Celebrity Travel: Go away with Will Rigby

Q: If you could only pick one place to eat, would you prefer a food truck or fine dining?

A: That's a tough one. It'd depend on the circumstances. Ordinarily I'd say that I'm always on the search for the perfect taco, especially from trucks, and I hope the search never ends. But I can imagine situations where I'd take the fine dining, like after a month on the road eating whatever was handy or free.

Q: Where are your favorite weekend getaways?

A: Asheville is a big favorite. We go to Nags Head at least once every year. We hope to broaden our vacation horizons to outside North Carolina in the near future! Charleston and Savannah are on my list of places to visit less than a day’s drive away. Mountains are good too, some great spots in North Carolina and Virginia.

Q: Do you speak any foreign languages?

A: I studied Spanish for years in school, but it's pretty rusty. I've rarely been in situations where it was really needed, although I could have utilized it a lot more than I did in my 22 years living in New York. I have been to Spain a few times and was pleased that I was able to make some semblance of conversation. I know a lot of French words to read, but can’t speak it.

Q: What are your five favorite cities?

A: Asheville, St. John's (Newfoundland), Chicago, London, Melbourne.

Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?

A: So many. Machu Picchu, Angkor Wat [Cambodia], Japan, Alaska, Iceland, Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Pyramids of Giza, Rome, Jerusalem, Athens, Prague, Vienna, a glacier, Devils Tower, Isle Royale, Maine coast, Big Bend, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Chile, West Africa, Sardinia… The list could go on for quite a while. Pretty much everywhere I’ve never been – although my desire to visit China is not too high, and I hope I never go to a swamp. There are many places I have been on tour that I didn’t spend enough time in to really experience them, and those places I’d like to spend more time in – especially New Zealand.

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

A: A few years ago my most unusual answer would be scissors. When I was on the road a lot, for whatever reason I hated to be without a pair of scissors, for miscellaneous uses. Almost like a totem or security blanket. I generally prefer to bring an umbrella, but there's not always room. The tiny ones don't keep the rain off very well anyway. I hate to be without my computer, but when I go on short trips and don't take it, there's a sense of freedom from it.

Q: What is your guilty pleasure when you're on the road?

A: Barbecue, desserts, tacos. Bialys when I’m in New York. Record stores, thrift stores. I've had to cut back on coffee, although it's something I still love, so it's now a guilty pleasure. Same applies to chocolate.

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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.)