Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“Hiking Mount Sinai in Egypt was a divine experience,” says “#FreeRayshwan” actress Alyshia Ochse. “We hiked the mountain in the middle of the night and felt (like we were) so close to the stars that I could reach up and touch them.”
“I speak Arabic and Hebrew, they’re my main languages,” says Nuseir Yassin. “English was my third language and is my foreign language. I don’t think I pick up new languages too easily. I trained for over 10 years by speaking English repeatedly to myself, just to make sure that I didn’t have an accent.”
“We can speak Hebrew, Polish, Spanish, Hindi, German, Japanese and many more languages,” says M.O.N.T. “We really enjoy learning languages and we learn it through music most of the time, so it’s easy for us to memorize vocabulary.”
Rapper I.M is used to traveling around the world with his group Monsta X and says he’s excited about returning to the United States, where he spent part of his childhood. “I’m sad we won’t get to play in Boston,” says I.M, 22, who was born Chang-kyun Im. “But I’m happy we will get to see so many of our American fans.”
“There’s nothing better than getting paid to see my country and connect with the fans who gave me a career,” says Iliza Shlesinger, host of TBS’ relationship-based game show “Separation Anxiety” and a former winner of “Last Comic Standing.” The savvy world traveler says she is up for going anywhere, anytime: “I’m a travel fiend. If I’m in love, I want to go to Paris. And if I want to eat everything and get lost in someone’s culture, I’ll take anywhere in Asia. I loved Cambodia and I can’t wait to go back to Japan. I also loved Europe.”
“There’s one scene that explains it best,” says “Dig” actor Ori Pfeffer. “The walk to the apartment was shot in Jerusalem, inside the apartment was shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and exiting the apartment was then shot in Dubrovnik, Croatia. I believe it’s hard to beat a scene that was shot in three different continents! It’s pretty crazy and fun at the same time.”
“Some people are surprised that I speak English and assume that I must be a foreigner,” says Gbenga Akinnagbe, 32, a Brooklyn resident. “When I was younger, my mother wanted me to change it because she worried that I wouldn’t be able to find employment. There was a time I wanted to change my name and I was ashamed of it and I’d have people call me DJ. But I do love it now.”
Jeff Housenbold uses Shutterfly to process all the pictures he takes on vacation. Of course, he gets a little break since he’s the president and CEO of the online photo company. A resident of Atherton, Calif., where he resides with his wife and three sons, Housenbold, 40, travels often for business and pleasure. While the warm islands of Hawaii are family favorites, the Housenbolds look forward to upcoming trips to Israel and Ireland.
Rebecca Minkoff, whose line of handbags is a favorite with A-list celebrities, says though she enjoys a nice hotel with a luxurious spa, it’s also fun to “rough it a bit and carry everything you need on your back.” Though she could easily create a chic knapsack for herself, Minkoff says her practical side uses her Samsonite backpack, which she admits should work well for her for a few more trips.
Courtney Thorne-Smith made a name for herself as good girl Allison Parker on “Melrose Place” and later as attorney Georgia Thomas on “Ally McBeal.” But now the star of the ABC sitcom “According to Jim,” can add author to her resume. The first-time novelist has written Outside In (Broadway Books, $23.95), a wickedly funny book that skewers Hollywood’s fascination with underfed actresses and oversized egos. Thorne-Smith, who has written several articles for magazines, including Self, Allure and InStyle, spent more than a year writing her novel.