Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“I got the travel bug quite early,” says “Suits” actress, Meghan Markle. “My earliest memories are of going to Mexico twice a year and Hawaii quite a few times. We never did conventional family trips like Disney World. Hawaii and Mexico were closer for us than going to Florida or the Caribbean.”
Back before MTV aired shows about pregnant teenagers, it had a program on called “House of Style.” I used to love that fashion show, which was hosted by Cindy Crawford. I remember seeing an episode where models Shalom Harlow and Amber Valetta (I think it was them, anyhow) showed viewers what was in their closets. The thing that stuck out was their boxes and boxes of shoes, which were stacked neatly with Polaroid photos of the contents taped to each box. I thought this idea was brilliant. So I did the same.
“My first trip was at six years old. We drove from Tucson to Columbus, in our cream-colored station wagon that we affectionately called Betsy,” says actress Alana De La Garza. “We drove through the night, with my brother, sister and I lying across the back seats. All I remember is my brother poking me, as I tried to fall asleep. I kept thinking, “I don’t like vacations. I’m not so sure what all the fuss is about.” I did love seeing my grandparents.”
There’s no specific quality that makes one destination more romantic than others. While some travelers want access to luxuries and fine dining, others search for a beautiful sunset in a rustic environment. The important thing is being with the right person. As Mark Twain said, “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”
Wow. You’ve probably heard about this column by Joel Brinkley, which is just all kinds of wrong. On the surface, it seems like the author would have something of value to say. He’s a Pulitzer Prize winner and a professor at Stanford. Impressive. This column? Not so much. Where’s the research? How about the reporting? It’s good on the xenophobia, though. His rebuttal is even better (or worse, depending on how you look at it).
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Toronto, Laurie Holden currently resides in Atlanta, where “The Walking Dead” is filmed. The actress plays Andrea on the popular series, which is AMC’s highest-rated show. An avid traveler, Holden encourages people to get out and explore the world, and help others in need. “I highly recommend joining a volunteer organization,” she says. “There’s no better experience than becoming part of the solution. I did this, myself. I worked in a daycare center for HIV orphans and it changed my life forever.”
I remember sitting at the butcher’s with mother. Young boys slanted their eyes with their fingers, bowed to mother, snickering and said, “ah sooo.” I was 11. I knew that mother (and I) were being made fun of.
As Ken Budd was turning 40, his father died of a heart attack. After the author heard from countless people about what an impact his father had made on their lives, he began to question his own purpose in the world. He began to do volunteer work and spent a couple weeks in New Orleans helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Then Budd began a six-country quest to find more meaning in his life and his travels led to a special needs school in the outskirts of China, a home for HIV-afflicted children in Kenya and an elementary school in Costa Rica.
There was a little boy sitting nervously on his bicycle as my dad talked to him. The boy had called my father a chink, and my father was calmly explaining that it wasn’t a nice thing to say, and that his parents would be disappointed to hear him say that to an adult. (Who’re we kidding? We all know that this kid probably learned to be a racist at home. But my father was giving him the benefit of the doubt.)
“The Bachelor” host Chris Harrison says, “When I travel to any country, my goal is to really try to get lost in that city and hit the local haunts. I’m never a big fan of doing touristy stuff. Sometimes you have to do these things like in Rome seeing all the sights and historic places. But even there I like to get off the main streets and find little shops and cafes you wont find on most maps. I talk to locals everywhere. I go and ask for bars, restaurants, shops and activities.”
Born in Texas and raised in Florida, Candice Accola is best known for her portrayal of Caroline Forbes on the CW series “The Vampire Diaries.” An avid traveler who counts her passport as one of her prized possessions, the 25-year-old actress says, “I don’t think I could have a genuine relationship with someone who didn’t love to travel and appreciate new foods. Traveling is a big part of my life, and I want to share that with the people close to me.”
The other night, I had a vivid dream. The only part I remember is the end, when my father was showing me his latest creation. He had always had a knack for crafting amazing things from odd scraps of whatever was around. In this dream, he was showing off what looked like two large tree trunks. But when you looked closer, the tops opened up to reveal compartments for trash cans and recycling bins. Ingenious!
“I like to travel to places you’d expect a 10-year-old kid to like,” says author R.L. Stine. “I love big, crazy resort places like Disney World. This is so bad for my horror image, but I would like to live at Disney World! I love being with thousands of people walking around there. My other favorite place is the Atlantis (in the Bahamas). I try to go at least once a year. It’s so much fun and it’s crazy. Everything’s twice as big as it needs to be. There’s all these swimming pools and restaurants, with beaches everywhere, a huge aquarium, that enormous casino … it’s just amazing.”
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Jonny Moseley first saw snow when his family moved to Northern California. The mogul skier would go on to compete at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, where he won the first American gold of the Games. Since then, he’s hosted shows for MTV, was named one of People magazine’s most eligible bachelors, graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, got married and became a father. He has also added the title of “guru” to his resume. Moseley is one of ZOZI.com’s celebrity guides, who lead everyday folks on adventures.
Best road trip ever for comic actor Seth Rogen? “When I was 16, my mom and I rented a car in Israel and drove around for a couple weeks. It was fun. I’m pretty easy maintenance, which is a good thing, since I have to travel so much for work.”
True story. A decade or so ago, when I was on the New Zealand set of “The Lord of the Rings,” someone accidentally spilled grape juice all over me, dousing my pants and turtleneck. There wasn’t enough time to go back to my hotel to change. So, they let me wear one of Liv Tyler’s outfits.
Naming her current CD “33 1/3” came easily for Shemekia Copeland. The title refers to her love of vinyl records, the number of revolutions an album makes per minute on a turntable and her age when the CD was released this past September. Having spent more than half her life in the music business, Copeland has performed with notable artists such as Buddy Guy, Mick Jagger and B.B. King, but says singing at the White House for President Obama and the first lady easily was one of her proudest moments.
I don’t need a closet full of Jimmy Choos or Prada bags. I just want a shelf full of Post-Its, crisp note cards and Sharpies. This is what my husband has succinctly described as my love of “office porn.” So. Be. It.
My son made his first gingerbread house today. I think it turned out pretty darned cute. FYI: A good chunk of the decorations made it into his little belly, rather than onto the house. 😉
One of Pat Benatar’s best-known songs is “Love is a Battlefield.” But for the four-time Grammy-winning singer and her long-time husband, guitarist Neil Giraldo, 57, love is hardly a struggle. The couple has collaborated for more than three decades, with Giraldo writing and arranging some of her biggest hits. Thanks to a prolific touring schedule, the twosome has been around the world and say they get along famously, whether on tour or on vacation. Benatar, 59, and Giraldo are so in tune with each other that they often speak as one, finishing each other’s sentences. For upcoming tour information, check out http://benatargiraldo.com.