Celebrity Travel: Go away with Joanne Lee Molinaro

Jae-Ha Kim, Tribune Content Agency on Oct 5, 2021

A: I could, for a while anyhow. I’d actually like to live in Korea for six months to a year, whether it’s to (write another) cookbook or just a book. I’d like to do more research on Korean temple cuisine (that originated in Buddhist temples) and just food in general.

Q: Everyone knows you as the Korean Vegan. Do you envision yourself perhaps writing a book about another country’s cuisine, like Italian?

A: I would love to. I see myself living in Rome for at least a year because of exactly that reason. I love Italian cuisine so much, but I need to learn Italian better. I want to completely immerse myself first. I believe if you love my food, you’ve got to love my people. And for me, when I learn Italian cuisine, I want to understand the Italian people making that cuisine. One of the reasons I love that show “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” is because it shows the full story of food in a way that’s so respectful, thoughtful, and beautiful.

Q: What is the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?

A: That I love travel. I used to think that I hated it, because I'm a very anxious person. I don't like to leave my house. I'm a homebody. I'm very connected to my parents and my family. I don't like to be away from them. But I equated travel with work. It was always to take a deposition, do an interview, meet with clients, go to trial, go to court – so there was always this pent-up anxiety that I associated with traveling. But now, I even miss the airport and the joy of landing somewhere else.

Q: How did you let go of that anxiety?

A: I used to stress if I didn't have everything perfectly planned. And then I'd be sitting there staring up at the Sistine Chapel and realize, I don't give a damn if I didn't bring my iPhone charger. It doesn't matter that this beautiful moment wasn't articulated in some spreadsheet I forgot to bring. That was a huge thing for me to learn – that you can't really immerse yourself in the joy of travel if you try and plan every second of it.

Q: You are an avid runner. Why is it important for you to go for a run on your trips?

A: I love using running as an excuse to really understand a city I’m in. You get a perspective on that place that you can't really get in any other way. I've run past some of the most beautiful architecture in the world.

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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.)