ArcaMax

Q. What are your five favorite cities?

A. My top five would be New York, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Dublin and Kathmandu.

Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?

A. I have never been to Eastern Europe. Hungary and Czech Republic are on top of my list. I also want to see Cuba before it becomes a commercialized tourist destination. I saw "Buena Vista Social Club" (in 1999) and it was about the musical spirit in Havana. Since then, I've been wanting to see those streets, capture photos and listen to some cool music.

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

A. I was born in a city called Bursa, which is just three hours south of Istanbul. My father used to drive to Istanbul for business expos and fairs and take me with him. The first time he took me, I was about 7 years old. As soon as we arrived to the expo center, he said to me, "This is a very crowded place. Stay with me no matter what, but if you ever get lost, find the police, give him my phone number and our home address and tell him you want to go home." He gave me some money and said, "The police should take you to the bus station and buy you a bus ticket home with this money." Fortunately, I didn't get lost. I really enjoyed my trip by just walking around the expo and looking at the amazing stuff I had never seen before. Since then, I always love going to expos.

Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?

A. When we were living in New York City, we used to go to the Catskills very often. Woodstock and Saugerties are great for weekend getaways -- just a two-hour drive from the city. We either stayed in a hotel or rented a wood cabin, since I am not good with tents. We used to go fishing and swimming and grilled on campfires at night. They also have some really good restaurants in the area. Since we live in Florida, now we go to Orlando for weekends. We have also explored Miami, the Florida Keys and Saint Augustine.

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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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