I’m not sure how long it would have taken me to cross #80 off my “life to do list.” You see, sleeping under the stars (i.e. camping) is something I used to try when I was little. I’d set up a tent in my parent’s backyard, bring a book and a flashlight and attempt to be brave enough to sleep outdoors. Inevitably, a bug would fly near my head or the roar of the crickets and frogs nearby would freak me out and I run back into the safety of my childhood bedroom by the end of the night.

Then my dear friends Adam & Jen decided to have their combined bachelor/bachelorette party be at a campground in the middle of nowhere. In particular, it was at the San Pedro Lake in Northern California… oh and it was 107 degrees outside during the day. And there was no electricity. And no restaurants. It was just 20 of us… in tents… on a lake… and it was amazing.

We had such a blast and it was so amazing to get WAY outside the city and WAY outside my comfort zone- exactly the point of putting this item on my life to-do list in the first place. I cherish my friends and I cherish when they are present and supportive and challenge me.

And I had such a good time… I would even do it again sometime!

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“Word and images matter!” That was the battle cry pounded into my head during the three years I spent working for a media advocacy organization called GLAAD (The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). I was part of a team of staff that holds Media accountable for what they put on the big screen, small screen, and in the papers and magazines decorating our coffee tables. The organization also famously celebrates the achievements of media that got it right in the form of their annual “GLAAD Media Awards.” I left the organization in order to become one of the filmmakers creating the culture-changing work that I had spent so much time celebrating.

In just the few short years since I left, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working on not one… not two… but THREE films featuring LGBT content and filmmakers. I am incredibly humbled and honored to be alongside such talented artists and technicians. It’s amazing the bravery and vulnerability they all show each day they show up to work to tell these stories.

Given the talent involved, I was completely unsurprised when I found out that two of the films I worked on (the third being in post-production right now) called A Marine Story and Elena Undone were headliners at this year’s Outfest Film Festival in Los Angeles.

I was completely floored however when I was nominated to head up the Outfest Legacy Awards this fall and make an even greater contribution to the LGBT filmmaking world by protecting the images and stories in this canon of film for generations to come. If you live in Los Angeles and are interested in attending or joining me at my table… please inquire within.

In the mean time, I was asked by www.gaytravel.com (an incredible new website and social networking site which I highly recommend becoming a part of ) to share my thoughts about why I think Outfest (and therefore LGBT filmmaking in general) is important. Here are my thoughts:

Why is Outfest important?

- Because cultural change happens in our living rooms and around the dining room table, not in ballot boxes
- Because the diversity of our complex community and its allies is rarely even touched on in entertainment- so having a bevy of options celebrating that diversity is a rare treat
- Because some of the most talented filmmakers in the business are members of the LGBT community and they make good work!
- Because creating a legacy of moving images that tell stories that have the capacity to change hearts and minds is invaluable

Why am I involved?
- As a filmmaker and storyteller, I care how my life and the lives of my friends are portrayed
- Because I believe that film and television can reach beyond borders and walls and this is the way that I choose to create change
- Because the talented pool of individuals that are showcased this year are often undersupported and overlooked in the wider entertainment arena and it is my pleasure to be part of giving them their well-deserved spotlight

Why should you be involved?
- Because it’s one of the only places that you will get to see many of these films on the big screen
- Because your financial support in the form of movie tickets will actually go to a cause you can be proud of- encouraging more LGBT films and filmmakers to keep making incredible work!
- Because they throw amazing parties

I threw a lot of stuff out there, so here are the links for follow up items:

1. To learn more about the 2010 Outfest Film Festival, Click HERE
2. To purchase tickets to one of the films I worked on, click HERE:
(A MARINE STORY)
(ELENA UNDONE)
3. To learn more about the 2010 Outfest Legacy Awards, click HERE
4. To learn more about GLAAD, click HERE
5. To join me on Gay Travel’s incredible network, click HERE

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Me still smiling before leaving LAX airport

My personal in-flight television screen says that we have traveled 1585 miles from Los Angeles. It’s hard to tell because we are surrounded by 360 degrees of the Pacific Ocean. It’s blue skies and sea blue all around. My medical mask hugs my face, simultaneously keeping my breath warm and my lungs from interacting with swine flu or other airborne gross-ness.

