New Orleans, LA
REN : “ My favorite childhood memories probably revolve around when we visited theme parks, especially Disney World or Universal. Probably, because, ya know, they work very hard to immerse you into this alternate reality of Disney or whatever it is. I had such a strong imagination as a kid probably because I am an artist and writer. I fell right into! For me, as a kid, and not to drag anybody through the mud, but my childhood was not great. My only escape because of and religiously stringent upbringing and dealing with clinical depression was writing, and later I got took up art so I could illustrate my writing. So, I was always diving into self-made alternate realities. So being able to explore other people’s alternate realities was just outrageously fun to me! Going to theme parks was like going to heaven! I do still like theme parks but I can’t visit them now on my personal budget. Katrina, like so many things, destroyed the only theme park around here… and I hear that sometimes people sneak into it. I’ve tried to talk my father into taking us to a theme park recently but he won’t go unless we can get a small child to take with us. I’m just like, “THEY CATER TO ADULTS NOW! I want Butterbeer! ”