T E X A R K A N A M A G A Z I N E
Where was your favorite place to eat in Texarkana?
What do you love about Texarkana? Texarkana was a great place to grow up. I always felt it was a very safe, communal environment where I could develop and become confident in who I was before I moved off to the big city and got bombarded by an endless stream of opposing options. I felt very nurtured growing up in Texarkana. There was always someone to turn to and it felt like people really took care of each other. What do you think makes Texarkana famous? Considering we don’t have the instant name recognition of some of the major metropolises, it always surprises people that Texarkana has quite a few claims to fame! From Scott Joplin to Ross Perot to Smokey and the Bandit, it’s funny how often I’ll be describing Texarkana to someone, and they’ll suddenly realize that they’ve heard of it before. But I imagine the thing that sticks in most people’s minds is the dual-state aspect of the city (cities, technically) as that’s something particularly unique. What do you miss about Texarkana? Without question, the biggest thing I miss about living in Texarkana is my family. Family is what the city will always mean to me, and it will always have a special place in my heart because of that. Were you a Hawk, Leopard, Razorback or Tiger? I was a Hawk! (Class of ‘05) Unsurprisingly to those who know me, I wasn’t much into sports when I was in high school, but I was part of the OAP (One Act Play) cast for UIL competitive theater. We went to region every year that I was in competition, and it was basically what I lived for in high school. Not exactly a common one and definitely one of those quirks of Texas I have to explain to New Yorkers now—nobody can believe we had competitive theater.
Well, I have to say that my parents’ house is probably my favorite place to eat in Texarkana. But every time I’m in town, I make a point to stop by either Zapata’s or Loca Luna. You wouldn’t think so, but it’s practically impossible to find decent Tex-Mex in New York City (and frankly I could probably live on queso)! What is your nickname for Texarkana? I suppose I tend to call it TXK, the airport code, when I’m being off handed. Nobody who hasn’t traveled to Texarkana a fair bit would know what it means, but it tends to roll off the tongue. Who is someone from Texarkana who impacted your life? Debby Sutton! She was my theater teacher in high school and may have been the only reason I managed a passing average in math. She was incredibly dedicated to all of us as a group and to each of us individually. She was the first teacher who really gave me artistic license and let me explore creatively, and it really felt like she connected with me as a person, not just as a teacher to a student. Her support and respect meant a huge amount to me and played no small part in my development as a creative person and my becoming a writer. What words do you live by? Take things as they come. I think we all tend to stress about things not going to plan, or the plans we envision for our lives, but so many of the best things in my life came about unplanned. Certainly, I think if you went back 10, 15, even just five years, the versions of who I was at those times would be surprised, and hopefully proud, of who I am and what I’m doing now. So, I try to remind myself to be open to the things that come my way and that things not going according to plan can sometimes be the best thing that could happen.
TXK ROOTS Lauren Hubbard Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer living in New York City and can be found in publications such as Town & Country, Elle Décor, Harper’s Bazaar and Fashionista. Covering beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine and cocktails, Lauren is living her best life and sharing her perspective with the world.
TXK Roots is Texarkana Magazine ’s forum to highlight and honor Texarkana natives who have accomplished big things in the world. These folks may have relocated, but they took the values, education, work ethic and creativity instilled in them by growing up in this unique border city and used these qualities to blaze extraordinary trails. We asked them to share their thoughts about growing up here. No matter how far from Texarkana they may find themselves, we will always consider them our neighbors and we are proud to claim them as forever members of our extended Texarkana community. After all, “everyone is famous in their hometown!”
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T X K R O O T S
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