Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Rati Gupta

A. When I was five, my parents took me and my brother to India for a family wedding and I hated it. Being constantly bombarded by strange family members made me uncomfortable. I was a very picky eater, so not having access to pancakes or french fries was also quite traumatizing. I was too young then to appreciate the country, but I've gone back a couple times as an adult -- traveling to different cities with friends instead of camping out with relatives -- and have grown to enjoy my time there more.

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

A. I started to travel solo regularly after I turned 30, first as a challenge to see if I could do it, and then later as a necessity to maintain the rewarding sense of empowerment and independence I gained from it. And the one common thing I've learned from that trajectory is that you are more capable than you think you are. I am a cautious and often shy person. I never thought I'd be able to travel to another country by myself or hike a volcano or skydive over the Great Barrier Reef, but now I have. Traveling is scary, but when you get past that belief of "I can't," there are so many wonderful, life-altering gifts waiting on the other side.

Q. If you could only pick one place to eat, would you choose a casual meal at a street cart or fine dining at a nice restaurant?

A. I'm the type of person that likes to try everything on a menu, so I love a good street food market where I can get a variety of foods from different stands. The scene in "Crazy Rich Asians" at the Newton Food Centre was like food goals for me.

Q. Where is the most romantic destination?

A. This small village in the south of France called Eze. I went there with my mom, which is kind of weird for a romantic destination, but I love my mom! We spent a day there hanging out at the gorgeous castle-like hotels, eating at the Michelin-starred restaurants, and taking in the most heavenly views of the Mediterranean. If I ever decide to get married, I'd probably want the wedding to be there.

Q. Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?

A. Sydney, Australia, reminded me so much of Chicago, a chill metropolitan city with a coastal culture. I lived there for a semester during college, and the transition could not have been easier.

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

A. My phone for internet and camera, a book to read and a journal to write in, and for international trips, a robust first-aid kit with antibiotics and various digestive system medications. When you have multiple gastroenterologists in the family like I do, it's kind of embarrassing to get taken down by a stomach bug.

Q. What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?

A. Best: Lying on a secluded beach at night, hours outside of Sydney, watching shooting star after shooting star flash across the sky. Worst: A monkey peeing on me in Bali.

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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.)