by Jae-Ha Kim and Tribune Content Agency, Celebrity Travel, February 26, 2018
Hailing from Alberta, Canada, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman was adopted when he was two weeks old. The actor, who splits his time between West Hollywood and Brooklyn, said he would love to travel to Ghana. "Recently, I did a DNA test and discovered that half of my bloodline stems from West Africa," said the 33-year-old actor. "(This) solidified my desire to explore the place my ancestors came from. I haven't felt this strongly about a place since I was in my early 20s and had an intuitive need to live in New York City, which I did for many years. I will forever be shaped by the energy of Manhattan and Brooklyn in my soul." In addition to his Lifetime series "UnREAL," Bowyer-Chapman hosts a podcast called "Conversations with Others" (https://www.conversationswithothers.com). Fans may stay in touch with him via Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jeffreybchapman/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/JeffreyBChapman).
Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?
A. In the famous words of Audrey Hepburn, Paris is always a good idea! I'm the type of person who far prefers a vacation filled with trips to museums and art galleries, shopping and exploring vintage flea markets, people-watching at cafés and discovering delicious restaurants, as opposed to lounging on a beach for days on end. Paris will always have a special place in my heart to call home.
Q. For someone traveling to Paris, what would you recommend that they do during their visit?
A. I am a flea market junkie! Every city I go to I'll be sure to look up when and where the biggest and best markets are nearby. In Paris, Clignancourt definitely holds the title for the biggest and the best. It's a perfect place to get lost in the endless displays of goods, and spend an entire day collecting rare and beautiful gifts for friends and family while, of course, always keeping an eye out for gorgeous treasures to treat myself as well.
Q. What untapped destination should people know about?
A. So many of my friends and family will go to Palm Springs as their weekend getaway destination, but when I need a break from Los Angeles, I'll head to Joshua Tree instead. There's something so magical about the energy of the Mojave Desert. My favorite thing to do while in Joshua Tree is to hit up the Integratron. It's a large wooden dome structure built in the middle of the desert where you lay in meditation with a group of friends and strangers, while a woman plays 14 large Quartz singing bowls. The vibrations bounce off the wooden walls of the building and travel through your body, which makes you feel like you're levitating! I've never experienced anything else like it.
Q. What's the most important thing you've learned from your travels?
A. That we are all much more alike than we are unalike. Even on the other side of the world the sky is blue, the grass is green and the sun rises and sets every day. People who do not speak the same language as I do, have the same hopes, desires and yearnings. They laugh, cry, worry and dream just as I do. From the most remote of villages to the largest metropolitan cities, we as a species have the same internal need to be seen, heard and validated. It is the most human of traits that I have witnessed and experienced the world over. We are all connected as one collective consciousness.
Q. Where is the most romantic destination?
A. Lanikai Beach in Hawaii is beyond stunning. My partner, Andrew, and I spent a few days there a couple of years ago while attending our friend's wedding. The white sand beaches and blue-green waters paired with the epic amount of LGBTQ-friendly love in the air made for an unforgettable island paradise experience.
Q. What are your five favorite cities?
A. New York, Los Angeles, Savannah, Paris, Cape Town.
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. Cocoa Butter; Melatonin; a good book to read; my journal and a pen; iPhone and headphones; vegan snack bars and a quartz crystal and pyrite stone to keep me grounded.
Q. What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?
A. Luckily for me, my partner is very well versed at planning travel and navigating foreign cities, so all I tend to do is search for the best vegan restaurants, flea markets or spa, et voila! It's proven to be a beautiful way to discover a city I've never been to with completely fresh eyes and no expectations.
(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.)
This article is written by Jae-Ha Kim and Tribune Content Agency from Celebrity Travel and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].
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