Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Born in Mexico and raised in the United States, actress-singer Katie Barberi fondly recalls a childhood where her family moved to dozens of cities in both countries to accommodate her parents’ careers. “I loved it,” says Barberi, 40. “I’m sure my love of travel is tied to all the different places we lived.”
“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.”
“Because I have a lot of property and horses, I am always moving something heavy and rarely sitting down,” says Linda Eder, who’s best known for her work on Broadway in “Jekyll & Hyde.” “I also like to do home remodeling, which is hard work. I’m always overdoing it. So when I go on vacation I like to really go on vacation — meaning I like to rest, without too many distractions. I like to lie in the sun by the ocean, eat great food and relax.”
Ballroom dancer Anna Trebunskaya is best known for her appearances on “Dancing with the Stars.” Last year, she guided Olympic figure skating champion Evan Lysacek to a second-place finish. The Russian dancer immigrated to the United States when she was 17. Now 30, Trebunskaya resides in Hermosa Beach, Calif., with her husband and fellow “DWTS” pro, Jonathan Roberts.
Singer, actress and former “American Idol” runner-up Katharine McPhee, 26, was born and raised in Los Angeles, where she currently resides. “I love traveling and am on the road all the time for work, but I don’t get to go on as many vacations as people would think,” she says. “But a lot of people can work on vacation or relax while they’re traveling for business. And that’s what I’ve started to do.” Her favorite vacation memory, actually, is of the days off she had during a business trip to Italy. McPhee’s latest CD is “Christmas is the Time …(To Say I Love You).”
Guitar legend Joe Satriani and his wife, Rubina, are big fans of traveling, whether it’s a quick flight to Vancouver or an exotic vacation on Tioman Island. Though he enjoys the peace and tranquility of villas that offer little distraction by way of phones and televisions, he also admits he’s partial to having access to the Internet, especially when he’s on tour.
WNBA basketball star Candace Parker loves to travel and try new restaurants with her husband, Shelden Williams (of the Denver Nuggets) and their 15-month-old daughter Lailaa. “That girl can eat 900 times a day,” says Parker, who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks. “She is always running around kicking a soccer ball and is always hungry. She likes everything. It’s wonderful because we don’t have to worry much about what she might like when we travel.” Parker, 24, has most her summer free now that her season is over. But she’s currently in the process of moving her family from California to Colorado to accommodate her husband’s basketball schedule.
“One time when we were planning a trip to Cambodia, my husband emailed an old friend who lived in Vietnam for advice on planning our trip,” Eberjey co-founder Ali Mejia recalls. “(His friend) was so excited to share all his knowledge with us that he decided to be our tour guide! It was one of the best trips we’ve ever taken, because we visited places we would have never known about and got to really immerse ourselves in the local culture.”
While “Twilight” fans may refer to themselves as Team Edward or Team Jacob, “True Blood” aficionados are all about the new werewolf in town: Alcide Herveaux. Joe Manganiello plays the sexy lycanthrope in the third season of the vampire series, which airs on HBO. (The first two seasons of the drama are available on DVD on HBO Home Video.) Born and raised in the Pittsburgh area, the 33-year-old actor who once earned a living as a roadie for the rock band Goldfinger now calls Los Angeles home. As for his next destination, Europe, where he has never visited, is calling him.
By Jae-Ha Kim Tribune Media Services June 22, 2010 A recent film school graduate, Zander Eckhouse gets to show off his talent and biceps in the ABC Family series “Huge,” which premiers on June 28. […]