Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“Puerto Rico has the longest winter holiday season in the world,” said “Liberation” star Irene Sofia Lucio. “So it is very hard to beat a Puerto Rican Christmas. It is not a white Christmas with hot cocoa and PJs. It’s hot, loud and busy. You don’t cuddle by a fire, you go out to the beach or to the outdoor market, or to Old San Juan and likely run into live music.”
“When I was five, my mom took me on a bus from San Diego to Key West, Florida, to see my relatives, ” remembered “On and On” singer Stephen Bishop. “Looking back now, with a child of my own, I have no idea how my mom kept me sane with one comic book for almost five days. We did not fly. It was not fun. It was hot and exhausting. So was the ride back.”
“I feel Mexico has everything you could ask for,” said “Real Women Have Curves” co-star Florencia Cuenca. “And my personal favorite vacation includes a beach. There’s nothing like the motherland. I’m always longing to visit my family and friends, and eat delicious food. Because of my Broadway commitment right now, I don’t think we are going to be able to make that trip anytime soon. I am crossing my fingers that we’ll have a long and fun run!”
“I’m Black and I grew up in the South, so I can only say that I’ve heard certain countries aren’t friendly to minorities,” said “Walker” actress Kearran Giovanni. “But honestly, I’ve felt unwelcome in places within my own country my whole life so nothing can shock me at this point. It wouldn’t stop me.”
“I may be biased but I swear every time I go to Puerto Rico, I keep finding new things to see and do,” said “The Time Traveler’s Wife” actress Natasha López. “If you are staying in the San Juan area you must visit El Yunque National Forest and Old San Juan.”
“I had a beautiful childhood in California and my parents worked very hard and provided a lot of opportunities for us,” said Mariel Molino of ABC’s “Promised Land.” ” Because of this, some of the kids in our community would sometimes ask me if my parents were drug dealers or in the Mexican Mafia. It took me some time to be proud of my heritage. I wanted so badly to be all American – whatever that meant – because it would mean we wouldn’t stick out.”
“I’ve been very fortunate to have worked both in Mexico and the United States,” said Cristina Rodlo, star of Netflix’s horror film, “No One Gets Out Alive.” “Honestly, the biggest difference is the budget. Other than that, it’s pretty much the same.”
“I am very lucky to have never faced racism in my life, though I have seen it,” said actor Jesse Posey. “Selena did face racism, but she also faced the troubles of being a big star. And piling those two on top of each other must have been a great challenge.”
“I love camping,” says “The Vanishing” actress Lily Anne Harrison. “I’m from Oregon, so I love anything that takes me outside. I grew up appreciating the outdoors. Also, I just love the adventure of an RV trip.”
“We were able to enjoy our two-week honeymoon in Thailand without any complications,” says “Never Have I Ever” actress Richa Moorjani. “I don’t know when we’ll be able to travel again and I’m just so thankful we had the ability to go and witness some of the beauty of Thailand before coming home to a different reality (with the pandemic).”
Best known as Isabelle Lightwood in “Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments,” Mexican-Lebanese actress Emeraude Toubia says she thinks her television alter ego would have been a great travel companion. “She would be so fun,” says Toubia. “I am more of a stay at home and watch a movie kind of girl. But Isabelle would definitely drag me out of bed to explore and have a fun time.”
“Paul Bowles’ ‘The Sheltering Sky’ really had an impact on me in high school,” says “Breakthrough” and “Homeland” actor Sam Trammell. “The story of an American couple traveling to north Africa and then continuing into the desert without a solid plan and the impromptu thread of the narrative (of) following your heart and gut. The descriptions of Morocco and the desert were so vibrant. It was very much of an escape for me. And it made travel and exploration feel like deeply important tasks for the soul.”
“Every album we write is influenced by the location we’re in,” says James Hunt of RÜFÜS DU SOL. “It’s kind of inherent in the process of creating music to draw upon the immediate vibe, personality and feeling of a place.”
“We were promoting ‘Altered Carbon’ (in Seoul) and it was so different than any other city I’ve ever been in,” says actress Martha Higareda. “The high-rises are incredible. Imagine New York, but multiply it by 10, but with no ads and wide streets, very clean and organized. And in between this massive modern city rests these beautiful palaces, like Gyeongbok, which literally transports you in time.”
Journalist Jeff Glor is the anchor of the “CBS Evening News” — a spot once occupied by the iconic Walter Cronkite. He has traveled the world for his job, interviewing President Emmanuel Macron in France, President Donald Trump in Scotland and covering the U.S. military in Iraq. But his most memorable destination stands out for personal reasons: He was married in Mexico.
“Traveling has been a really big part of my upbringing and I’ve been fortunate enough to travel for different reasons,” says singer Eric Nam, 29. “I’d like to think that it has had an impact on my character and personality, which ultimately affects my music.” Born and raised in Georgia, Nam currently is on tour promoting his Billboard World Top 10 EP, “Honestly.” His song, “Float,” also is featured in the film, “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.”
For “Scandal” actor George Newbern, the perfect vacation would be to “rent a place in Paris and use that as a base to eat all the food and invite friends over to hang out.”
In her memoir “A Stitch of Time: The Year a Brain Injury Changed My Language and Life” (Simon & Schuster, $26), Lauren Marks recounts her brain aneurysm and how aphasia affected her life. “At the time, I was an actor, director and Ph.D. student living in New York City,” she says. “I was 27 years old and had largely lost my abilities to speak, read and write. I was a foreigner in my native tongue.”
Born and raised in Chicago, Suzy Nakamura credits her career at The Second City for honing her comedic chops. Her prolific film and television work includes “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Veep” and “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.” Nakamura, who stars opposite Ken Jeong in the ABC comedy series, “Dr. Ken,” will appear alongside Brooke Shields in the upcoming indie film, “Daisy Winters.”
Olympian Kelsey Robinson helped Team USA win the bronze medal in volleyball at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, but her love of basketball is evident by the number on the back of her team jersey — 23. The number, of course, is in honor of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, but it also makes her feel close to her Chicago-area roots, says Robinson, 24.