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A. My wife would like to get to Australia. I got to go there already and also to New Zealand and Tasmania. Tasmania is really kind of different. It's kind of backwoods, but you can go see a real Tasmanian devil.

Q. What was the first trip you took as a child?

A. We would pile into the family Buick and drive out to Wichita, Kansas, to visit my brother, who was in the Air Force. That was the family summer vacation. Or we would go to Pennsylvania and go to Valley Forge and Crystal Caves. Occasionally, we went to New York City.

Q. When you're touring, do you make the time to sightsee?

A. Yes. In Hong Kong, we were on a jazz tour with Billy Childs, a well-known jazz pianist. We were walking around making believe we were James Bond. We had cheap suits made that fell apart in three weeks. We bought counterfeit watches that all Americans buy. We had dinner and ate the 100-year-old egg. I didn't like it, but once you're committed, you've got to go through with it. I remember all the traffic and seeing sides of beef hanging outside aging on the sidewalk being seasoned with, what? Exhaust fumes? I played in Jakarta two years ago and it's also another trippy place. When you're driving on the streets, there will be a small scooter and on there will be a father, mother, one child between them and a baby strapped on their back.

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

A. Until very recently, I always had a book with me. It'll get you through a 10-hour flight better than a sleeping pill. It's an invaluable companion. But lately I put them on my phone. I always have a Bluetooth speaker. I like to practice in my room and play along with things.

Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you're on the road?

A. I like to grab a snack from the minibar: a Snickers bar or a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. I kind of moved into the Almond Joy bar a couple months ago. You need that little snack. It's better when I mix up some cashews, raisins and carob-covered Yummies, though. My real weakness, though, is deep-dish pizza at O'Hare Airport. And when I'm at the Dallas Airport, I have to get the Popeye's fried chicken. It's not health food, but it makes me feel really good when I'm traveling.

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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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