CelebrityTravel: Go away with Gianni Decenzo

In the third season of “Cobra Kai” (premiering on Netflix on January 8), Gianni Decenzo gets to show off some of his real-life fighting skills — something he didn’t get to utilize in the previous seasons portraying the uncoordinated high school student, Demetri. “It was very painful sometimes getting to see everyone else do badass karate moves, while I duck and cover,” said the actor, 19. “I’ve been studying Krav Maga for about five years now and I use a lot of what I've learned on set. But with season three, we see a lot more action coming from Demetri.” A resident of Santa Clarita, Decenzo stays in touch with fans on Instagram and Tik Tok (username: @gianni_decenzo).

Q: Besides your age range, how similar are you to Demetri?

A: Demetri and I are a lot alike in some ways and yet very different in others. I really empathize with the struggles he has with his friends. Granted, my friends never tried to beat the crap out of me, but I went through the issue of being a bit lonely throughout school.

Q: Do you think Demetri would make a good travel companion for you?

A: Absolutely. Demetri would be one of my best friends. Plus, we’d be able to play Magic: The Gathering. It’s a nerdy game, but it’s fun.

Q: What was the first trip you took as a child?

A: The earliest trip I remember taking was to Mexico. I had a pretty good time there. Lots of great music, amazing food and I bought a Batman cape.

Q: How have you been handling travel with so many restrictions these days?

A: My family has a place over in Utah, so sometimes we like to get away and hang out there for a couple of weeks. Utah’s a real calm place. It’s nice to take a breather there. My girlfriend also comes over a lot, so I’ll usually do something with her, too. I actually have to fly out to Georgia every time we film “Cobra Kai.” We stay there for about three months to film. It’s a lot of fun to travel and I love Georgia. The only downside is sometimes I get a little homesick. But my family usually flies over to visit. I love being able to show them around the set.

Q: What travel plans did you have to cancel in 2020?

A: I actually was thinking about visiting Italy with my girlfriend. But, unfortunately, due to COVID, that’s being put on hold for another summer. I also want to visit London and France in the future.

Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?

A: Vegas. I used to love visiting there as a kid. My dad would set up all sorts of fun things for us to do. He’d find the best hotels and get us tickets to all sorts of live performances. I even got to see Penn and Teller live once. Coolest experience ever.

Q: What are your hopes for 2021?

A: To not be quarantined all year. Jokes aside, I want to be able to work more on my own projects in the future. I eventually want to become a director and screenwriter, so making my own short films and, eventually, full-length features is definitely on my to-do list.

Q: If you could only pick one place to eat, which would you choose?

A: I’d have to say The Cheesecake Factory. Cheesecake is my all-time favorite dessert. Plus, they have good burgers and I love a good burger.

Q: If you've ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?

A: Every year since I was born, my whole family would get together over in Arizona for a big family reunion. We play all sorts of games, have family talents shows and even take turns cooking a meal for everyone. Sometimes, depending on the theme for the evening, we’d even dress up in crazy costumes to do it.

Q: Do you speak any foreign languages?

A: My girlfriend is from Honduras (and) is trying to teach me how to speak Spanish. I’m a very slow learner when it comes to languages, though. Pero creo que estoy mejorando!

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

A: Well, I’m Type 1 Diabetic, so a definite must is my bag full of medicine. The hardest part of traveling as a T1 is finding a refrigerator to store all my insulin. It’s like a wild goose chase half the time.

Q: What would be your dream trip?

A: I want to drive all around Europe. From Italy, to France and even Spain. I have to practice my Spanish somehow.

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

A: Best memory? My parents took me and my brother on a cruise to Mexico. First cruise I ever took. We got to snorkel with seals, ride around on horses, but the best thing about the cruise was my unlimited pass to all the Diet Coke a 10-year-old me could drink. It was amazing! My worst memory would probably have to be my trip to Disney World. Although the park was amazing, it was so hot and crowded. By the end of the trip, we barely got through a fourth of the park and were pouring buckets of sweat.

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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.)