It’s happening. I’m on a plane headed to Nepal. My best friend is sitting next to me, my camera pack is in the overhead compartment and I’m off to make my first movie. It’s a claustrophobic-bathroom, swollen-footed dream come true.

Because we’ve been anticipating this journey for close to six months, Patty and I are extraordinarily prepared. We’ve thought through every possible ailment, taken every precaution, and set ourselves up for success. Now comes the waiting and crossing of fingers. Will “the story” we hope to tell actually exist? Will we be able to capture it on tape? It’s leap of faith time.

All signs point to a raucous adventure, indeed. I awake to find a text message that Patty has already lost her ipod and we haven’t even left LA. My roommate Tara and I arrived at Patty’s house to load the car with our luggage and get on the road to LAX International Airport. After knocking on the door, Patty offered me an English Muffin for the road. I gladly accepted. I should have declined.

Patty displays her disbelief in her ill-timed injury

While cutting the muffin, Patty sliced her finger. Badly. Right before we are about to head to the airport. Through tear-soaked eyes she asked me whether or not we needed to head to the ER and get her stitches. I remained calm, looked at her profusely bleeding appendage and made the uneducated medical decision to forego stitches in favor of Neosporin and a band-aid. The good news is, that was the right decision. Patty stayed all in once piece and we hopped into the car.

During the ride, we listened to Ingrid Michelson’s recent album. One of her singles is entitled “Keep Breathing.” The irony of said instruction is beyond humorous as you’ll read on. At the end of the song, the talented vocalist builds musical tension by repeating the mantra “All You Can Do Is Keep Breathing.” A fitting mantra for the ever-stressed 20 something, Patty and I have repeated those very lyrics on multiple occasions. For the purposes of embracing the morning craziness, I jokingly changed the lyrics to “all you can do is keep bleeding.” Patty pointed her bandaged finger to me with a smile on her face and said “I hate you.”

Upon arrival at LAX, we head towards Terminal 4- the acclaimed Tom Bradley International terminal- and wave goodbye to my roommate. Then we learn that our flight is in fact leaving from Terminal 7. We have six bags, two English Breakfast tea lattes, and about a quarter mile of space between us and our actual destination. We scurry our way down to T7 and arrive panting.

Patty and I simply laugh it off

After waiting in an extended check-in line, we hurry over to Security. I let them know in advance that my entire carry-on is filled with camera equipment. Wires, harddrives, lenses, mics… we are loaded and there is no way to simply take it out of the bag and place it in one of those white bins. I mentally prepare myself to have to go through special security and am immediately told that my assumptions were valid. It was me, a private security officer, and a shrinking window of time before our flight was to depart.

While I was mentally prepared for additional security, I was not mentally prepared for the officer to remove every. Single. Individual. Item from the bag. He scanned them separately. He brought the monopod (think tripod with one leg) back to his supervisor for even more security because it looked too much like a weapon. But Patty and I must have been on happy pills because we handled the entire thing with grace, and ascended the escalator towards gate 76 with a smile.

Our smiles faded quickly when we reached the summit of said escalator. The voice over the loudspeaker greeted our ascension with “Final boarding call for flight 891 with service to Tokyo. Final boarding.” Oh yeah, you betcha. We are the farthest distance possible from our gate and have to RUN.

In case the mental picture isn’t self-evident, think back on those movies or cable crime dramas where someone is rushing through the airport. Perhaps McCauley Culkin chasing after his assumed father in Home Alone. And we know how that sprint ended. He’s fatherless and alone in New York.

In our case, the terminal is packed, most folks are leisurely wheeling carry-ons, and then there is us. We are sprinting like there is no tomorrow. The experience conjured up 9th grade physical education when my teacher told me I wouldn’t get an A in the course unless I ran a mile in under 8 minutes. Ever the over-achiever, I arrived at the finish line at 7:56 with a burning pain in my chest. I got there, but it hurt.

We booked it across the entire airport today, folks. Barely avoiding collision and barely permitting air into our lungs, Patty and I got on the plane. But it hurt.

And the Ingrid Michelson song has come full circle. As we claim our seats on this journey, panting and gasping to regain a normal heartbeat, I smile and think “All we can do is keep breathing.”

