Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“I am absolutely obsessed with Bermuda, which is just a short two-hour flight from the East Coast,” said HUGZ founder Lexi Hensler. “Growing up, I had heard about the Bermuda Triangle and did not think that I could ever travel there.”
“The Sense of Wonder” is a revelatory book that takes a humorous look at pop culture, while also pointing out the inherent racism that pigeonholes minorities into what they can and cannot be. Matthew Salesses’ latest novel incorporates two of his interests: basketball and K-dramas.
Classical violinist Ray Chen said he created the Tonic app as a way for musicians to practice together wherever they are in the world, without feeling isolated.
“I moved to London with my family when I was 10 years old and I attended middle and high school at the American School in London,” said Lauren Buglioli. “It was an incredible experience that definitely changed my life for the better, thanks to the people I met and experiences I had living there. I hope to go back to visit soon and for work one day.”
“Australia reminds me of home,” said tennis player Danielle Collins. “I love the warm weather, beaches and friendly spirits. There’s something incredibly special about the way Australians live. They take their leisure time very seriously and, just like Florida, are obsessive about their water and water sports. The locals are kind, welcoming and made my stay feel like I was right at home.”
“Every summer growing up, my little brother and I would go to Dallas to spend time with our aunt and uncle,” said “Babylon” actor Telvin Griffin. “They didn’t have kids at the time so in a cool way, they were getting practice with us. We thought it was a whole new world because compared to Texarkana, Dallas was a huge place full of more fun things.”
“The first time I played in Los Angeles, my band and I took a day trip down to Tijuana, which went predictably off the rails.” said John Brodeur aka Bird Streets. “But I should probably save that story for the book.”
Most people have nothing nice to say about airline meals, but “Grey’s Anatomy” star Jaicy Elliot loves them. “I know most people hate it,” said the actress. “But I eat healthy all year long, so when I travel I enjoy some heavily-processed airplane food with a twist.”
“I’m pretty sure the first trip my parents took me on was to Niagara Falls,” said “Bones and All” actor Jake Horowitz. “I vaguely remember being on that boat that takes you close to the waterfall. I remember crying into my dad’s shoulder.”
“Growing up, I learned to speak some Creole French,” said “Christmas With My Ex” star said Denise Boutté. “Definitely not conversational. My mother speaks it fluently, which allowed her and other family members to have grown-folk conversations around the young’ins.”
“Bleeding Heart Yard” novelist Elly Griffiths said that living on the south coast of England is the perfect place for a crime writer such as herself. “Brighton has the reputation for being a little bit wicked,” the British author said. “The writer Keith Waterhouse said it has the air of a town that is helping the police with their inquiries.”
“My wife is a public defender who now works for the ACLU,” said Kevin Frazier of “Entertainment Tonight.” “I have a job that’s on TV. I remember one day I was in New Orleans and I had to wait two hours for Britney Spears, and then I had to get on a plane and go somewhere else. And I said to my wife (on the phone), “Yeah, it’s just another tough day,” and she said, “Actually, I’m standing outside of a dry cleaner, looking in a dumpster at a murdered woman.” And I was like, “OK, I’m going to shut up now.”
“We played hundreds of weddings before, but to be a part of the wedding of a couple of music legends [Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton] was truly special,” said Dallas String Quartet violist Ion Zanca. “You feel like every note that you play is heard by people who truly know music.”
“While on tour, I definitely like to experience what the places we’re (playing in) have to offer,” said Dirty Honey vocalist Marc LaBell. “So there’s quite a few places that we still haven’t been able to get to post-pandemic.”
“I really split my time between Los Angeles, London and Portland – and wherever music takes me really,” said singer/songwriter/guitarist Corey Harper. “[But for now] I am living in Malibu on a goat farm tucked away up in the hills. It’s essentially a shed, but I’ve made it feel like a million bucks in here. It’s really peaceful (and) quiet.”
On her previous trip to Italy, actress Kathleen Garrett had an in. “I had recorded an audiobook titled ‘Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride’ by Lorenzo Carcaterra, which took place in Ischia,” she said. “I became so fascinated by the island that I had to go to it. The book spoke of several locations describing its natural beauty, delicious food, great wines and restaurants. I had a head start in researching the territory before we left. I then did my own Google research on the island and its villages.”
“I’m still in awe of the great passion and amazing support by Latin American fans,” said Jehyun, one of OMEGA X’s 11 members. “I’m truly thankful for them enjoying our concerts as passionately as we do!”
Born and raised in Washington, Pennsylvania, Paige Spara currently lives in Vancouver, where she films the ABC medical series “The Good Doctor” — which kicks off its sixth season on October 3. Her character, Lea Dilallo, is the head of a hospital’s IT department and is married to Shaun Murphy – an autistic doctor played by Freddie Highmore.
“(In) 2021, I lived in the single most locked down city in the world – Melbourne, Australia,” said Natalie Zea, who stars in the NBC series “La Brea.” “Not only were we not able to legally travel outside the city limits, but we were restricted to being in our homes for all but two hours a day. That experience made myself and my family even more determined to see as much of Australia as we could once the lockdown lifted.”
More than 40 years into their career, The Smithereens are revving up for the Sept. 23 release of “The Lost Album” – a collection of songs they recorded in 1993 when they were in between record labels, but never shared with their fans. “(They were) truly forgotten, but were recently discovered because we are archiving all of our past recordings,” said guitarist Jim Babjak, 64, who resides in New Jersey. “It is important (to release them now) because it shows a snapshot of our progression as a band. There may be more tapes to be released in the future.”