Celebrity Travel: Go away with Lauren Ing

Jae-Ha Kim, Tribune Content Agency on Dec 5, 2023

A: I recently went to Portugal and it felt like I was in California in so many ways. I don't mean Lisbon or areas with a lot of historical old buildings or towns, but rather the undeveloped areas. The outskirts felt so familiar – the weather, landscape, ocean and skyline of the countryside. I didn't expect to see such an old, historical area of the world to remind me of Orange County of all places.

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

A: I think you already know the answer will have to include my skincare, but I truly can not travel without my makeup bag, my SMD Cosmetics' Cleansing Oil and Saromae Snail Serum. If I only had these items, then I can make do. The Saromae Snail Serum is an all-in-one item that serves so many functions that I could just use it to moisturize and hydrate my skin, even if I didn't necessarily have my entire regimen, I know that my skin will feel hydrated and pampered. I also use it on any cuts or irritations and it helps my skin heal faster and feel nourished.

Q: What is your best vacation memory?

A: A trip to Rome, Italy, with my husband [when he was my fiance many, many years ago]. I wanted to re-enact all of the things that Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn's characters did in the movie, “Roman Holiday.” It was always one of my favorite movies. We did all of the things from the movie, including visiting the Fountain of Trevi and eating gelato. The highlight of the activities that were on my to-do list was to ride around the city on Vespa scooters. The traffic was incredibly hectic to navigate and we got lost several times and also had a very minor collision with a wall that was much closer than we anticipated, but all in all we had a wonderful time. It was truly a magical day with the sun shining and warm wind blowing in our hair. I felt like a princess for a day. I will always look back on that day as one of my favorite memories.

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

A: When I am on the road, it is impossible for me to have all of the healthy foods that I normally have access to at home but I will eat the best cuisine that the area has to offer. I will indulge in cheese, croissants and fresh baked breads when I am in Paris and eat bagels and pizza when I am in New York. Although these items are available locally, they never come close to tasting like what they do in these other places.

========

(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.)