ArcaMax

A. Australia and New Zealand sound awesome, though I'm a terrible sleeper on planes so I fear the flight. I've always wanted to try Thailand, too, and one of these days I hope to get to Italy.

Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?

A. Running shoes. I like to run in a new place to help me find my way around. A sound machine of some sort, though now those are accessible on phones. Other than that, I'm pretty simple.

Q. What would be your dream/fantasy trip?

A. I like fitness-based trips, like the surf camp I went to in Barbados. One in Thailand would be awesome or maybe Costa Rica. There are also cycling/wine-tasting trips through France I'd love to try.

Q. What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?

A. Not a whole lot, actually. I like to get advice from the locals once I'm there. I don't really do the tour bus thing or make any other excursion reservations in advance, if I can help it.

Q. What is your best vacation memory?

A. Two things that probably sound random and inconsequential. Visiting the local hot springs/community pool in Iceland. It was so much fun -- though also kind of crazy -- to just hang out with the locals and watch kids go down the waterslides in 30-degree weather. And when we joined an anti-war march in Dublin in March of 2002. Though they were going on in the States as well, there was something different about participating in Europe. Both were spur-of-the-moment decisions and experiences I'll never forget.

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Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow "Go Away With..." on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.

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