ArcaMax

A. (Laughs) Eat! I really love Korean food. The very first restaurant I invested in was a Korean barbecue restaurant in Los Angeles. I'm not a beef eater, but I love everything else, like bibimbap and kimchi. Kimchi actually is one of my favorite things, period. I can eat it morning, noon and night. You could add kimchi to anything and it makes everything taste delightful.

Q. Where was your first paying gig?

A. It was a small place in Cahuenga, California. It was my first kind of residency. I didn't get paid in the beginning. Later, they said, "Here's $50." I was like, "I got two 20s and a 10! That's pretty awesome!" (Laughs) I got to do what I loved to do and figured out that if I did enough of it, I could pay off my debts. I had this little piggy bank kind of jar and I kept putting all my money in it. It was all about being thrifty, saving and spending my money wisely. All of that helped me become a good businessman.

Q. When you do get time off, do you prefer laid-back vacations or being on the go?

A. I'm a scuba diver and snowboarder and love doing all that kind of stuff. I like staying active. A dream trip would be to go to Alaska and go snowboarding. That would be incredible.

Q. You're literally in the Guinness World Records as the "most traveled musician in one year." When are you ever going to make time for that?

A. (Laughs) I know! I keep telling myself that at some point I'm going to slow down and make that happen. And then each year I stay on this busy schedule. I love what I do and it's difficult to sustain a career in music. At some point -- who knows when -- my stock will drop. I'm just happy that people still love my music. I will have to wait on all those fun adventures.

Q. What is your best vacation memory?

A. I went to Hawaii recently with my mom, siblings and their kids. We rented a house and stayed right on the beach. It was absolutely gorgeous. It was time away from everything and we went kayaking, swimming, snorkeling and hiked. Hawaii is a great destination. You get some rain, of course, but it's always beautiful and warm with blue skies and blue water. It's a perfect place for a family to have a little adventure.

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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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