Related posts:

1. Layover Blogging
2. Leaving Nepal
3. While Traveling In… Nepal

Bottles of Pinot Noir from the Laetitia Winery

Obviously I’m a bit addicted to traveling. In particular, I get a kick out of experiences that feel fancy but, in fact, are rather affordable. When my dear friend Patty asked me to travel with her to Central California in order to support a mutual friend’s theater project, I thought, “Let’s kill two birds with one stone!” And alas, we decided to cross off #13 from the “Life To Do List” and go wine-tasting as well.

The drive from Los Angeles up to Santa Maria is about 2.5 to three hours up the 101 Freeway. The views of the famous cali coastline did not disappoint and we truly couldn’t have asked for better weather. While singing along to whatever our iPods threw at us, we made the following “Journey with Janelle” videos about visiting Laetitia Winery.

Grapevines at the Laetitia Winery in Santa Maria, CA

We were particularly lucky in that the day we arrived happened to be an “Open Cellar” day on the winery. They had live music and had opened all of their cellars and brought out their professional staff to tell us about everything that goes into making their incredible product. The entire experience cost only $10. We brought along our $5 footlongs from Subway and after buying a couple of bottles for our own expanding vino collection, had spent about $50 for an incredible and lush experience.

As a Pinot Noir lover, I can tell you, Laetitia makes one of my favorites. If you’d like to take a similar adventure, you should visit their website and find out more about the next time they are opening up for guests!

http://www.laetitiawine.com

EPISODE 1

EPISODE 2

Related posts:

1. #51: In the Flesh
2. #14: Call me Farmer Janelle

Recently, I traveled with my roommate Trevor to the happiest place on earth. Instead of heading straight to Disneyland, we decided to use his free birthday pass to head on over to “California Adventure.” This newer themepark features skylines from familiar metropolises and attractions with names such as “Soaring Over California” and “California Screamin’.” As a lifetime resident of the Golden State, it’s a pleasure to feel like I’m taking a Cali Road-Trip everytime I visit.

Here are a couple of videos from the “Journey with Janelle” series.

Related posts:

1. North Carolina Journeys
2. Kicking into High Gear
3. #17: Road-Trippin

On my ever-expanding journey to become a full-time Documentary Filmmaker and Producer, I decided I need to practice. Wherever I go, I need to bring my video camera. And my still camera. And my eye for the stories of the places I visit.

This past weekend, I was a staff member at “The Dinah Shore” weekend in Palm Springs, CA. The largest event for Lesbians in the world, this event is jam-packed.

I brought my video camera and captured many a memory and moment. Check out my highlight video:

Related posts:

1. #13: Take in the Aroma
2. VIDEO: India’s Golden Triangle

My children, Stanley and Sassy

This week, I moved back in to my home.

My Sanctuary. The room and the furniture and the world art that is so familiar. “Home,” and the concept thereof, is a crucial part of my success. I am incredibly lucky to have always had a stable, loving home. My parents are still married. They still live in the house that I grew up in. I went to school with the same kids from Kindergarten through High School graduation. It was Americana. It was easy. And because I never had to worry about these “givens” in my life, I was able to be a successful and passionate student, traveler, and leader. The stability gave me confidence.

As I’m now almost a decade out of high school (yikes!), the importance of a stable home in my life has not waned. While I’ve moved around Southern California a number of times, I’ve had an incredible apartment for almost three years now. It’s huge. It has a balcony overlooking the Hollywood hills. There’s ample parking– which you know is HUGE if you’ve ever lived in L.A. This is my space (as opposed to MySpace)… and I love it.

No stereotypes please

What’s been difficult about having such a lovely home… is that it’s made it hard to leave. To challenge myself to seek the unfamiliar. A crutch, if you will.

That’s why the past six months of my life have been so crucial for me. I packed up, found a subletter, and moved to Ohio. Then I traveled to New York. Then DC. Then back to New York. Then back to San Francisco. I couch surfed in Los Angeles- only .7 miles away from my own apartment while my subletter finished up her time here. I lived out of my suitcase and off the generosity of my friends and family.

And now am I home again.

I unlocked my storage space and sifted through the items I dubbed “unnecessary” for my survival six months ago. And it’s amazing to me how many of these items are still unnecessary. In fact, that’s been my favorite part of returning. The distance between myself and my material belongings has allowed me to reassess my relationship with these possessions.

My talented Gramoo's artwork

And then the CLEANING started. If I didn’t remember that I owned it, I threw it out this week. If I hadn’t missed it… it was gone. It was a therapeutic way for me to create the space around myself that I need to thrive. Deliberate. Methodical. I asked myself important questions about what I wanted to be surrounded by. And it finally feels right.

