Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers - LAUREN LAPKUS Got Multiple Concussions

Episode Date: September 22, 2026

This week on the pod, Seth and Josh welcome comedian Lauren Lapkus! Lauren talks about growing up in Evanston, her Lithuanian heritage, and discovering improv at ImprovOlympic while she was still in high school. She shares memories of family trips to Disney World, New York City, and visits with relatives, as well as later travels through Italy, England, and France. Lauren also discusses moving from Chicago to New York, traveling with her two young kids, and her childhood obsession with collecting soaps and protecting her prized Beanie Babies, including a Princess Diana bear. Plus, she talks about making more The Earliest Show and her upcoming Big Bang Theory spinoff. Watch this episode on the Family Trips YouTube or Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts! Watch more Family Trips episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlqYOfxU_jQem4_NRJPM8_wLBrEEQ17B6 ------------------------- 0:00 Intro: Fantasy Football & Show Recs8:05 Welcome Lauren Lapkus9:20 Growing Up in Evanston12:02 Lithuanian Heritage & Finding Your Roots15:46 Brothers & Married Life17:10 Improv & Moving to NY25:23 Childhood Family Trips26:05 Disney World & Concussions37:28 NYC Adventures & Airport Stranding45:51 Traveling with Kids47:36 Italy, France & England51:09 Planning Trips & Mom's Cooking53:36 Going Vegan59:05 Soap Collection & Beanie Babies1:04:18 New Shows, Speed Round & Goodbye ------------------------- Support our sponsors: Cologuard If you're 45 or older and at average risk, talk to your healthcare provider about screening for colon cancer and ask if Cologuard Plus could be right for you. You can also request a Cologuard prescription online today at Cologuard.com Hims Ready to reach your goals? Visit https://hims.com/trips to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. IQ Bar Text TRIPS to 64000 to get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. FitBod Get 25% off your Fitbod subscription or try the app FREE for seven days at Fitbod.me/TRIP. ------------------------- Family Trips is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Theme song written and performed by Jeff Tweedy. ------------------------- About the Show: Lifelong brothers Seth Meyers and Josh Meyers ask guests to relive childhood memories, unforgettable family trips, and other disasters! New Episodes of Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers are available every Tuesday. ------------------------- Executive Producers: Rob Holysz, Jeph Porter, Natalie Holysz Creative Producer: Sam Skelton Coordinating Producer: Derek Johnson Video Editor: Josh Windisch Mix & Master: Josh Windisch Episode Artwork: Analise Jorgensen #familytrips #sethmeyers #joshmeyers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Colergard results should be interpreted with caution as false positive and false negatives do occur. available by prescription only. Hey, Pudgie! We're going to have a conversation with Lauren Lapkis of Evanston, Illinois, just like you and I. Yeah? Yeah, she's great. Always been a big fan. I've seen her out and about socially here and there.

And yeah, just a lovely person. She's fantastic. She's a podcast pro. Got a great podcast called Newcomers with Nicole Beyer that I recommend everybody to check out. Yeah. Stewart Fails to Save the Universe is on HBO Max now. That is a Big Bang spin-off. of which she is also a cast member.

And, but Evanston, Pauci, we are about to spend some time with some gentlemen. We all met in Evanston. Yeah. It's time, once again, for our annual fantasy football draft weekend. And we're talking right now, it's Tuesday, September 8th. And you're going to be there. Are you leaving tomorrow? I leave tomorrow.

A lot of us are, we're convening in Chicago's North Shore and we'll met where we've got two of our buddies who live. So we'll get in there As a wrinkle in the football season this year There's going to be a game on tomorrow night A rematch, Super Bowl rematch And so I'm sure we'll be watching that And then Thursday morning We're going to be eight strong

We're going to drive to South Bend, Indiana Play a little golf And then you float in there at some point A couple of the other guys I'm going to bring the boys To their first day of school And then I'm going to rock and roll out to see you guys yeah and then uh we're we're gonna be lake life in michigan uh not one of the great lakes

um and you said it's one of the muses it's one of the shitties no it's just one of the internals it's uh it's great uh we're very excited uh i've not been to this house have you been to this house i have back in the day okay yeah yeah it's our friend uh our other college friend claire's uh parents lake house yeah um and uh so yeah we're going to be there As with all things, I can, of course, I could right now look back on Wikipedia and figure out exactly what I was there because Rod Woodson injured his knee against the Detroit Lions, I think, first or second week of the season. So I was watching that when everybody else was on the water and then put me in a bad mood. Yeah. That I have not recovered from.

I'm still pretty angry. Yeah, so football, everybody. Football back. And I have not figured out how to be a good fan. With it. We're in a three-strike pool. You opted out of it. Yeah.

It's stressful. I didn't like it. Yeah, it was too stressful for you. And a three-strike pool for those you don't know. You pick one game a week, one team. You can't pick that team again. Three strikes are out. And so you, I kept your entry into this pool, though.

Yeah. Mom and dad are in it. The boys now are both kind of curious enough. I think I might just give one of mine away too. I might just be out. Yeah, sure. Go for it. I have one.

Yeah. The boys have inherited something from their grandmother. About the three straight-strel? Startle reflex? No. What they have inherited is they're already spending the money. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

You can't lose. Yeah. The minute it starts, hurry, is like, and then, I mean, imagine what you do with that money. I'm like, you've never come close. We do this 25 years. You've never come close. And she's like, do you see how much it is this year? I'm like, it's immaterial.

Yeah, yeah. But she's got a system. Yeah. But it is hope springs eternal. Hope springs eternal. It'll, yeah. That's what it does. Historically, hope springs eternal.

It'll be interesting how long we have our hope about our Steelers. Yeah. I got a quick sort of callback show wreck. Oh, good. From a guest on the show. I started watching Tatiana Maslani's Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed on Apple. Oh, yeah. Which I really, like, we're really enjoying.

Great. And then there's a dude in it. And I was like, who's this? I like, do I know this guy? Like, I feel like he's like a buddy. And it's Charlie Hall. Oh. One of Julie Dreyfus's sons, who also was on the show.

And I was like, yeah, that's why I feel like I know him because he was on our pod and he's great. He's so, he's so him. And, yeah, he was just sort of like his personality when he was on the pod is, uh, is just lovely and infectious. And it's the same same deal on the show. And so if you're looking for something, I really, uh, I really give two thumbs up to maximum pleasure. I don't know how it's going to finish, but we're in the middle of it now. And, uh, yeah, loving it. Good to hear. I, um, uh, probably no surprise based on everything you know baby. I'm enjoying lanterns. Oh, yeah.

Yeah. I've only watched the first three, but I green lantern. I was a big green lantern guy. And I'm enjoying it. I just like that. I just like that, dude. Yep. So those are just some wrecks, guys.

Those are just some wrecks. All right, Pashi, fly safe. I will see you in Indiana, Michigan. It might technically be Michigan. Yeah. Have a great golf game with the fellas. I love you. And do please enjoy Lauren.

Do please enjoy Lauren Lapkis. She is a delight. See you soon, Sufi. See you, boy, yep. Family trips with the mice brothers. The my best brother here. Yes. So nice to talk to a veteran podcaster.

I can just relax Seth is all his at once You've had a lot You've stretched out over your rain That's true Are they all concurrent? Do you do? No, no, I'm down to one right now

And it's such a relief I'm like, oh my God What was the most you did at one given time? I think I had like four at one time And also yours were some real I mean again, delightfully Heavy premises Yeah, yeah

Some of them required a lot of effort On my part So that was hard put on the cans and rockin out. No, no. But we did exist in a time where nobody could see us

and that was easier. Oh, you did have that done for you. You just don't have to brush your hair or anything. It's great. I mean, shout out. Was your first one 2014? Did I read that right? Yeah, I think that makes sense.

