Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
For New York City-based activist and model Ava Dash, traveling is less about an itinerary than it is about embracing the moments she never planned for, like “watching the sun set over the ocean with close friends, discovering a tiny restaurant you found by accident, or getting completely lost in a city and ending up somewhere even better than where you intended to go.”
“We are always in a beautiful part of England for ‘Bridgerton,’” Oli Higginson said. “I’ve filmed wonderful scenes at the Bridgerton house in Greenwich and at Hampton Court Palace near Richmond. We used to film a lot in the English city of Bath, but now they have built this incredible backlot set out at Shepperton Studios, which is truly a feat of artistic engineering. It is stunning. And given that, it does indeed always feel like the locations are another character. They totally inform how we carry ourselves and how the scenes play out.”
“Travel has taught me that people are more similar than different,” said country singer Travis Yee. “Whether I’m in Tennessee, California, South Carolina or somewhere else entirely, people experience the same things – love, heartbreak, self-doubt, family struggles and perseverance. Those shared experiences often find their way into my songs.”
Tony Award-nominated singer and actress Melissa Errico said she remembers being unsure at first when she was asked to join the cast of “Les Misérables.” “I had to drop out of Yale to do it [which] sounds more dramatic than it was,” she said. “I was cast as Cosette on the national tour while still a student. Suddenly, I had a choice between the life I was planning and the life that had come knocking at the door.”
“One thing I’ve always said is that I want to perform in all of the members’ hometowns, and of course in the Philippines,” said AtHeart’s Katelynn, who is Filipina. “I’d also love to perform at iconic music festivals and stadiums like Coachella, Lollapalooza and Wembley Stadium someday.”
“Traveling creates an energy that spurs me on to write,” said “Dreamt I Found You” author Jimin Han, who also teaches at the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College. “I notice more things than I do when I’m home. Right now, I’m sitting on a terrace in a hotel in Myeongdong in Seoul. Already, I’ve written on the flight and [wrote] earlier this morning working on the new book. Fingers crossed I have another novel [published] soon.”
In her debut comedy special “Rosalee Mayeux: Model Mom,” the former high fashion model-turned-standup comic shares stories about her life as a model, actress (“The Lawnmower Man,” “Blast from the Past”) and mother. “My first gig was at the World Famous Comedy Store [in West Hollywood] in the famous Belly Room,” Mayeux said. “It was such an honor and I had a blast! We had a fire audience, courtesy of one of their resident producers, comedian Jimmy Shin. So it was a very cushy beginning!”
Megan Lawless stars as Sarah in the hit horror film “Obsession.” “My character is one of four in the main friend group,” the Los Angeles-based actor said. “Sarah acts as a foil to the toxic relationship between Bear and Nikki and is fundamental to the theme of this cautionary tale. She is representative of the loss that comes with obsessive, toxic attachment and how one person’s actions can affect far more than just themselves. I love this character and am so glad to play such a fundamental part of this story.”
Grammy Award-winning producer and engineer Robert Margouleff has worked with music legends such as the Isley Brothers, Jeff Beck and Depeche Mode. In his new memoir “Shaping Sounds: Stevie Wonder, DEVO, The Synth Revolution, And My Life Behind The Music,” the author shares stories about working with these stars. It wasn’t his intent at the time, but his work helped create an eclectic musical time capsule.
In the Broadway production of “The Balusters,” Maria-Christina Oliveras portrays Luz Baccay, a Filipina housekeeper who has served the very wealthy Vernon Point community for 30 years. “Her power lies in observation and deep listening [and] in knowing what to say and what not to say,” the actress said in an interview from her home in New York City.
“I played SXSW in Austin in 2023 and some of my friends came to play in my band,” said “Big Trick” singer-songwriter Sabrina Song. “Our flight home was really early so we figured we would get to the airport late the night before and wait at our gate. We found out [it] was closed for the night when we got there, so we laid down on the floor with all our gear and slept at the entrance until morning. It was such a tragically funny ending to such a great week.”
Alexandra Metz isn’t a doctor, but “The Pitt” star contemplated becoming one when she studied at Brown University. After graduating with a degree in human biology, she deferred med school for two years while she gave acting a shot. “On the surface, it felt like a perfect backup plan, making my [acting] choice seem less risky,” said Metz, who portrays Dr. Yolanda Garcia on the hit series. “At my core, though, I always knew I wouldn’t follow through with medicine, because I wasn’t excited by the journey. Acting moved me in an undeniable way. While I found medicine incredibly inspiring, I knew it wasn’t for me.”
With her gayageum, avant-garde musician-composer-vocalist DoYeon Kim blends traditional Korean music with free jazz, which she showcases on her upcoming debut album, “Wellspring”
“[Travel] is one of the great perks of working in tennis,” said Patrick McEnroe. “You build relationships all over the world and get to experience different cultures in a really meaningful way. The global tennis community is pretty special in that sense. I’ve made lifelong friends in all different parts of the world, and it’s been fascinating to see how places evolve over time. I like to keep it simple – walking, hiking, exploring and finding great local food. I always try to avoid the American chains when we’re overseas, and really experience wherever we are.”
“I play Francesca, the funniest sister-cousin you wish you had,” said Stella Pecollo, who is one of the stars of the film “You, Me & Tuscany.” “She is a sassy, confident, fun, loving woman who adores Michael, played by Regé-Jean Page, and becomes close to Anna, played by Halle Bailey, whom she confides all the family gossip to.”
“We went to Venice, we went to the Dolomites and we went to Rome, because [my husband] Anthony’s family is in Rome,” said the Korean Vegan, Joan ne Lee Molinaro. “We did that trip, which was absolutely sensational. The Dolomites are like nothing I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”
“During some weekends I drive from Zagreb to my grandfather’s house, ” said filmmaker Neb Chupin.” “The town is called Vodice and I converted his original house into an Airbnb called Dida Boza House, [which] has a cafe and a gift shop. When I worked and studied in Boston, my getaways were always Cape Cod.”
“I’ve always said my ultimate dream would be a headline show at Red Rocks in Colorado,” said singer-songwriter Chloe Qisha. “There’s something about that amphitheatre that’s really legendary. At night, especially with how it’s lit, it looks beautiful. I also like venues where there’s staggered seating or standing because you can see everything clearly. It’s somewhere I’d love to see a show, but also somewhere I’d love to play.”
“Railay Beach in Thailand is a stunning car-free peninsula in the Krabi region in the south of Thailand,” said “Virgin River” actor Marco Grazzini. “Turquoise water, white sand, towering limestone cliffs – it’s the usual breathtaking landscape that Thai beaches have to offer, and that would drop jaws on film. I’ve been in and around Thailand numerous times over the past 20 years and Railay really stuck out to me for the serenity that it has.”
“In many ways, the internet has poisoned our minds and drained the lifeblood required for making music, but it has also granted listeners access to so many ideas and creative expressions that it’s possible our understanding of one another has been deepened and amplified,” said professor Alan Williams, who’s also a singer-songwriter. “Seeing my students listening to K-pop, Congolese street bands playing heavily distorted metallophones and Cambodian pop from the golden age before the Khmer Rouge gives me hope for the future.”