And it feels like home again.

Related posts:

1. High School Mini-Reunion

#17 on the Life To Do List is complete!

I headed back down to SoCal a couple of days ago after another stay in my parents’ guest room in the San Francisco Bay Area. Don’t you just love how Mom and Pop are always game for some couch-surfing? Considering I am lucky enough to still have a subletter, I have been enjoying the most nomadic period of my life. Ohio, D.C., New York, in only a couple of weeks, all for free! Thanks to all the fiscal sponsors who helped make this journey possible, my friends back in SoCal have lost all track of my location. Until the day they invent a human GPS, they will instead have to continue resorting to calling and asking me “Where on Earth ARE you?”

Because of my fortuitous freedom to travel, I decided to do a little solo 450 mile road-trip down to Los Angeles to visit the besties (Mom-that translates to “best friends”). This also gave me a chance to take advantage of the fancy new camera I bought myself. Now, I’ve driven up and down the state of California multiple times, so I decided to take the road less traveled for this particular jaunt. Instead of taking the 5-hour option (the 5 Freeway), or the 6.5 hour option (the 101 Freeway)… I decided to take the 14 hour option. I drove down the COAST of the state of CA on the 1 Freeway, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). It. Was. Magical.

Leaving early in the morning was quite the treat. Getting out of bed isn’t so hard when you know adventures await! My folks haven’t seen me up that early since I used to take zero-period calculus at 6:30am in high school. But alas, the iPod serenaded me, the sun rose over the East Bay mountains and I was gone!

One of my first stops was the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I haven’t been there since I was about 8 years old, so I enjoyed seeing all the new exhibits I have been hearing about. Per the recommendations on their gorgeous website (http://www.montereybayaquarium.org), I dressed in layers as the temperature averages 57°F year-round. Unfortunately, I didn’t buy tickets ahead of time which I highly recommend so that you don’t have to wait in line. The aquarium is a place full of ridiculously tiny people (children, they call them) all of whom loved watching me as I filmed different sequences with the jellyfish, wave machine, and tide pool. I took some amazing pictures and video there- and definitely also pet a bat ray.

I had quite a long way to drive ahead of me, so I headed out after about an hour and a half. For future reference, you could easily spend an entire day or half-day there. The best part, tickets are only $30 for entry, no matter how long you stay. And if you are a student (make sure to bring your high school or collegiate ID), you get an additional $2 off! The best exhibit by far is the jellyfish. Make. Time. For. The. Jellyfish.

Off I went to the next stretch of highway. I must say, having the freedom to stop whenever I wanted to was very satisfying. For instance, there was one stretch near Hearst Castle (http://www.hearstcastle.org) where there were grazing cows on the beaches. You read correctly. Cows. On. Beaches. If you’ve ever seen those ads for California Cheese, you’ll literally be facing the inspiration for their gimmick. Gracefully grazing with timid waves lapping against the shore… I mean, really? Luckiest cows on earth! One of these regal cows happened to be very close to the fence that bordered the highway. I slowly pulled to the shoulder and tip toed towards the Moo-Cow (as I called them in my younger years). He began to chew his cud slower and might even have raised an eyebrow at me. He seemed very interested in my camera and what I was doing there on his beach. However, when I raised the lens to capture his beauty, I swear the cow started posing for me. I graciously bowed to him after a few shots, he nodded respectfully and I went on my merry way.

The particular stretch of highway beyond the Cow Beaches was gorgeous. The road literally borders the Pacific for over 100 miles. My timing could not have been more perfect as it was just a few hours before sunset. The reflections off the water and waves were a bit intoxicating, so much so that at times you could see drivers swerving after getting a bit entranced and drifting out of their lanes. California is aware of it’s wonderful real estate and has set up a series of “Vista Points” along the PCH where you can pull over, take a rest, or a couple of photos. Each stop has a bit of info about where you are and tidbits about the local flora and fauna. One stop even has elephant seals. Did you hear me? Elephant Seals! Check out the attached video for a view of these lazy beasts:

My favorite part of the journey was that it was a cloudy day. This meant that most of the drive included a delicate marine layer that tickled the coast line and at various points allowed a choice few rays of sunshine sparkle through onto the water’s surface. There was a small rock slide at one point on the route and because the traffic was only one lane in each direction, I turned off my car and took my camera out. The fog was so thick at this juncture that the cliff to my right appeared as if you’d fall into a cloud. It was really just breathtaking.

