Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Karen Fukuhara
A. I love both! As long as the quality is good, price doesn't matter. I definitely find myself packing on pounds during a trip, because I want to eat as many delicious meals as possible. I normally don't eat breakfast, but when I'm on vacation I eat at least four meals a day. Obviously, I have to get my dessert in there somewhere. There's no better feeling than a hearty warm meal after a long day of walking.
Q. I understand that you speak Japanese and English. Do you pick up new languages easily?
A. Yes. I'm fluent in both. Nobody realizes I've never lived in Japan, because I don't have an American accent when speaking Japanese. I tried to learn French in high school, but it never stuck. I found it extremely difficult. Maybe it's easier if I was surrounded by native speakers? I'd love to try learning another language again.
Q. What are your five favorite cities?
A. Berlin, London, Toronto, Tokyo and Amsterdam.
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. If you're doing anything nature related, pack a headlamp and a Pack Towel. You never know how late your adventure will go or if you want to spontaneously jump in that fresh water lake.
Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you're on the road?
A. Cheez-It (crackers)! The boxes with two flavors -- Sharp Cheddar and Parmesan. And ginger beer, because I get car sick.
Q. What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
A. My friend and I decided to rent a car in New Zealand to make the most of our time there and venture off into the wilderness. Imagine my surprise when my friend pulled up to pick me up, she pulled up in a Smart car. Needless to say, it wasn't built for off-roading, but that didn't stop us from trying. All part of the adventure, I guess. I remember one particular instance when we were driving 3.5 hours back to the city in the dark, extremely jet-lagged and tired from our day trip. We had to keep hitting each other to pay close attention to which side of the road we had to be on (New Zealand drives on the other side of the road). We laugh about it now. I really think this experience brought us closer than ever. She's my travel wife!
========
(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.)
(c) 2019 DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
