So many of us here in Lake Nona come from different places and have different stories of how we wound up in the Nonahood. No two stories are the same, with each comprised of individuals making the choice to pick up and move from another part of Florida, another state, or even another country. This is How We Got Here, telling stories one at a time of how different families from all different walks of life ended up in Lake Nona.
The Malek family’s journey across the United States to Lake Nona begins with the decision to join Cara Malek’s parents who already lived in Central Florida. Family members Cara, Neil, Ben (4), and Jake (1) are still fairly new to the Lake Nona area but have already found themselves thankful and appreciative of the access it has given them to a vibrant and growing community.
The decision to move did not come lightly … parents Cara and Neil had established lives and careers in Los Angeles, Calif. Cara had worked for Dreamworks Animation for the previous decade and loved every moment she spent working with the company. To pick up and move everything came with a hefty price, but also with the valuable reward of being closer to their extended families.
Lake Nona has quickly provided the Maleks with some incredible memories, such as their son Ben’s fourth birthday party spent in Moss Park, and the new friends who they have met along the way. They are brought together as a family by Neil’s nightly cooking skills and the ability to see their extended family members once a week, rather than once a year.
Learn more about the Maleks’ story through our interview below!
NHN: What is the most memorable thing that has ever happened to you/your family?
CM: This is a difficult one! I have had a lot of fun “Hollywood” experiences from my time with Dreamworks – many film premiere parties, seeing some of the voice actors from the films (Antonio Banderas, Jack Black, Gerard Butler), and seeing my name in the credits. I also recently worked on the set of Avengers: Infinity War last year and got to see some incredible actors.
As a family, I think one of our craziest memories was driving back from a weekend trip to Big Bear Lake in Southern California. We had met up with a big group of (childless) friends and brought along our then 2-year-old, Ben, to stay in a big cabin and experience snow! We tried to drive home before a big storm hit, but we got stuck in the blizzard. What should have taken two hours took over seven. Ben was a trooper – after a small diaper leak, he rode pantless, munching snacks, and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on a tablet while we inched through the mountain snow with tire chains, oblivious to the stress everyone else was under. We learned that, with kids in the car, you can never have too many snacks! And that, as a family, we can roll with the punches and still have fun, despite adversity.
NHN: What was the best part about living in LA?
CM: There is always something fun going on in LA, especially around the film industry. We got tickets to go to the filming of some shows (Two and a Half Men, The Sing-Off) and got to see some film premieres with Q&A with the filmmakers. And I was actually impressed with how many fun places there were to take kids in LA – lots of kid museums, kiddie trains to ride in the park, gardens, and playgrounds.
NHN: What was the coolest project you worked on at Dreamworks?
CM: I got to work on both How to Train Your Dragon films, which I’m really proud of – I rigged some dragons and worked on Viking hair in the first How to Train Your Dragon, and I was a technology lead on How to Train Your Dragon 2. They were both such powerful and emotional movies that really resonated with audiences, which was really gratifying to see after our years of hard work.
NHN: What’s your favorite actor/actress who you were able to meet while living in LA?
CM: My favorite celebrity encounter was when Gerard Butler came to the crew premiere of How to Train Your Dragon – he gave a speech before the film and raved about how much he enjoyed being a part of it. (It was rare that a Hollywood actor would actually come to the crew screening, let alone address the team.) But the funniest part was that he laughed at the fact that he was currently on the top and bottom of Rotten Tomatoes at the same time! How to Train Your Dragon was in the 90’s, and The Bounty Hunter was in single digits!
NHN: What are your family’s favorite things to cook together?
CM: Our weekend routine is making pancakes as a family, often with sprinkles and chocolate chips. Ben (4) is getting good at measuring and mixing ingredients, and Jake (1) likes to have his own bowl to pretend he’s mixing things up.
NHN: What advice would you give to other families moving across the country?
CM: I’m a big planner, so I would say plan every detail as much as you can, to make sure you have the logistics lined up (movers, shipping containers, cleaning crews, temporary hotel, etc.) and enlist whatever family help you can muster. In hindsight, it would have been easier if I flew the small kids to Florida and got them settled, and then left my husband for a week or two to tie up the moving out, inspections, hotel stay, etc. As the things get packed up and you have to leave the house, it gets harder and harder to find ways to entertain the kids, and things get more unfamiliar for them (hotel beds, no toys, etc).
Would you like to share your story of how you got here? Email vanessa@nonahoodnews.com with a brief summary of why your family moved to Lake Nona. We’ll be in touch.