Yeah. Amazing. Yeah. Seth doesn't always brush his hair. You don't have to. You know, women have a different standard that we have to live. He has to that.

You can really see. You guys look great. I don't have any judgment. I actually was feeling pretty good about it today, Pasha. No, you are you are. I said you were looking good, good, good, good. Yeah, today is not one of your off days. All right, well, let me know in the future.

Or maybe I'll know by the absence of your praise that it's one of those days. Lauren, we have some things in common with you. I know, I know. Evanstonian and Evanston. Were you born in Evanston, Illinois? I was born in Chicago. Okay. We were born in Evanston, Evanston Hospital.

I can't believe that. That's so crazy. Isn't that such a small world? It's such a small world. And then you were born in Chicago, but how could you? quickly did your family locate to Evanston? Soon after I was born, I moved, they moved when I was one, and my brother was four. Gotcha.

Yeah. Do you love Evanston? I do. Do you love Evanston? I do, too. Yeah, we really do. How long did you live there? Did you guys move away, or did you live there?

We lived in Wilmet, until I was about two, and then we both went to Northwestern, so we both had four years. Did you want to go to Northwestern because of Evanston? No. Our parents went there, and so we were kind of following in footsteps. Yeah. Like they were not loud footsteps. Our parents met there and never talked about it. Yeah.

But it was on our radar because they went there. You were like, that's like a college. Yeah. Yeah. We knew it was a college, but like nary a sweatshirt until we went there, and then they became the most geared out parents in the world. Yeah. But they never had a sweatshirt.

And I do also think there was, because there were no sports of note back then, it's changed a little bit, but like they were never on television. It was never like, oh, mom and dad's alma maters. Like, you wouldn't watch college sports. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We never really watch much college sports, like growing up. Yeah. But then also, we never, like, we had been to Chicago, I want to say, to like just go to Chicago.

But I don't recall ever going to the campus until I went to visit Seth when he was a student there. Yeah. Yeah. What's your age difference? Two years. Two years. Yeah. Two.

But, yeah. I was back in the, in the school. end of last school year, I was back in Evanston, and it was just great. It was, like, beautiful. Oh, my God, yeah. I know. It's so pretty. It's such a great place to grow up.

Yeah. There's like an Evanstonian walk in fame now. Have you heard of her? I know. My mom sent me a picture of it, and she was like, get yourself on here. She's like, call your father. I don't think you're supposed to ask for a. Seth, why do you bring this up, Seth?

I don't. Well, now I feel bad. I was kind of going to, I was hoping that Lauren and I were going to lure it over you, Josh, but there's no fun of me being the one. By the way, it's like decals. I know, there's stickers. There's stickers. There's stickers.

I still want one. Where is yours? I don't know. A couple people have sent me photos of it. It's lovely. Hopefully right in front of Lapeep. But it is like a real like don't get too big for your britches when your walk of fame is a sticker. No.

It can get peeled off at any second. Yeah. Also like there's some real weather up in Evanston. Yeah, winter time. That walk of fame is going to look a little different. Another thing we have. a genealogical overlap as well. Josh and I also have Lithuanian blood.

You do? We do. This is amazing. It is amazing. What's the Lithuanian? It's father's father's side. Wow. That's awesome.

Have you done that show where they go through all your stuff? They were like Jewish Lithuanians on the run from like Cossacks. Yeah, I did that show. Oh my God. Was that amazing? It was fine. It didn't. uncover anything amazing.

Yeah. It was most, but the one thing that was like, they did this dive, because we always knew Myers was a first name that then, like, coming through immigration, got like flipped to a last name. And so we kind of found out it was like, Trakionsky is like the Lithuanian last name that never was. But then I got, I will say you like watch Finding Roots and you get really excited. And then you like Google the town you're from and it's like so gnarly looking. Or it's just not like Lithuanian, it's not like Vilnius and like beautiful castles

and like Gothic architecture. It's like a zoo that has a dog. Seth also as a guest for that show doesn't have the demeanor, I think, that they would want. Because what? You're just like, okay. Well, they were like, we traced your mother's side back 400 years. And Seth was like, well, I knew we came from people. Yeah.

Was his response. By the way, it's like, that's like there was someone before the one, you found. F-I. Had to be. 400? Okay. That's fine.

Great. No, I think I'd be like weeping on that show. I mean, I think, yeah. He'd be good. They'd like you. I also, I just kind of had to say, we have a, we have a cousin who's always done a lot of like, hey, I just found a new document, kind of sends it out to everybody. And so I kind of knew the score.

Oh, that's cool. With that said, have you ever been to Lithuania? No, and I really want to go there. But no, my, my dad has been back. a number of times, but no, and my dad speaks Lithuanian. And I always kind of wish I spoke Lithuanian because it's so niche. I mean, also just to speak a different language would be amazing. I feel like I'd probably be a smarter person, but also like, it'd be, it's a very niche

language. It's not on duolingo. You can't start to learn very easily right now. Yeah. But I brought out to my dad recently and he was like, that's fine. I was like, okay. Yes, I felt bad about that, but I think we're good. Did he grow up there?

No, he was born in Germany, actually, and then moved to the south side of Chicago when he was a baby. He came over and did the whole deal. Yeah. It was intense. That's fantastic. Very intense, which I do think he has told me many interesting, crazy harrowing stories from that period of time. And I'm really bad at retaining information. I'm like, write it down, like, write down everything you just said.

Because that's crazy. It's like, oh, my God, that's crazy. Not crazy enough to remember. but crazy. I know my husband has a really good memory, so I'm like, if he was sitting there, he'll tell me the whole thing again. It is, by the way, there's a high and lows of being married to somebody with an excellent memory, because I have the same thing. I find it's very unfair during fights. Because I, like, in the back of my head, I'm like, you did 10 mean things this week, but I can't remember any of them. And they remember, like, word for word what I said like four months ago. And I'm also like, I didn't say that. And he's like, yes, you did. I'm like, I also like, like, the amount I want to be like, don't. Don't make me keep a journal.

It's not good for our marriage if I have to start keeping a journal. Because if I keep it, you're going to read it, and then everyone's a trouble. And then you're going to read it. Were you and your brother, so three years apart? Yeah, yeah. Were you close?

Yeah, we always got along. I mean, like, we got along when we were kids. And then, of course, there's that period of time where, like, he was with all his guy friends, and I was always, like, trying to hang out. And they were like, get the fuck out of here. Yeah, but yeah, we always got along really well and we're still close now, which is, I'm very grateful for him. Is he, is he still in Chicago?

Yeah, yeah. And that's, I also am jealous of that because it just seems so great. I just, I'm like, I don't know how to leave or do anything. Doesn't it seem hard? Where are you now? I mean, that's New York, but I'm, I'm Los Angeles. And I, yeah, you're still, yeah, great. Yeah, but we talk about, you know, I feel like my wife, McKenzie, talks about,

leaving more than I do, but because I can't just, I can't think of a place that I would want to be. I love leaving Los Angeles and then I love coming back to it. Yeah, I know. It is when you leave for a little bit, you can appreciate it a little more. But I feel like a lot of people are. Also, I mean, it strikes me that you have built quite a stable of co-collaborators. Yeah. Yeah.

And that's the, I mean, community is the most, I think, important thing. Yeah. Having all these funny people that I like. And you, so, and we are going to get to your family. trips. Josh hates when I do stuff like this, but you started doing, you kind of knew you were on the improv path even in high school. You were taking classes. Yeah, yeah, I started, yeah, I started, yeah, I started Improlympic when I was a senior in high school, which was, I mean, being from where we're from, it was like so lucky to be so close to that. And I, yeah, my teacher at ETHS, Evanston Township

High School recommended that I do that. And it was so, like, life-changing, truly. Like, I just, like, once I could, because I was auditioning for all the plays and, like, putting all the pressure on it. And then, like, I wouldn't get into the plays and whatever. And then I finally, like, found that I could just do my own thing. And with, you know, a bunch of 24-year-old weird people who would be my best friends. Yeah. But, like, it is that thing of you were getting real-world reps while other people were, like, learning lines from arsenic and old lace. And I genuinely think one is better than the other.

