Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Kayla Waters
A. I took AP Spanish courses in high school and can still speak enough to be functional in Spanish-speaking countries. I could probably pick up a language quickly if I am around a group of indigenous people of whichever country I'm in.
Q. What are your five favorite cities?
A. Denver, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Chicago and D.C.
Q. Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?
A. I am from a small town called Aberdeen (Maryland). There is no place like home.
Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A. I would love to spend a few weeks in Morocco or South Africa. I yearn to visit the motherland -- the roots of my African American heritage. I also would love to study their culture of music, rhythm, song and dance.
Q. What would be your dream trip?
A. Traveling abroad to various countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, and Australia. I'd be delighted to delve into the field of ethnomusicology to understand the purposes of different types of music around the world. I imagine this trip would take anywhere from six months to a year to complete and from this experience, I'd create and compose an entire album dedicated to this adventure.
Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you're on the road?
A. Anything chocolate. It's my favorite sweet.
Q. What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?
A. I always research the area I will be visiting and seek to understand more about the area from a cultural and historical perspective. I also search on Yelp for great places to eat and where to go to hear great live music.
Q. What is your best travel memory?
A. I went to Portugal for the first time this year. It was an incredible experience to perform and play my original music in the Algarve region. The beach, the pine cliffs, the people, the food ... absolutely incredible. I cannot wait to visit there again.
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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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