Self-dubbed a “cautious adventurer” Lauren is at first an observer, secondly a participator. She often processes events, people, and opinions at length before coming to a conclusion about them. Being a creative spirit she is grateful for both her drive to seek and learn, but also for the time it takes to arrive at any given moment or decision.

Since childhood her imagination has been fed by literature, nature, visions of traveling the world, and the excitement of knowledge, cultures, and varying forms of artistry. She is inspired by anyone who has taken something they’re passionate about and worked diligently to master it.

For a decade and a half she has found joy and pride in her career as a year-round swim instructor. Educating and empowering others in the water has been a source of growth and purpose, something she feels lucky to have. To be paid for something you genuinely enjoy doing is, to her, like winning the lottery.

In addition to her day job, Lauren has always felt driven to divvy her excess creative energy to explore the fields of culinary art, music, photography, writing, travel, education, and other artistic mediums. In 2016, prior to her mom’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis, she embarked on a six and a half month solo road trip to forty-eight states and over thirty-five national parks. Her first blog, “A Modern Day Walkabout”, was created more than a year prior to the commencement of the trip. Although the “Walkabout” blog has been put on pause, its creation was a strong reminder that writing has always been intricately woven into her identity. Self-expression through written word has felt like a sort of sixth sense, part of the compass that guides her through life and allows her to connect genuinely with others.

Now, as the sole caregiver for her mom, she has further divided her time and energy to focus on this new and challenging role. By sharing her experience through “Little Spark of Madness” she hopes to not only bring the quiet prevalence of dementia to the forefront of public conversation, but to also connect the millions of caregivers who may feel isolated and misunderstood. More specifically, she wants to help build a network for the one in four caregivers who are millennials, like herself, for which there are little to no resources distinctly for their demographic.