No, yeah. I mean, I was, like, jealous of them. But then I was doing my own thing, which also helped me a lot, like, socially, I think. Because I think I was kind of like. nervous, especially with that kind of situation, like going to a class and meeting these people and having to put yourself out there and just pushing yourself through all that awkwardness is really good for you. And were you taking the L out there? How were you getting to your... Yeah. Yeah. I would take the train, which was very exciting. And your parents were totally on board?

Yeah, they were excited for me. And yeah, it was great. And then of course, like, all my classmates would go get beers after. And I'd be like, I can't get in. Like, I have to go home. the train i have to get home before the train stopped running yeah but it was so fun and i'm going to see shows they blew my mind and i'm sure you know all the people that were there i mean like i susan messing and ryan archibald and like i mean there's like a lot of boom people a lot of crossover with that yes but um i i i just what like i remember seeing ryan archibald do a scene where he was like holding a balloon you know in an improv scene where it's all not there and i was like whoa. Like I did, like, object work was, like, blowing my mind.

I was like, wow. It's like John Lutz is a guy who I feel like every time I've seen him improvise. He's made, like, a full omelet. You know what I mean? Like, just literally. And you're like, oh. All the details. I know.

I'm, like, walking through a table. Right. Pete Gross said that my object work is I would reach for something and decide what it was on the way down. You're like, oh, it's a flute. He's like, you like grab a cloud. And then by the time it came down, it was a trombone. But that's definitely not one. Would you ever go see a meow show?

Did you even know about meow at Northwestern? So they like came, the Titanic Players, I feel like was a bigger thing. Because they came to our middle school and performed. And I still remember pieces of that too. It was very cool to me. And yeah, I was in Yamo in high school, which you guys had your, like we were obviously, I think that we were the offshoot of that. Yeah.

The sketch show and everything. And that was like my passion. Gotcha. Fantastic. Yeah. I know. I always kind of wish I tried to go Northwestern because I'm like, that would have been cool. But I really wanted to leave Evanston at that point. Yeah. I get it. Yeah. And you went to DePaul, right? Which is perfect. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was great. It was just honestly to keep doing improv. Yeah. But it was like you went to the college closest to the improv scene. Yeah, exactly. I could ride my. Physically close. Yeah. Uh-huh. Yeah. That's unbelievable. Did you. So, and then what, how, what point did you go, did you stick around Chicago for a long time after college? Did you move out to L.A. Pruise? No, I moved.

I had a sketch partner that I performed with all the time, and we were going to move to L.A. And then kind of at the last minute, she was like, I want to move to New York because my family's upstate New York. And I was like, okay, because, you know, at that point in your life, nothing matters. Like, sure, I'll go over there now. And so we went there. And I kind of planned to stay for like a year.

I stayed for a little over a year and then moved to L.A. But it was great because it was like, that's the time of your life when, like, you just don't really, your needs are so low. I didn't need anything. I ate trash all day long and it was great. The best. Cheap trash. Yeah, that's the time. I was told like, I feel like if you're going to do time, do time, if you're going to spend time in New York, if you're going to live in New York, like right out of school is the best time.

It was. Because you've been living in dorms or like not great apartments unless your parents are so wealthy that they've set you up in something. And then it's like, yeah, no, you can share a tiny little janky apartment in New York and be like, this is great. Yes. I lived in three apartments in 15 months, and they were all disgusting for different reasons. Yeah. And yeah, it was great. It was a great time. And you probably, you love them all in their own way. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I once heard Steve Martin say about Santa Fe in New Mexico. It's a great. You're like, everybody else is doing so much better. Yeah. No. I think it's a good way to say that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Totally. Because if you think you're doing all right, you look around and you're like, everybody else is doing so much better. Yeah, no, I couldn't even look inside a restaurant when I lived there.

I wouldn't even dare to like wonder what they were eating. But it was great. Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors. Support comes from Audible. Hey, Bajie. Hey, Sufi. How are you? I'm good.

How are you? Good. I'm very excited to share that we are collaborating with Audible, which is an app that I use a great deal. Yeah. It's an online store to get audiobooks. I just love it. I've been a member for so long. You know, I know we're a podcast,

but sometimes it's nice to not just listen to podcast after podcasts and listen to a book. I like to go back and forth. I like to read a book in bed at night, and then on my commute to work, I like to listen to that same book. I think some of the reading, some of the narrating, what would you call it, Posh?

What do you call the readers about it? Yeah. Better than ever. I just listen to this great book, The Sun by Philip Meyer, which I highly recommend. And it was three different voice actors, I think maybe even four near the end. Will Patton, who's a great actor, who's done multiple books I've listened to over the years, just brings it to life in a way that I really love. And then when I'm reading it to myself, like his is a voice I'm hearing.

Yeah. I very often, I'll go skiing in the winter. And I will always buy a book that is about 11 hours long because that cover. is my entire drive going there, a little bit of driving back and forth in town, and then my entire drive home. And it's just so nice. I get up very early in the morning. I probably leave my house around 4.30 or 5 a.m. And that drive always starts with a new book. And it's one of the things that makes me really enjoy my trips. Fantastic. Audible. Stories that speak to you. New members can start listening with a 30-day free trial at audible.com slash trips. That's a free 30-day

trial at audible.com slash trips. This episode is brought to you by IQ Bar, our exclusive snack sponsor, IQ bars are better for you. Clean plant protein bars packed with fiber and brain boosting nutrients with zero added sugar. You no longer have to choose between healthy or delicious snacks. Bashi, I know you're loving the idea of plant protein.

Oh my God. That's the only kind of protein I do, Suf. And by the way, I've been eating it too, and I'm getting the same kind of protein. I'm not noticing a difference. I'm loving it. IQ bars plant protein bars are packed with high quality ingredients to help you keep physically and mentally fit. You're not going to find any unrecognizable ingredients on their label. The number one ingredient in their bars is almonds. Hmm, or almonds. IQ bars are great for any diet, whether by choice or due to allergies. IQ bars are free from gluten, dairy, soy, GMOs, and artificial sweeteners. I feel great after I eat an IQ bar. I really do.

do, but the thing I want to hammer home, I also like the way they taste. There's nine delicious flavors, mint chocolate chip being my favorite. And right now, IQ Bar is offering our special podcast listeners 20% off all IQ Bar products. Plus, get free shipping. To get your 20% off, text trips to 64,000. Text trips to 64,000. That's trips to 64,000 message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. In partnership with Airbnb, I'd like to share a travel story. Oh, yeah, go for it, Sufi. You know what I like, Pashi?

What's up? I like a neighborhood. Yeah, me too. You know what I mean? I like to feel like I'm traveling and I'm amongst the locals. I'm not near a chain restaurant that I have in my hometown, but I'm by a cafe that only those who live there and walk those cobbled streets are familiar with. And so when Alexei and I went to Paris on a vacation, we booked an apartment on Airbnb. What neighborhood were you in, Sufi?

We were in the Marais, Pashi. Oh, the Marais. And if you haven't been to the Marais, I don't even know how to describe it to you. You know what they call it in Paris? What's that? La Marais. Or Le Marais. You've been.

You've been. I haven't, but I would love to. And let me just tell you that it's just wonderful. You know what I mean? You're just in a home that the owners have taken great care and attention to make comfortable for you on your vacation. And you're just amongst everyone. You're a me. That's friend, Posci.

