't keep up with. Four years later, I've learned a lot. Not just about myself, but about love and being in a relationship and what it means to be someone's companion and partner. About being an adult and thriving, not just getting by. And I've also learned an enormous deal about the entertainment industry and where I belong. For so long I fought myself. I got in my own way of my dreams. But I did the best I could in my circumstances and I grew at the rate that I could bear. I'm happy with where I am and I am beginning to create my own opportunities. Before I moved to the city, I always did things in a very non-linear way and I extraordinarily succeeded and I suppose I have done just that since moving here. I'm 28 years, I finally understand myself, my body, my relationships and I am ready for what the next chapter holds. And I am excited to (hopefully) document these life moments here.

Sailing Again...

Perhaps you have heard...but if you haven't been lurking on Facebook lately, here's the skinny on the top news story coming out of New York City tonight: yep, that's right folks...the possibilities are endless, yet again! After 8 months in the big apple, I finally feel adjusted and secure enough to jump back into the acting community and I am pretty excited about it. Whether it be that reoccurring role on the CW or my debut on Sesame Street or possibly even that Neutrogena commercial where I am seen splashing water on my smiling face in slow motion, I am ready! All great thoughts are out in the Universe and my mind and heart are open to what may be in store...

"Lauren, living the life of your dreams is a lot like sailing.

You pick your destination, hoist up your sail, make minor adjustments while the journey is underway, and let the wind do all the hard work.

In other words, imagine the end result, do what little you can, make minor adjustments while the journey is underway, and let me blow your mind.

Phe-e-e-e-e-e-e-w!
The Universe


Of course, Lauren, there are also a few "don'ts." Like don't think that just because there's magic in life you won't have to hoist up your sails, or that doing so will instantly deliver you to your destination. Don't assume that just because there isn't wind one day it's a "sign" that something is wrong, or that you won't have it tomorrow. And, perhaps most importantly, don't forget to pack your Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, and cupcakes."




*As if I would ever travel without my Ding Dongs*

Well, after high demand...

After such amazing responses from my first two posts this evening I have been asked to write more! You guys have missed hearing from me so much that---(yeah, that was a total lie---more like, I am finally writing again and have too much to say!) So, I am going to write a little bit more for the night...

One may wonder...the last posting (before the 3 tonight) was back in July, what on earth has she been doing with her time in the last 5 months, she couldn't have been that busy. And I say...I beg to differ:

Not in any particular order: We've had lots of friends come to visit which is such a blast---our parents have both come up twice(!), had the Swine Flu (not quite a blast), adopted a new kitty--Sheebs, went to Boston for my birthday, spent Halloween as Clark Kent and Lois Lane in a mansion in Salem, MA, bought our very first flat screen TV and our beautiful Christmas tree (separate purchases--of course), had multiple snowball fights, saw Katy Perry/Tera Naomi in concert, found new favorite band---Pearl and the Beard (check them out!), rode the ferris wheel at Toys R Us, Coney Island, and in Salem, seen the off-Broadway shows Stomp! and Fuerza Bruta, saw the beautiful original works of Kandinsky/Van Gogh/Monet/Klimt, watched a 2nd (!) person shit in the middle of the road, watched a woman dance at Starbucks by herself like she was having a solo show on Broadway, fallen on stairs in front of a packed restaurant with very heavy wooden menus in my hand (soooo embarrassing), attended a White Trash Party, saw a taping of The Dr Oz Show, eaten my weight in amaaazing food, have learned more than I ever thought there was to know about wine, and have awkwardly and completely stopped moving at the sight of a celebrity walking by us (that was pretty lame). Surely there is more, much more, but at 2:00am I drawing a blank.

...you asked where I was, well, all 2 of you did! And I mean, it's all about the fans really and what they want :p

If we were to send out a Christmas card this is what it would look like...

Happy Holidays from the Torres/Jennings Loft!

Oh, those two girls make me giggle so hard. They bring so much joy into my life and for a second, a mere second, I think--this is what it must feel like to have a child...and then I quickly snap out of it and thank God they are, for the most part, self sufficient!

PS---after this picture was taken, Fiona realized how close their butts were to each other and proceeded to hiss Sheeby away! Poor Sheebs.

It's been a while...

...and I'm just gonna jump in!

As you may know, two of our very very best friends have moved to Chicago and we have yet to see them since our departure from Florida (except for a brief hug at Newark airport). We are extraordinarily excited to be making the trip out there in the next few months and are in the preliminary stages of planning it! It dawned on me a few weeks back that really there is no better time to be with Jenn and Brandon than during one of OUR national holidays---the Oscars! The only problem is: JT hates flying. She has never been on a train before and has always wanted to and because I love her so much, I thought, what the hell, I should really look into this train thing. So, I start researching it again and the fares are about $84/person each way (equivalent to the cost of flight), which isn't bad at all and then I was thinking, well, if we are going to be spending an entire day on a train, we really should look into getting a room with a convertible bed---because everybody knows---if Lauren doesn't sleep a solid 8 or 9 hours...ain't nobody gonna be happy the next day! The good news is---we can have our own little room with a bathroom for only an extra $184!!! Which is totes sweet! $184 isn't that bad, and you're kinda paying for the experience/adventure/sort-of-safety of it. The idea was actually starting to become a possibility...until I watched the virtual tour. Check it out for yourself:

http://www.amtrak.com/VirtualTour/Viewliner/VL_roomette.html



Anybody notice anything a little strange? Yeah, it's pretty small, but we live in Manhattan, so we have kind of grown accustomed to smaller spaces. And there aren't any electrical outlets, which isn't GREAT, but it wouldn't hurt to step away from our Macs for a day and take it back old school with the handy checker board that folds down! I mean, I am the ultimate Checkers player! So far, not too bad...oh wait, oh yeah...the toilet is NEXT to the bed(!?!)...no curtain, no wall, NOTHING. And the sink folds out from the wall (which is kind of cool and very 21st century), but WTF? The toilet. Is Next to. The Bed.

And then I thought, yeah, we'll NEVER be that close. Which was rapidly followed up with---no ONE should ever be that close.

PLANE it is!...not that those bathrooms are any better ;)