Throughout the years moving from city to city, we’ve been fortunate enough to get to know some extraordinarily talented people, some of whom you may recognize. No matter what they do, one thing we’ve always had in common is our love for travel. We thought it would be fun to get a little insight into how others travel or what it would look like behind the scenes traveling with them. Welcome to our “Travel With…” interview series!
We initially met Amy while we were still living in LA. She is one of those people who we became immediate friends with because we all had dark and sarcastic humor. We’re constantly laughing and making fun of each other.
Tell us about you. Who you are and what you do. (brag about yourself)
Hi I’m Amy Okuda. I’m a dog mom, fiancé, and sometimes I get paid to be an actor. You may have seen me on the Guild, How To Get Away With Murder, or my newest project Atypical on Netflix. If none of these rings a bell, I’m Jacob and Esther’s friend.
What do you love about traveling?
Experiencing new things with people I love. You get much closer to people when you travel with them.
What does traveling locally mean to you?
Traveling locally is something I don’t do enough and want to do more of.
Describe your travel style in 5 words.
I only need two: High maintenance.
What is your typical travel outfit?
Sweats and a comfy tank or tee. Sneakers or sandals depending on where I’m going. I’m not a cute or trendy travel outfit kind of girl.
WHAT LUGGAGE OR TRAVEL BAG DO YOU USE?
I just got this TravelPro carryon suitcase and it changed my life because it has four wheels. I also carry a huge backpack or tote (that I can now put on top of my four-wheeled suitcase!!)
What is the first thing you look for when you arrive at your destination?
Transportation to get to my hotel….Duh?
What is the first thing you do when you enter your hotel room?
Unpack! No wait, I lay on the bed for a few minutes and connect my phone to the Wifi and play on my phone. Then I unpack.
Do you have any travel rituals?
Not really. But I get sick on planes so on the plane I’ll always take a Dramamine and knock out.
Music is always important when we travel, who have you been listening to lately?
Really? It is? Umm… my last trip I listened to Amy Schumer’s audio book…. But Lady Gaga’s new album is great.
How long does it usually take you to pack?
A couple hours? Depends on the trip but usually not that long.
What do you use to shoot photos on a trip?
My iPhone most of the time. I’ve brought my Canon Rebel SL1 a few times on trips but it’s just too big to carry around.
SPEED ROUND:
- Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat? Window
- Road trip or International? International only if I get to fly business class. :-P
- Beach or Mountains? Beach!
- Hotels, AirBnBs, or Couch Surf? Hotels
- Sleep with sheets tucked in or do you pull them out? I never thought about it… but I guess tucked.
TRUE OR FALSE
- I’ve taken home toiletries from a hotel before. So very true
- I like getting new towels every day. True
- I do research about a place before visiting. TRUE
- I always try the local cuisine. 90% true.
- I’m always updating my social media when I travel. True.
FILL IN THE BLANK
- I can’t travel without skincare products.
- I usually order water to down my Dramamine to drink on a plane.
- My favorite airline is United only because my fiance is a frequent flyer and I reap all the benefits.
- My favorite hotel is Don’t have one.
- The most recent place I traveled to was Singapore.
Why do you think it’s valuable for people to travel?
I think it’s only valuable if you enjoy it. Some people just don’t enjoy traveling and that’s fine. For me, it’s a good way to recharge and experience something outside of my everyday life….and force my fiance or family to be stuck with me for days at a time.
What is one tip you would give to others about traveling?
Plan but don’t over plan. Some of the best times I’ve had were trips where we didn’t have every minute planned out, and we had time to kind of do nothing or like spontaneously find something to do. I also love like having a list of activities and places I want to see and do, but not having a specific day/time to do them, and sitting at breakfast and being like “Okay, what should we do today?”
What a fun series! And HTGAWM is a fave and I loooooved Atypical and do I recognized Amy right away, so that was an extra element of fun reading this post! :)
We still haven’t watched htgawm but we def loved atypical! glad to hear you liked the post!
So cool! I recognized her from Atypical (such a good show!)
It is such a good show