Oh, you're a me. Yeah, yeah. Lays a me. Booking a trip on Airbnb makes for a better trip. You could be traveling with family. You could be looking to discover authentic and local experiences. You could be taking a trip with a group of friends. A group of a me.

Too les amy. This message is a paid partnership with Apple Card. Planning family trips can get chaotic, but my Apple Card makes things way easier. I applied right for my iPhone in as little as a minute, and now I use it for everything travel-related. I saw it in action when you picked up dinner last time I was in L.A. for your birthday. Well, you didn't have your wallet or your phone.

Oh, my phone is in my pocket. But you love your Apple Card, right? Yes, because with Apple Card, I can spend, track my purchases, and earn up to 3% daily cashback when I use Apple Card with Apple Pay. No fuss. And that titanium card? Always a conversation starter. It's sleek, smart, and seriously useful.

With the titanium card, I still earn daily cashback wherever Apple Pay isn't accepted. You know, for when I'm on the roads, less traveled. Applying the wallet app on your iPhone today. Subject to credit approval, Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs Bank, USA, Salt Lake City Branch, Terms and More at Applecard.com. So growing up, what would you guys do? Were you guys a traveling family? We would take mostly family trips to like visit other family.

So like we would do road trips to South Carolina where I had my aunt lived there. And then a lot of time, we'd go to Indiana a lot. I wouldn't say that was a family trip. But that was like my grandma lived there and my other aunt lived over there. So that was kind of a constant weekend sort of thing. And my head, had an aunt in Texas and Ohio. So we kind of would, like, do that. And then every once in a while, we'd have, like, a special sort of trip.

Like, we went to Disney World when I was five, and that was, like, a huge deal. My parents saved up and, like, it was, it was crazy. And I have a, I do have a story about that because it was a memorable trip. Please. Well, yeah, but you can go through the only. I mean, I could tell you, the whole, and then we also went to New York City when I was in fourth grade, which was also very exciting. And then more in high school, my dad was like, we only travel if we're going out of the country.

So we did like a couple big trips to like other places. But he would never like, he would never think it was worthwhile to like go to like Seattle and just see what it's all about or something. Gotcha. We didn't do that. We didn't do that either. I would say, yeah, as I think about it, like the places we would visit were cities where we had a family connection. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I guess it makes the most sense.

But there was never like, let's go to Seattle. Yeah. And but see, do you do that with your kids now, like go to a random place and check it out or not really? Not really. Yeah, we do. I feel like I enjoy that, like, being like somewhere different and just, we went to Portland last weekend. My kids had not been there before and my husband had never been there. And it was like, we just were in Portland, you know? But your kids are young. I'm very impressed, right? How, how? They're five and two. It's so, it's intense to travel. They say two's the age to go to Portland. But just tapping out of, yeah, tapping out of just like being in your hometown for a weekend. It's nice. You can't do any of the things you would. feel like, oh, I got to do these things around the house. And so you're just in Portland.

And it's like, let's see what's to see. It is relaxing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, in that way. But yeah. Is your, am I right that your husband's also from Chicago? He is. He's from Beverly on the south side. And he and my dad coincidentally went to the same high school.

I mean, many years apart, but just really weird. Bring it up in therapy. That's for therapy. Same, same weird nuns. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. It is for therapy. I know. They tried your dad tried so hard to get you on the

north side, you're like, I found someone. What? Do you guys, because of that, does that make it convenient to go back to Chicago? Or, I mean, for people who don't know, the north side and south side of Chicago, might as well be a hundred thousand miles away. A million, yes. No, it's nice because there's no convenience. There's no convenience. No.

We, it is nice for, like, Christmas because we can see everyone at the same time. You know, to, like, switch off Christmases or something. But yeah, it's a solid over an hour drive. So, I mean, it's kind of a thing to go to each side. Right. But no, it's nice. It's nice. And I like that we have that in common because we also were kind of like, he's four years younger than me,

but we were kind of circling each other like throughout life. Like he would come into Evanston to do Piven Theater stuff. And I never did Piven, but I was like right there, you know. So it was just like weird to think of all the way. And he did I. And like all the ways that we were kind of like around each other. But at that age, four years is like disgusting if I. Yeah.

at him. Even though I will say Piven ages you up a couple years, right? It does. Yeah, yeah, yeah. An improv boy is two years younger than his actual age. A Piven boy is two years older. That's such a specific joke that really, I love it. The right kind of people.

It's so true. Because it is the difference between theater. I mean, even in Northwestern, right, we had like, we had real theater kids and we had improv kids. Yeah. And it was even at that age, like the theater kids. were unironically pulling off scarves. Right.

Just pulling it off. Well, because they were doing the cherry orchard. Yeah. So. And you're doing zipsabs up. And it's just like, no, it's true. I know. We're playing big booty, you know.

I will say like, if you had a crush on a girl and you realize she was dating an actor, you're like, oh, it's over. I'm like a smurf compared to that guy. He probably has real sheets or something, a bed frame. Or not, or not, right? Or it's like worse.

It doesn't matter. He sleeps on the floor. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Whatever. They're just enamored with him. So first off, when you're doing these family trips, South Carolina, Indiana, Texas, Ohio, any of those, like any standout trips were those like things you look forward

to or they felt obligatory? They were really fun. We would often, I have memories of riding in the car with my grandpa driving and my grandma in the front seat and me, my mom, my brother in the back seat. I don't know where my dad was. I guess he like got out of some of these sometimes. I don't know. Well played. And just driving through the different, like, just driving through different cities and getting little mementos at gas stations, which like meant something to me.

You know, I remember getting like going through Kentucky and getting like a Kentucky derby pin and being like cool. Like just little things like that that when you're a little kid really stick with you. But South Carolina was always the one that really was a great place to go. I had older cousins who were really cool and they were in high school and like had a convertible and, you know, like cool went to the beach with their friends and like it was very aspirational um i never did anything like that but it was cool when i was little and like they made me a mixtape that like i you know still meet the songs that still remind me of that time um but i i the big memory from my aunt's house is that i they had a pool and i still am not a good swimmer at all i'm gonna i'm planning to

take swimming lessons actually this year with some friends this is like a goal that we have um But I was very anxious around the pool, like swimming was always really crazy. And that was a big deal to me. My brother would always, like, pretend to be a shark and grab my legs on the stairs. And I was like, yeah, everything's the worst. And I was running around the pool and slipped and fell on the concrete and had a concussion. I was throwing up. I remember throwing up in her house on the fancy rug, like coming inside.

I can see it from my POV of, like, just like the vomit coming out. But my positive memory is that I got TCBY after that ice cream. So that was amazing. Yeah. Ultimately a good time. I mean, it's such a reminder. And I'm incapable of doing it, like, no judgment, which is like if a kid is about to throw up on a rug, which is I've witnessed my own children do, right?

Yeah. Like, and you, I'm like, don't, not the rug. And you just realize a kid, pute, a kid about to puke. I mean, they barely think about the rug. Oh, my God. No, I've caught puke with my hair and heart. I've caught puke with my body to avoid having to wash the sheets. Like I'm like, I don't want to have to take all the sheets off.

I'm like, you know, just letting them throw up all over me. Yeah, this body just goes in a shower. Yeah, I'm fine. It's done. No, disgusting. I'm very happy, by the way. I'm glad. Go ahead, sorry?

No, no, I want to say my Disney World story connects to this because we went to Disney World, which was really, really thrilling. And we went with my grandma, my aunt, and then my mom and my dad and my brother and me. And one night my mom and my aunt and my grandma went out to have like a girl's night. And so my dad took me and my brother to see the Rodney Dangerfield movie Ladybugs. If you remember that movie where there's a boy on the soccer team. I don't remember if he plays on a girl's soccer team or something like that. He, I believe he does, yes.

