Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Evy Poumpouras
A. Two years ago, I found myself in the middle of the Swiss Alps in a town called Zermatt. I spent a week there skiing. The town prides itself on hospitality, so the people, food and nightlife were beyond my expectations.
Q. Do you speak any foreign languages?
A. I learned Greek first, then English. During college, I picked up additional languages studying overseas. Italian, while at the American University of Rome; Spanish during a semester in Mexico; French while studying in France. Then after 9/11, I enrolled in Arabic to help me in my career as a special agent. I love learning new languages as much as I love traveling, which go perfectly together. Being able to speak and understand the local dialect helps me to better connect to my new environment and the people around me.
Q. What makes you feel at home?
A. When I lived overseas during my college years, I'd go to McDonald's for some comfort food. There is nothing that reminds me more of the good old U.S. of A than the Golden Arches.
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. Along with an adventurous mindset is my cellphone and international charger. Two credit cards with zero balances. All my toiletries - you never know what you will or won't find. A mini first-aid kit; I'm pretty self-sufficient when it comes to wound care. A mini flashlight. Last place I want to be is sitting in the dark in the middle of a power outage. And most of all, a travel companion.
Q. What would be your dream trip?
A. Antarctica, which is ironic because I hate the cold!
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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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