Dream Getaway: I want to go to Azerbaijan; it's one of those little countries in the former USSR, and oddly enough, I have several friends from there. There's actually a theory that it's the site of the original Garden of Eden. From one vantage point in the country you can supposedly see an ocean, a desert, a rainforest, and mountains. It's like you have every habitat possible in this tiny little country - that idea alone drives my imagination wild. 

Most romantic trip you've taken: My honeymoon in Argentina. We started in Buenos Aires and then went up to Salta, and it was just amazing and beautiful and wonderful. But really, anywhere with my husband is going to be a romantic experience... It's who you're with and not where you go for me.

One unusual item you've brought back from a trip: From Argentina we brought carpets, and I got a llama fur coat from a thrift store. I also bought little hand-knitted wool hats, and crazy rainbow-colored fluorescent sweaters, made by little old ladies in the mountains. They didn't speak English and my Spanish is really not very good, so I tried to speak with smiles.

What do you collect on trips? I really, really love getting music from the places I go. For instance, when I went to Salta, we went to a dinner club, where they had dancers and a full band, musicians playing guitars and just this fantastic show. They had four or five singers with the most beautiful voices, and we bought the CD from the band. I still listen to it all the time to this day, and it instantly transports me back to Salta, to that club. That's how I remember a place; I just play the music and I remember what the goat kebab tasted like for dinner, little sensory details like that. It's amazing. 

Biggest overall travel tip: When I travel I always try to imagine that I've just moved to the area that I'm visiting, and I find it always creates a more authentic experience. I really pretend that everybody that I meet is my neighbor, and I try to treat them as friends. I'll think: "If I lived here, I would hang out at this place, and talk to these people, go to that cafe, etc." If you can try this approach rather than an "Oh wow, this is novel" attitude when you travel, I think you'll have a much better trip wherever you go. 

Best weekend getaway: Upstate, to visit towns like Phoenicia. When I go there, I love to go hiking in the woods. Sometimes I'll search for wild species of foods like ramps, which are wild onions with long leaves. You can cook the whole thing, the little bulbs with the greens, and they're delicious. And since I love to cook, I make sure to visit all the farm stands, eat the region's amazing fresh foods, and talk to the local farmers. But really, you don't have to do a whole lot once you're up there. It's close enough to the city that you can drive up for a weekend, experience the gorgeous landscape, and come back home feeling relaxed.

Travel quirks: I'm sure a lot of people feel this way, but I try to avoid tourist-y spots at all costs. I avoid high-rise hotels; I'd rather be in a hut on the beach, or close to where people actually live. I'll chose the local restaurants that's somebody's kitchen, for example, instead of going to the international fusion restaurant. I always make a point to go off the beaten path.

Travel item you can't live without: I have crystals that I carry everywhere with me, so I always bring them on a trip to reinforce good energy. 

In your carryon: A packed lunch. Because I completely hate airplane and airport food, and I just won't eat it. In the rush of packing it might be tempting to overlook bringing a lunch along, but it's always worth it. It doesn't have to be elaborate - just grab cheese and crackers, fruit and nuts, that sort of thing. 

What's the best hotel you've ever stayed at? The best hotel I've ever stayed at was Estancia Colome in Salta, Argentina. It's essentially an oasis in the middle of a desert in the Northwest of Argentina. It's a vineyard and also a sustainable organic farm. It was so gorgeous: the landscape was breathtaking, the gardens were blooming and they had little things everywhere like bunches of wild lavender growing next to the pool. Every room has a fireplace, and our room was huge. The food was also amazing! So good. All in all, it was just incredible to be in the middle of the desert in this place that was heaven. That was definitely the best hotel I've been to in my life.

Favorite place to escape to: Little Bay, Jamaica. The people there are really friendly, and they interact with the people who stay at the small resorts in town. For example, even tourists are invited to come to the street parties that are thrown by the locals, which is a pretty unique experience for Jamaica. When I go to another country, it's really important that I try and experience how other people live, because in the US we often have such a narrow perspective on the ideal way to exist. But there's so many different and amazing ways to live in the world; you could live in a hut in the rainforest and be eating mangoes and bananas and be the happiest person on earth. It's easy to forget that living in New York.

Meal would you travel for: In Jamaica; it wasn't jerky, but it was similar. An old lady was cooking in her kitchen and serving it on her front porch, and it was delicious. 

What's worth splurging on in general when traveling? We had a driver drive us through the countryside of the northern Salta region and she drove us all over to see all the best sights. It felt like a splurge, but I think it was only as expensive as renting a car. And it was much better - if you rent a car, you don't know where you're going. We had somebody local show us what was cool, which was a relaxing way to get an insider's look at the region.

Early to the airport or they're paging your name? I'm usually early, and as a result, have only missed one flight - to Argentina, and it was because the airline changed the flight to Buenos Aires and didn't tell us! So if you're ever trying to fly to Argentina, check the day before, check that morning, check hours before - don't ever assume that when flying - to South America I think in general - that the flight's going to be on schedule. I don't think a single flight we took in Argentina was on time or went on schedule or went according to what was planned.

Any techniques for improving our airport experiences? Basically, there are no pleasant interactions happening at airports. The people who work there are generally angry, they hate their jobs, and really, no one is enjoying being in the airport. It's miserable! So I basically try to approach the whole experience by being as kind as I can be. My attitude is: "I'm only going to be positive here, I'm going to smile, I'm going to say thank you, I'm going to be as pleasant to all the people I interact with as much as possible." Like try and spread a little love; that's all you can do really.