Yeah. And I went to the bathroom by myself and I fell. Somebody's falling. You're tall. I was five. I was five. Yeah. I fell on like a wet floor and I woke up in bed next to my grandma who was snoring and I thought it was my brother and I was like hitting her telling her to shut up because I thought was my brother snoring and that was my grandma.

But then when I fell by the pool, which was maybe a year later, they said I had another bruise on my brain and my mom didn't know what it was and I think I had a concussion then and nobody knew. So I think I yeah. And I've had you've had a lot of head injuries and my child. that people were just letting go. So you fell in a, so you probably don't even know how Ladybug ends. I never got to see it. I never got to see it. Don't bury to lead here.

He let me go to the bathroom by myself, which I, you know, very 90s situation to just send a little kid in the bathroom by theirself. And then, yeah, I guess ended up someone screaming and coming to find him. I don't know how that. It's like, it's weirdly worse that he didn't go with you because it was a movie that an adult shouldn't be enjoying. Like, it's one thing if you brought you to see the usual suspect. He's like, if you... If we both go, we're going to be lost the whole day. Yeah.

He loves Rodney Dangerfield. I mean, it's amazing. But you were the little one, so your brother probably would have been fine in the theater. Totally. But you fell so hard in the bathroom that you, like, woke up hours later? I woke up hours later. And I don't think anyone took me to the doctor. And just as an aside, I also hit my head on my radiator in my bedroom from jumping on the bed.

And I think my dad... The story was like that he just... just kind of like put a towel on my head and then I went to sleep. That's, if you Google it, that's not what it says to do. We didn't have Google. You didn't have it. And I'm fine. By the way, it was nice.

I mean, having kids, like, I would love there not to be Google. Because the amount of times I'm like, I'm pretty sure this is just towel and put them to bed. Are you right? You know? Nobody lets you do that anymore without checking Google. Your instincts are towel in bed, 100%. And now they're like, the amount of people at my mother-in-law is like, AI, says, I'm like, get that out of here.

I know, I know, I know. There's a lot of stuff. So you're, you were headbanging your way through your early years. It was just bunk into different things. And those are my best memory. Are you still, uh, clumsy into adulthood? Yes. Oh my God. Actually, I wasn't even thinking about this, but I hit my head really hard like a few weeks ago.

And it was bad. I was like seeing stars, but it was like, I had this like, actually can see it behind me. this little door going into a little storage crawl space. And I was coming out of it and just bunked, just fully stood up before I came out. I don't know what happened. Yeah. But it was terrible. And then I was Googling for weeks, like, how, how do you know if you have a bad, I didn't do anything?

I just was like bad brain injury. How do you know, head bleeding inside? Really, I don't, you know, just like trying to get answers. And they were like, you're typing like a caveman. Like, your words just, you're topping. Sometimes I just type whatever and see if they can figure it out. I'll just let all the typos go in. And I'm like, you got it.

You don't know what I'm saying. You're supposed to be smarter than us. They're like, this doesn't seem like a first time. Have you banged your head 35 times before this? It's hard to do this with one. Yeah, no. That's the most concern. I don't know that I'm so clumsy.

I kind of will like, not super clumsy, but I'll walk into things, which might also be an ADD thing that I'm undiagnosed for. But I'll kind of, like, not know my width and, like, just kind of hit the doorframe with my shoulder and keep going. I will say our oldest is so clumsy And it's one of the things That makes my wife and I laugh the most Because we'll like hear him walk into our room And you'll just hear like

And then we like, shit! How old are your kids? 10, 8, and 5. Oh my God, I love it. What do you have, boys, girls? What do you got? Two girls, yeah. Congrats.

Josh, you have kids. No kids. No kids. Yeah, living the life. Oh my gosh, you just fucking do whatever you want all this time. Dude, it's so. It's good. It's good.

I don't know. It doesn't feel like that. And he's giving me a hard time, but sometimes Seth doesn't comb his hair. Oh, I would. If you had the time. If you had the time. Also, we got to calm. It's full of fucking lice. Oh, my God.

My worst fear. I mean. The types of bugs that can just show up on them. That fear has been a real, I shouldn't say. My mom was a preschool teacher, so I recall boiling all our hair brushes, like, all the time. Yeah. What is your, so what was the, wait, was that with Lady Bugs Disney? Disney World?

Yeah. Gotcha. So at Disney World, you want to see a movie, which is probably, it seems like, not wrapping your arms around the wonder of. No, we love Disney. That was a very, that was an amazing trip. I hope that my head injury happened on like the last night because it was so fun. We had, my aunt had a video camera, which we didn't have.

So every time, all our home videos were from when we were with my aunt. And like, so the, I got an invisible dog at Disney World, which was like a magic trick of like a hard leash with like, you know. And that was, I walked that all over the play. Most of the videos are just me walking that around and thinking I'm amazing. Do you feel like, I feel like Invisible Dog is one of those things where you buy it and you just are already picturing how celebrated you're going to be back at school. And it's, you're really inflating how true that's going to be. But in your mind, it's like they're just like clearing a path for you at the school to watch you walk your Invisible Dog. I don't know that I ever had the confidence to bring it to school.

It's possible they didn't even bring it home with us It was like too annoying to pack I don't remember ever playing with it again Yeah or you put it in a suitcase And then it got folded in a way That's like well now it never it's never gonna have the same effect No one's gonna believe that's a dog in there Yeah

Yeah What else you went to New York City We went to New York City And that was very exciting We stood outside of the late show And took a picture Great We all things were we like stood outside of

things. Like I got like a cats. I got a cat's t-shirt. We didn't see cats. But I had that. I don't know what we did. One thing we did that really stuck in my mind, we went to twins, a restaurant called twins, which was the most 90s thing ever where all the waiters were twins with each other. So you had to work a shift with your twin. I kind of couldn't believe it was going to be that. I'm really shocked. Yeah. That was really cool to me. And I looked it up more like a few years ago. It really was a thing. In my mind, it was like, that can't have been real. That was so, that's so specifically stupid. But it feels, I mean, that's great. It's a great use of everyone's time. I wonder how many people leave because it's like one of the twins is like, I, like, hey, Gary,

I can't do this anymore. And it's like, come on, Larry. And it's like, no. I want more for us. Yeah. Do you think there's ever, do you think there were ever triplets where they, two of the two of the triplets on the side were like, we just got to take the job? I feel like triplets would be great because you don't both have to, you don't all have to go. You could just have two of you work. Yeah, you shouldn't. The biggest mistake would be cut somebody out. You should bring them in.

Yeah. Yeah. I do recall we also went to the Statue of Liberty and we went to Ellis Island and found our family names. Oh, that's fun. Like when you put a, what is that called? Were you like? Like you put paper. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. A rubbing. I don't know. Oh, rubbing. We did a rubbing. Don't tell people. I believe pencil rubbing?

We did a rubbing on this island. Yeah. They now, there's a lot of signs saying no rubbing. Did you so, so you did not see a single Broadway show when you were there? I don't think so. It doesn't, it didn't stick with me. And then my big memory, too, is that we got stranded at the airport because there was a crazy storm. We had a crazy turbulence, and I remember holding my beanie babies that I bought in New York.

And then we landed in Pennsylvania. for a layover and stayed overnight on the floor. And that was also, that was more memorable than the entire trip, I think. Just that we're, yeah, slapped at an airport. Did you guys have, like, would your parents have packed games and things? Like, if you're on the floor of an airport for a night, what was there an activity? Our biggest game in our family was, Would You Rather, which is a game my mom believed she invented, but, of course, is a thing anyone can say.