One of my last stops was at Pea Soup Andersen’s in Buellton. I have been there before as a child, but have never actually tried the pea soup. It looked like vomit. It smelled weird. And who happily eats peas before they turn 18? I was feeling adventurous on this particular day, so I thought I’d give it a try. The green goop looked as unappetizing as I expected it would, but was not enough to deter me. And after confirming that there was no ham stock involved (it’s a Vegan recipe at Andersen’s!), I sampled. And it tasted like peas. In soup form. Which didn’t taste anywhere near as bad as it sounded. In fact, I have since purchased a can of Andersen’s very same soup at a SoCal grocery store. I didn’t even realize you could purchase it!

After conquering the pea soup, I emerged from the restaurant in darkness and still 150 miles North of my destination. The iPod and a couple of rest stops allowed me to stay awake and thus 14 hours after leaving the bay, I rolled into my Los Angeles apartment exhausted. All of the batteries in my camera, backup camera, and video camera were also exhausted. Even my cell phone was dead. This journey was significant for me because I demanded the time and energy to enjoy it. I literally took the road less traveled and allowed myself the freedom to experience the landscape, sites, sounds and smells of the state I grew up in without a time limit. It’s amazing what beautiful landscapes and nooks I drove right by when I chose to take the easy, more direct road. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect opportunity to learn the cliche life lesson of focusing less on the destination and more on the road that got you there.

One ticket for Monterey Bay Aquarium= $30 USD
One memorable interaction with a regal cow= $0 USD
Two tanks of unleaded gas =$42
A chance to appreciate the state that you’ve called home for 25 years= Priceless.

Related posts:

1. N. Carolina Photography
2. #13: Take in the Aroma
3. Travel helped me stop Smoking

The power of social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook never ceases to amaze me. You just never know how is looking at your page and who might be interested in what’s going on in your world. It’s so easy to feel little and small and imagine great distances between you and your peers. These sites make that distance seem so much smaller.

Recently, I “accidentally” planned a mini high-school reunion. A friend of a friend saw a message I sent telling her I thought we should try to get some folks together. We all went to school together, so she figured we should all hop in and bring anyone from school we were still in touch with. Suddenly, there were 20 of us at the local bowling ally in the town we all grew up in. All because of one little message I sent to someone on Facebook.

My class’s formal 10 year reunion is not until 2011. If the stress and anticipation is any worse than it was for me on this pseudo reunion, it should be fun for anyone who has to watch me prep for the big event. My parents and brother had quite a laugh as I ran in and out of the living room modeling FOUR various hairstyles and a plethora of outfit options. Bless their hearts, they smiled and played along lovingly.

As I’m sure is true for anyone else who’s attended a reunion recently, the anticipatory anxiety was hardly worth it. Upon arrival, it was nothing but smiles as we greeted one another and laughed about how we all look the same as we did in High School. Even those who showed up whom I was never close with were fun to catch up with.

It was fun! I recommend accidental reunions to anyone.

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I can’t describe how hard it’s been to not be in California since the election. I constantly peruse the myspace pages and facebook profiles of my Cali buddies as they share their pix and stories from the protests and rallies taking place on a daily basis back West. I admire my friends and admire my community for the stance they have taken. 10,000 marchers? Walking over 20 miles in one day? I just wish I could stand (or rather march) with you.

Please know that I love you. Please know that if I could be there and share your tears and your fears in person- that it would happen in the blink of an eye. Instead, I have to remotely support you- and myself as a Cali native from the East Coast. There is much to do across this nation so I have been happy to speak at length with numerous people who find out I’m from CA and ask for my thoughts. I share with them the pride that I feel when I think about my community.

I will say that from afar- I am excited to see the shift from “streets to strategy.” That beyond the army of bodies that are being seen across the nation- united for civil righs- that there is a natural shift to having an army of voices be heard. I love the messages that I read that encourage us all to remember that just because the African American, Latino, and Mormon communities had MOST members vote in favor of removing our rights- that in fact not ALL did. That we have allies in each community that we must not alienate.

I send my love to you all and can’t wait until I can march with you. Be home soon!

Related posts:

1. Here We Go…
2. Fear Sets In
3. The Hike Against Hate