Celebrty Travel: Go Away With Tiffany Young

A. Yes! (Bandmate) Tae-yeon (Kim) and I went on this spontaneous treat-yourself vacation to Florida back in 2013. We got to the airport and there were some issues with checking Tae-yeon in and we were freaking out at the front desk thinking we weren't going to make it. We were stressing out, because we had just given this whole speech to our bandmates and families about how we're independent women doing this on our own. (Laughs) We had told management, "We're leaving for 10 days. Don't look for us." It all worked out in the end and we had the best time in Florida.

Q. What's the most important thing you've learned from your travels?

A. Kindness always goes the extra mile. You might be at an airport or in a country where you don't speak the language or understand anything, but it really is about being patient. Traveling can be really nerve-wrecking. Even on my recent trip to Scotland, there was a lot of driving involved to get to where we needed to be. You can be irritated by it or just relax and look at the green pastures and that's part of the excitement. I've had days where I wanted to be angry and snap, but being nice and patient will get you through those travel days.

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

A. I carry three different kinds of earphones and headphones, because I had one trip where I forgot to bring them. Now, I get super nervous so I overcompensate. Having music to listen to is such an important part of travel. You create playlists to listen to and when you come back home, those songs will remind you of where you've been. Earlier this year I was in New York walking around the city listening to Madonna, and I know hearing those songs again will remind me of that moment.

Q. How have your travels affected your fashion sense?

A. It has broadened my outlook on what you can do with personal style. I'm super blessed that I grew up in California and then got to travel all over the world with Girls' Generation and got to see things with a different eye. I went to everything from Seoul Fashion Week to Paris Fashion Week and saw what designers were showing. But I also saw what our fans were wearing. All of that made me more fashion savvy and want to go with the flow.

Q. Your fans are recognized as being fashionistas. Which countries have particularly impressed you in how your fans come decked out?

A. You're right. I have some of the most fashionable fans in the world. They not only know how to style themselves, but they also know how to recreate our stage outfits and what I wore to the airport. They know all about details. I remember being in Thailand and Japan and there would be groups of eight girls wearing exactly the same outfits as us from "Party" or "Lion Heart." They had their own roles and it was so cool.

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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.)