But, yeah. So there was, eventually there was a board game. game called would you rather i was like i missed my chance um but no we would play that all the time and that was like kind of our huge like time passer like play would you rather and just come up with different scenarios and um my now my mom recently stayed with my kids and taught my daughter would you rather and she wants to play it's kind of sweet yeah at bedtime she's like wants to play did you were your parents like when something went wrong like a canceled flight landing in pennsylvania sleeping on the floor were your parents like hey let's make the most of it or

were they like losing their minds? My mom, looking back, I'm like, she probably internally was so stressed out, but she was really good at being like, let's pretend and have fun. Like, she was really good at that. Especially being a preschool teacher, like with little kids.

Like she could make it kind of fun. My dad, I feel like, it's all good. And just like put his hat over his eyes and like later. I don't like, I feel like he was just very chill about things. So he, I would never hear him being like, what the fuck? Like it wouldn't be like that. He would just be like.

internally going like whatever. Yeah, just Indiana Jones on an airplane. Just tip down. Totally. Hey, we're going to take a quick break and hear from some of our sponsors. Support comes from FitBod. What's up, Pashi?

Not a lot, Sufi. Just, you know, trying to get jacked. Yeah, well, let me talk to you about the October theory. It's an idea that starting healthy patterns in October, instead of January, gives you a ramp up into New Year's goals. Here's the thing, right? Because, like, that New Year's, you know, you've just eaten terribly. And I think one of the reasons a lot of people start then is just the holiday season and they're feeling tired and maybe like, you know, they haven't treated their body right.

But if you start in October, if you get that base down, not only are you going to survive the holiday season better, by the time January hits, you're ready to go. Yeah. Also, you know, just practically for a lot of people where you live in October, it's easy. to get out there and, you know, it's not so bitter cold that you're like, I don't know, I just want to hunker down and curl up under a blanket. So you've got to start your workout regimen now and then carry it through New Year's. And that's where FitBod comes into play because it creates a personalized workout routine based on your goals, fitness level, and available equipment.

Workouts adapt to your growth. So each session is challenging enough to push you to make progress. FitBod tracks your muscle. recovery. So you can avoid burnout and keep up your momentum. Fitbod builds the plan. You build the strength. Get 25% off your FitBod subscription or try the app free for seven days at FitBod.me slash trip. That's F-I-T-B-O-D.m-E-slash-Trip. Support comes from Hymns. Hey, Bodji. Hey, Zuvie. You know, if weight loss feels like a losing battle, you can skip the guesswork and try weight loss by Hymns. access an affordable range of FDA approved GLP1 medications, including the Wagovi pill and the Wagovi pen,

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approach that fits into your world and your wallet, if eligible. You'll get a treatment plan personalized to you and unlimited dosage changes as needed. Ready to reach your goals, visit HIMS.com slash trips to get a personalized affordable plan that gets you. that's hims.com slash trips. Hems.com slash trips. Weight loss by Hems is not available in all 50 states. Wagovi is the registered trademark of Novo Nordisk AS to get started and learn more, including important safety information. Wagovi, clinical study information and restrictions, visit Hymns.com. In partnership with Airbnb, I'd like to share a travel story. Oh yeah, go for it, Sufi. You know what I like, Pashi? What's up? I like a neighborhood.

Yeah, me too. You know what I mean? I like to feel like I'm traveling and I'm amongst the locals. I'm not near a chain restaurant that I have in my hometown, but I'm by a cafe that only those who live there and walk those cobbled streets are familiar with. And so when Alexi and I went to Paris on a vacation, we booked an apartment on Airbnb. What neighborhood were you in, Sufi? We were in the marais, poshie. Oh, the Marais.

And if you haven't been to the Marais, I don't even know how to describe it to you. You know what they call it in Paris? What's that? La Marais. Or Le Marais. You've been. I haven't, but I would love to. And let me just tell you that it's just wonderful.

You know what I mean? You're just in a home that the owners have taken great care and attention to make comfortable for you on your vacation. And you're just amongst everyone. You're a me. That's a friend, Pashi. Oh, you're a me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Les ami.

Booking a trip on Airbnb makes her a better trip. You can be traveling with family. You could be looking to discover authentic and local experiences. You could be taking a trip with a group of friends. A group of a me. Too les ami. This message is a paid partnership with Apple Card. Planning family trips can get chaotic,

but my Apple Card makes things way easier. I applied right for my iPhone in as little as a minute, and now I use it for everything travel-related. I saw it in action when you picked up dinner last time I was in L.A. for your birthday. Well, you didn't have your wallet or your phone. Oh, my phone is in my pocket. But you love your Apple Card, right? Yes, because with Apple Card, I can spend, track my purchases,

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Branch, Terms, and more at applecard.com. Did you and Howard, I mean, again, you guys went to Portland, are you and your husband like good co-travelers with two small kids? Do you feel? Yeah, I do think so. I think we balance each other out. It's really nice to have that. But the hardest thing right now with the ages they are is that my kids prefer that I do everything. So it's like, even if he's willing to do everything, they're just like, no! And like they want me to do it. So like on the plane, like I'm sitting with them and he's across the aisle. And like that's, you know, he can have his own experience. He's like, yesterday we flew. He's like, that was great. And I was like, I think you had a better time because he was like playing chess on the screen with his guy sitting next to him, you know? And then they were like chatting. And I was like, they were a little annoying to me. But I think, yeah, it felt a lot longer. Right.

Yeah. But if he would have taken one of them, they would have not been having it. No, it would have been terrible. It would have been terrible. Or if you were like, hey, switch with me for the flight. No, no. They would just been screaming and grabbing at me. So it's like, I know what has to be done.

But it's, yeah, sometimes it's hard. Yeah. We do have to do the theater of me offering. to put our daughter to bed, even though she's going to, I mean, so I, we all know how it's going to end, but I do. I'm like, should I, Addie, can I take you to bed? They're like, no, you stink. I mean, it's good to hear that because I think, I've heard it from many other dads that it's a common thing, but I think he can feel bad sometimes, but it's like, yeah, I mean, again, we're all working off such small sample sizes, but for me, it was way more our daughter. So the fact that you're two daughters,

yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then the little one just copies whatever the older one does. And she's like, Yeah, of course. Yeah, bad habits. Bad habits, baby. So when you mentioned that your dad wanted to travel abroad, did you guys go abroad? Were those trips you did? Yes, we did. And those were really special trips.

We went to Italy and went to a number of cities. We went to like, we went to Florence, Vienna and or Venice, not Vienna. We went to Florence, Venice, and Ciennes. That's why I just said that. And Sienna was really cool because we went there because my dad, like, knew somebody who was teaching a cooking class there with, like, students that would come. And so we went and stayed at this, like, it was all, like, rural. And we were, we stayed in, like, a cool, like, farm area and, like, made spaghetti. And I had, I, I ate my first cherry from a cherry chair.

I was, like, very picky growing up. So my first cherry was, like, picked off of a tree. And I like, I only, how picky is she? She'll only eat tree cherries? And I was like, oh, this is good. Yeah, if she doesn't pick it, she won't eat it. Exactly. But my dad was a bit frugal with these trips.

So my brother and I shared a bed. And we were in high school and we were like, this sucks. I mean, like, obviously, that's like the worst. And so we were like, I remember we were like shoving pillows between us and like, just like never touch me. You know, just like this is. Yes, of course. It's that period of time when you're like going through everything terrible. And we slept with the windows open and there were no screens.

and my brother got covered in mosquito. Like, they ate him a lot. Like, he had welts. And I don't recall having anything. And so that was also very annoying, you know? I'm fine. And he was, like, suffering. Some people just have bug blood, and it's a whole different thing.

