Journalist
Best trip souvenir: A dinosaur bone. Jealous?
Least favorite mode of travel: I avoid getting on a boat at all costs. I've never had a good trip involving a boat. The cruise to the Bahamas wasn't exactly my idea of fun. Not only was I stuck out at sea, there was only so much shuffle board one can play before getting bored.
Most romantic trip you've taken/want to take:I've never been on a romantic trip. I want to go on one this year to Thailand, and visit the beaches,Bangkok, and the countryside. I want to redo my trip to Thailand. The last time I went, it wasn't glamorous. I stayed with my mom's family and I felt restricted to shopping and eating. I did ride an elephant and see aspects of the Thai culture that changed my life. In fact, it was the first time I accepted the Thai side of me. But I wanted to explore, so my trip felt rather unsatisfying. I'd like to give Thailand another chance. I'd love to find the perfect guy to go with me.
Your biggest overall travel tip: If your friend is going on a business trip, tag along. I recently went to LA that way. Yes, the free hotel and free rental car were nice. But the best perk was having really great company for the week.
How do you make business travel fun? I actually travel more for business for than for fun. As a journalist, my stories can lead me to interesting places. The last business trip I took was a dino digging adventure in Montana. I camped in the badlands with Jack Horner, the famous paleontologist, and his team. We celebrated the Fourth of July with burgers and beer. I'll remember that day because we found a dinosaur and Horner named the specimen — "The Four Babes Trike" — after me, my friend, his girlfriend, and her friend.
First thing you do when you check into a hotel: I put on my running shoes, grab my iPhone for music, and hit the road. It's the best way to get to know a place.
Traveling with a tour group - yay or nay? I don't think I would travel with a tour group now. But if it's your first time going abroad, then it's not a bad idea. When I was 20, I wanted to travel to Europe but I didn't want to go solo. So I booked a 30 day bus tour through Contiki to travel to Western Europe. I was one of 3 Americans, the rest on board were Australian and South African. The bus ride was for sleeping, the day was for sight seeing, and the night was for drinking. We checked off all the major tourist attractions and ate delicious food. When we stayed in Corfu, we had a toga party. Some how the night ended with all 30 of us skinny dipping in the ocean. Sometimes, I secretly crave going on another Contiki tour.
One place everyone should go: Go down under. Visit Sydney, Australia. I loved running along the cliffs along the stretch between Coogee beach and Bondi beach. While you're at it, book a cheap flight over to New Zealand. Rent a car and you can see volcanoes, glaciers, gold mines, sheep, and sandy beaches in less than two weeks. If you want to save some money, stay at the Sydney Central YHA. It's the best one I've ever stayed in and is central to all the major sites in the city. When you're by the Opera House, check out Minus 5, for the ultimate ice bar experience. P.S. Don't wear ripped jeans like I did! In New Zealand, make sure you visit Rotorua. It might smell like sulphur there, but the geysers, volcanic rock, and hot springs will take your breath away.
Best hotel you've ever stayed at: The Standard in New York, actually. Breathtaking views. I took one of the best showers there. Definitely a great escape even if you can't get out of the city.
Recent spontaneous trip: I went with a journalist friend to JFK at 6 am to fly stand-by to visit my medical school friend in Granada. But we were flying out on President’s Day weekend and I didn’t realize every New Yorker was headed south too. We were told we wouldn’t make the flight to Miami and would never get to Granada. So we asked the Delta ticket agent what other destinations we could try. My friend wanted to go to Japan. But I wanted to go to Aruba. After all, I was packed for the beach. So we tried Aruba first. I was so excited that we made the flight. As soon as we boarded, we realized we didn’t have a place to stay. So I asked the nice banker/teacher couple sitting next to me for some recommendations. They ended up offering me a place in their timeshare for $100 a night at the Marriott. We trusted them and went with it: For the price of a cheap motel, we were staying at a luxurious resort. The benefits didn't stop there either. The couple then snuck me free breakfast, let us use their tennis rackets, and invited us to the exclusive cocktail hour. Lesson learned: don't write off timeshares. They can be pretty nice.
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