Newsflash for any of the current, past or future Survivors out there... when you contemplate strategizing about the other team, the best idea is to shut up and keep it to yourself. You're welcome; this bill is in the mail.

When my mother was diagnosed with cancer, my middle school friends and myself really had no idea the impact of that diagnosis, but my family did.

Being a caretaker is, and never will be, an easy job; in fact, it is that hardest job in the world and many times a thankless job. You have to be the pillar of strength even when you feel like you are crumbling to pieces inside.

Survivor' is a game that's designed to be played with strangers, people with varied backgrounds from all parts of the country. The greatest part is that you can go into the game as anyone you want, hold any job you desire, and portray any personality you can think of.

When my mom, Mercedes, and her younger sister, Juanita, first came from Puerto Rico, they were the youngest in the family. They had to jump into a new community and really learn English, assimilate, and adapt - and I saw that. I grew up in that community.

Mine is a story about a teenage single mother who struggled to keep her young family afloat. It's a story about a young woman who was given a precious opportunity to work her way up in the world. It's a story about resiliency, and sacrifice, and perseverance. And you're damn right it's a true story.

The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players are the most wonderful creatures.

I got some funky scholarships to play soccer and did well in my SATs, so I went off to college and then grad school but found that that wasn't me. My family, relieved I seemed to have come to my senses, were happy to let me go to film school.