Yes. But that was kind of harrowing. And the trips were really fun. They were, like, you know, a lot of the pictures from those times were not smiling. Like, we're just inxy teens, just being like, I'm pissed and I'm in the most, like, beautiful place. ever. So I'm sure I wasn't like always fun myself, but I remember them really positively. I guess that's the thing you have to learn as a parent as well is the just have confidence. They'll remember them positively. Yeah, yeah. We went to England and France as well, which was also

really cool. And again, stayed at one of the worst hotels in Paris that I think exists. It was disgusting. But like that I also am thinking back. I'm like, how did they book a trip? Who was booking? How, who was helping you? Like, I don't think we had a travel agent. Like, that sounds easy. Our mom did it all the time, and it's, like, looking back. Like, when we, before we took trips, she would just, like, the amount of, like, paper that would just be, like, spread out with, like, phone numbers, you know, country codes. Where are they getting the information?

I, honestly, I don't mean to sound totally stupid, but, like, I actually don't know. She was, like, buy, she would, like, take books out from the library that would have, would have hotels in them. Like, you know what I mean? It would be, like, a book, the big book of hotels. And then she'd like circle numbers and or there would be like newspaper things like almost like classifieds and there would be like house for rent in like northern Michigan. And we'd go there. She would save if there was an interesting like newspaper article about a place, she would save it for, you know, however many years it would take her to go to that place. That's so nice.

It's like I save like everything on Instagram that I want to do and then never look at it again. I feel like I've had like papers. I would be like, this is meaningful to me. and I will do this one day. She had, I mean, again, her recipe books growing up were just, like, all cut out from newspapers and then, like, paste it into. I love that. It was great. And then, although at the same time, I remember she made maybe three different things the entire time.

Well, yeah, same. No, she had probably a 12. What were your things? What were the mains? Chicken Kiev. That was the big one. Yeah. Kiev.

Now it's called Chicken Keeve, but never. You're right. It was Kiev. It was flank steak and big potatoes. Yeah. Well, that's pretty good. Yeah. She makes a really good macaroni and cheese that has bacon in it.

Yeah. It's a big. And then her chicken and rice, that's a really, yeah. Yeah. You were never going to be short of starch with our mom, which was really. Yeah. Yeah. Did you get to eat like all kinds of snacks when you're growing up or was she like?

No. We would, our sort of, our famous call out was we want all the meats and all the cheeses. and a platter. That's what you would yell to her. Yeah. This is before we knew charcutory. So we would just be. We wouldn't yell,

but it was sort of a celebration. That's a nice kind of snack. That's like, that's a nice fancy snack. That's great. Like crackers, she'd cut up a pickle. It was really good. She made these things called hanky-pankies

that were very good. What's that? It's like those little rye toasts or like those small toasts with like an alouette or like some kind of a cheese on it and then baked. Wow. But then she would remember there were saw there was some sausage in there as well. Yeah.

It was a real. Yeah. And then she would do like chicken wings was a big dinner where she would just put like frozen chicken wings on a pan and just like cook it until they were like basically charred. We ate a lot of like brown's chicken. Did you ever go to brown's chicken? It was like KFC but not. I don't know why.

I don't know how popular if it was just Midwest. or what, but. Right. Love Brown's chicken. That's our version of that. I don't think anyone was actually making chicken in the oven. My mom, if she heard this, would be like, I did that all the time, you know, but I don't remember. No, I'm certain that we're coming in under.

We're hitting the under for what my mom thought she did. She would do, we'd do like those filets and wild rice. You're right. I mean, by the way, I had no complaints. Pork and spaghetti was a classic. Yeah. Yeah. And now I've gone vegan much.

I can't have any of these things. Does your family understand that? Because I feel like Midwestern people struggle. They understand it to a degree, but I'll like offer to like make my own stuff when I'm home. Like there's always something that my mom's going to make and she's figured out how to do it vegan. Because it's Josh, they celebrate it. Like as because he is the golden child. Like it is like, ah, yes, veganism.

We must go find the soups Off to the store to get the soups Poshy's coming To the soups I pick up my own stuff I try to make it as easy for them as possible When I go home But she always will make some effort

I feel like it's Vegetarianism Veganism that's been hard for My family and my husband's family To wrap their head around what that is My husband's a vegetarian but like So can you have pizza? It's like well does the pizza have meat?

You know, like, it's just like, this questions are just like, yeah. Vegetarianism is certainly level one compared to veganism, like level five. As far as understanding, you should be able to lock it down pretty easy. But vegetarianism has like, well, I mean, we don't have to get all into this, but vegetarianism has like, there are exceptions to the rule of no animal products, which. Yeah, and I have a friend who's vegan who will eat eggs every once in a while. Yeah, well, that person's not vegan. I was a vegan.

Anyhow, Josh. I was wondering how hard Josh was gonna throw a snob on that. And he did give you his accurate. You saw the real him, Lauren. Yeah, that person's a vegetarian. And he showed you his true face. I'm happy I got to see that. When you were in Italy as teenagers,

were you allowed to, like, have a glass of wine at dinner? You know what? I think my brother did. I feel like I held back from even doing something like that. I don't know why. Do you think you back at home with your... Back at home with your friends were, like, having the odd beer. Yeah, yeah. We smoked more than we drank.

And going to, like, parties where the kids were drinking, I was always like, what's going on here? You know, it was a different vibe. But I do remember that when we were in Italy, my brother's ex-girlfriend was also there. I don't know if she was studying abroad or what she was doing, but she was there. And she invited us all, me and my brother to go out that night. And I was so shy in my, I don't know, or like something. I just didn't go. And I look back, I remember laying in the room being like, I wonder what they're doing.

Like, they were like out in Italy at night having fun. And I was 16 and I was like, nah. So I don't know. Okay. Yeah. It is. I mean, it's crazy because it's not a thing. You don't want to be the one to tell your kids that, right?

You don't want to be like, look, when you're 16, go to the Italian club. But you kind of hope they are that kind of kid who does? Go, go. I know. I mean, it didn't take me long to start doing whatever else, you know. But it's for some reason that was. like, I was like, oh, I don't think so. Yeah.

It is. That's all you know. If you know you made the wrong choice of you're lying in bed being like, I wonder what they're doing now. I know. I know. If you're ever missing your teenage brother you're sharing a bed with, you know you made the wrong call. Wish you was home.

Totally. We, I was in Salt Lake City. We had a bunch of friends who were there because our. Northwestern had made the NCAA basketball tournament, so some of us went. And we just got, like, a hotel room with two queen beds, and that was four guys. And, like, one guy insisted on doing pillows stacking in the middle of his bed. It's like, we're already, like, adult men. So two on a queen bed, that's a lot of space.

And then when you add a row of pillows, and it's also like, do we need these pillows? No, no. What do you think is going to happen? No, but I will say I did, you know, in improv, you travel a lot with your friends. and share hotels and stuff. And I did end up cuddling my friend one time in bed when I woke up. And I was like, I don't know. You know.

Yeah. I was sleeping. And I was in the mood for cuddling. I guess. Yeah. This is not, obviously, a family travel thing, but it is a childhood story about you. Can you explain? Do you still have an active soap collection or is it an old?

Soap collection? Yeah. It's inactive now. I think I threw it out a few years ago. Okay, got you. So you've parted it for 30 plus years. Yeah, it was a really, it was a special thing. A soap collection.

Yeah, it was a great soap collection. It was just unique shapes of soaps. Got it. I liked to collect all kinds of things as a kid and I took great care of my collections and my toys. Everything was put back where it was supposed to go. I was very, you know, upset with everything. Were these purchased soaps?

