Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
“The genesis of ‘Horn of Plenty” was a request from NPR to create a radio special celebrating Thanksgiving,” said Paul Winter. “Pieces on the album have been inspired by my experiences in Brazil, Ireland, Russia and Bulgaria, as well as the ocean and the Grand Canyon.”
Born in the Dominican Republic, actress Katherine Castro (“Someday”) has a minimalist’s approach to hitting the road. “Travel light,” she says. “Less is more. If it doesn’t fit in your carry-on, you don’t need it.” A resident of West Hollywood, Castro says it’s helpful that she speaks several languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Arabic), but stepping outside of your comfort zone can make trips an enjoyable learning experience regardless of your level of fluency.
Best known for his work with Emblem3, musician Drew Chadwick says he finds inspiration in his travels, which have taken him all over the world. But there’s no place like home for the 26-year-old “Pacific” singer. “I’ve done a pretty significant amount of traveling,” he says. “But nowhere has ever been as beautiful or held as much sentimental value as Washington State, which I consider to be home base number one.”
“When I played football in school, I took academics very seriously,” says former NFL running back Thomas Q. Jones, who’s now an actor. “If I didn’t get A’s and B’s, I couldn’t play sports. I was an honor roll student and graduated from university in three years. My parents didn’t push sports. They wanted us to do well in school.”
Beach volleyball player Sean Rosenthal has played in two Olympics so far and, if he gets his wish, he’ll be competing at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, too. “I hope to make the U.S. squad for a variety of reasons,” says the 33-year-old athlete, who’s based in California. “It’d be such an honor to get to represent the United States again. And, there’d be the added bonus of getting to play in Brazil, which has always shown an amazing amount of love for volleyball. The people are so enthusiastic about the sport, which makes it a lot of fun to play there.”
“I love being exposed to different cultures,” says singer Dionne Warwick. “And traveling is a learning experience. It’s something we should all do more of. And as Americans we’re very fortunate because the entire world speaks English.” Warwick received her first Grammy in 1968 for “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?” Her hit singles include “Walk on By,” “Anyone Who Had a Heart” and “Alfie.”
“I rarely have bad experiences traveling,” Dave Kox says. “However even if there are travel nightmares, I always feel blessed to be able to see and experience new things. It’s what keeps me always coming back for more.”