Were these freebie soaps? These were mostly purchased some hotel soaps, but mostly were like a, a purchased shape, you know, oh, I don't have a fish. I need to get that, you know. I had a Mickey Mouse soap that was really big. And then when I opened my box, it had shrunk down to like half the size. And I was like, oh, they shrink. What was the, what was the, at its peak, how many, how many, uh, bars of soap were you talking? Uh, I think it was, I think I had like a solid 25 bars of soap. It didn't get too out of control. It was contained in a beautiful box. Yeah,

that's not crazy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, each wrapped in its own, Kleenex and what made you decide it was time to say goodbye? I don't know. You know, sometimes I regret when I threw, I, I've always saved everything and I, I, so when I throw things out now, I feel kind of like, wow, I'm like really throwing this thing out, even though it's like obviously trash. But like, I've saved like all kinds of papers from my childhood. Every journal I've ever had. I have all my Beanie Babies. I have all my Playmobile sets. I have every American Girl doll and every single thing that came. with it. It was like, I just don't get rid of anything. And I don't even want my kids to play with it. It's like too good. But I'm, I think with the soaps, when they all shrunk, I realized it was time. Like, they started to get, like, cracks in them. I was like, they're not even good anymore, you know? Our research says you had a collection of pristinely preserved soaps. I don't know if that's your language somewhere. It does seem like you may be jumped on.

Well, they were pristine preserved, but they were not, I couldn't do. There's only so much I could do. You know what I mean? Like, the time came for them. And it was, they died. Yeah. Have you, I mean, I know you just said you sort of don't want to give these old things to your daughters, but have you given them anything? And have you been disappointed with how they've treated them? Yeah. So just recently, I've talked about my Beanie Baby collection on my podcast in the past. And I had, I also met Princess Diana, which I have talked about, but I'm, you know, I met her. So I've talked about it. People know this story, but I'm happy to tell you very briefly that she came to Evanston to have a go-like-gal. then. Oh my God. Okay. Oh, wow. Crazy. So did you see her? I did not. I was in a wheelchair at the time because I had broken my leg so badly. And they had like roped off parts of campus for her to like motorcade in. And like, I was inconvenienced by it. And I was like angrily like dealing myself like, God damn it.

I love that. I remember you were famously at the time. You're like, you know, she puts all this time and effort into clearing landmines. Meanwhile, a kid in a wheelchair can't even get near her. Yeah. So yeah, I did not see her, but obviously a lot of respect. We had heard where she was going to be. She came to, like, shake hands with people. She literally just got out of the car, like, at a street, and we were all there. And I shook her hand and then rode my bike around, going like, I just like Princess Diana. So I talked about that.

So recently at a live show that I did, someone brought me a Princess Diana Beanie Baby, which, as you know, are worth millions of dollars. Right. And so I was given that. Never went down in price. They were the one fad that never went down in price. Yeah. I was really excited to her. received this and it even had a plastic cover on the tag. So it was really, it was in great shape.

And I accidentally let it, just left it on a table. And my daughter was like, what is that? I need that. And I was like, no, you can't have that. That's not for you. And she would, then she wanted it even more. And I was like, no, no, no, no. Like this is a, you can't, you can't, because she loves to take tags off of everything, which is fine. But I'm like, you can't take the tag off. Like, and I also, I know it's worthless. Like, I do understand that. But I'm like, but I have it now. And I want it to have the tag it like and she's like crying it was getting to be out of control so I was like I have a box of things like I have a Beanie Baby box and I'm going to let you have it and but it's it's I'm not going to get it tonight I'll get it out of the basement and we'll pull it out and whatever she was

like crying and I'm like okay but I was wrestling the Diana Beanie Baby out of her hands it was very pathetic and then I pulled out the Beanie Baby so she was at school and I opened it up I was like I can't let her touch these they were so good Like the tags Like they were beautiful They were they were perfect There's not a stain They're just lovely

And I so I dug through And I found a few that had no tags And that I'd play with Played with a lot as a kid And I pulled those out And gave them to her And she was satisfied And then then totally stopped caring about that

I mean of course I mean I feel like you should have just Gone straight to eBay And been like you know A lot of filthy Beating baby Or even Yeah Some other kind of toy

And you're like I don't know These are smushies And I'm gonna tell her these are being I like that you both know it's worthless, but also that if she takes the tag off, it's worth half as much as worthless. It's completely trash at that point. Because online, you know, people list them for like $65,000. Like, literally they're listed for so much on eBay, but I think they've sold, you have to look at the sold price and the price they sell for is like $6. They're not worth anything. But it's the sentiment and the fact that, you know, it connects to a story in my life. And so now I feel like it really matters.

Of course. Yeah. Totally. It's so lovely talking to you, Lauren. You too. This is so nice. Is it true that you and Ben are doing more earliest show? Yes, we just shot this summer. I'm so excited. We did a six-episode season. It is something the algorithm is always. It must be the algorithm. I'm like, no, I'm a talk show host and we'll just like delight in it. But I find it endlessly, endlessly tickling to my. Oh, thank you. We had so much fun making that originally. It was like 10 years ago. and it was a funny or die

branded web series for Cap and Crunch randomly but now we're making it a real show so it really was so much we had the best time and congrats on Stewart

fails to save the universe which is another one not 10 years ago but right that part you first played that part almost right that's true oh my god this year

I just was doing things I did a long time ago again I think that's good though I think that speaks to the quality of it 10 years ago there's like some sort of horoscope thing I

Yeah, I was on Big Bang Theory For like eight episodes As Denise Stewart's girlfriend And now we have our own show It's crazy It's so crazy It's on HBO Max And it's like

It's a single cam It's totally different From Big Bang In the style It's like a sci-fi comedy It's kind of dark It's definitely very weird And we got picked up

So I'm excited It's been going well Congratulations Congratulations That's awesome Before we let you go Josh is going to hit you With our speed round questions

Okay Okay Here you go You can only pick one of these is your ideal vacation relaxing, adventurous, or educational? Oh, oh, I guess educational. Oh, fuck. That's okay.

That's great. But I like to go around cities and see things. I'm supposed to stop talking. Okay, go ahead. No, that's great. What is your favorite means of transportation? Car? That sucks, too.

Yeah, no, please. People have said car. You're not alone in this. You're not alone and educational either. Motorcycle. If you could take a vacation with any family, alive or dead, real or fictional, other than your own family, what family would you like to take a vacation with? My besties, the Smith sisters. They host a serious XM show, so people might know who they are.

But they're the best, and we're very close. And I'm planning to take a family trip with them. I think that'd be very fun. Oh, great. If you had to be stranded on a desert island with one member of your family, who would it be? Oh, that's a great question. It has to be not my husband It could be your husband

I would pick him Because he's very He feels like he would figure shit out Yeah On the island and make it something better than that matters That's important Yeah yeah yeah What is your dream destination

For a family vacation I really want to go to Lithuania and Greece Which are the two places my parents You know heritage So I want to go there But that feels hard With my little kids That's why it's a dream

You are from Evanston, Illinois, famously. If you had to get more families to come visit Evanston, what would you tell them about that town? You know, it's a very, it's a very family-friendly town. It's very easy to go to the beach. Yeah. It couldn't be easier. You have the easiest beach day ahead of you. And then you can also be in the city and go to Chicago and see some sites.

But that's one thing I love about it because living in L.A., I never go to the beach because it's so annoying. and I grew up across, you know, just Lake Michigan right there. You just walk over to the beach and relax. We were just talking about East Coast beaches and how they're so much easier than the West Coast beaches that we all, like, grew up thinking we're the nice ones because of pop culture. Yes, I know. All the TV shows were like surfing in California or whatever, yeah. No, but it's just like the East Coast, that's where we just like we have little parking lots. Everything's ready to go.

I know. I love that. Yeah. And then Seth has our final questions. Lauren, have you been to the Great Canyon? No. Do you want to go? I could.

No. We're going to stick with no. We're going to accept the right answer. Thank you, Lauren, for your honesty. A lot of people, especially, I think during the 250th anniversary of this country, feel like they have to be patriotic talking about this hole that Americans said nothing to do with. So we do thank you for embracing the truth. I'm good.

And it was great talking to you. Congrats on everything. You too. Thank you so much. Hopefully we'll see you in person soon. I know, I hope so. Bye. Bye.

Bye. Have a great day. We follow the money. Learn more at Bloomberg.com.