Jae-Ha Kim
New York Daily News
March 10, 2020
After scene-stealing roles opposite the likes of Nicole Kidman (“Destroyer”) and Laura Dern (“Trial by Fire”), Jade Pettyjohn’s next plum part is portraying Reese Witherspoon’s daughter in the new Hulu series “Little Fires Everywhere.” A well-seasoned traveler, Pettyjohn says she likes to be prepared. “I like to know a bit about the city or place beforehand and what the locals like to do,” says the Los Angeles-based actress. “I’m a big fan of any art form. With that in mind, museums, theaters and opera houses are all places I tend to seek out beforehand.” Pettyjohn stays in touch with her fans via Twitter and Instagram.
Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?
A. Because I live in a very crowded city, I have found that my favorite vacation spots are places that encompass nature and have vast amounts of space. I went to Nicaragua a few years ago, and was instantly enamored with the culture, the beaches and the people. We stayed in a little bungalow right on the beach with no Starbucks in sight. We rode horses on the beach at sunset, zip-lined down a volcano, perused the markets, met the kindest locals who cooked with us and enlightened us on parts of their culture and so much more. It is a beautiful thing to be able to completely immerse yourself in a place with a culture that is unlike the one you’ve grown up in. People are beautiful and being able to see how others live is an absolute treat.
Q. What untapped destination should people know about?
A. The Rise Festival in the Mojave Desert was one of the most magical experiences of my life. I went with a couple of my closest friends and we wrote our hopes, wishes and dreams on paper lanterns, ignited them and listened to the sweet sounds of RY X’s performance. We watched our lanterns float toward the moon with hundreds of others. It was the kind of experience you don’t think happens in life. I believe anyone with air in their lungs should experience the Rise Festival in Mojave at least once in their lives.
Q. What was the first trip you took as a child?
A. The first trip I remember was a road trip to Big Sur. It was the start of my wanderlust, my itch to see the many wonders of the world. We hiked in the Redwood forests and had picnics on the chilly beaches. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. As a young child, Big Sur felt ethereal and enchanting, as if there were fairies and forest nymphs scattered everywhere you went. I recently took a trip back, and still found the enchantment, the wonder, the spark of Big Sur to be very much alive.
Q. Do you speak any foreign languages?
A. When I was younger, I was fluent in Spanish, though I’m quite rusty these days. I find that I have a pretty easy experience understanding other languages and I’m able to speak enough to get by. Any effort to try and speak the language of the place you are visiting is something to acknowledge.
Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A. Italy. I’d like to summit Mount Fuji in Japan one day. Bali, India, Patagonia, London, Turkey, Iceland. The world is endlessly beautiful, and I plan on seeing as much of it as I can.
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. Comfortable shoes that will carry me to adventure, a good book for the ride, some ChapStick, a camera, a portable charger and my guitar.
Q. What would be your dream trip?
A. Right now, the idea of going to Italy, becoming best friends with some locals, who invite me to their home or family restaurant to cook from a family recipe that’s been around for a hundred years sounds pretty sweet to me. Good people and good conversation while I eat my weight in pasta and gelato sounds like a heavenly event.
Q. What is your best vacation memory?
A. (It would) have to be jamming at CBGB’s in New York where some of my favorite musicians of all time played and probably puked as well. Blondie, the Ramones and the Talking Heads all performed on the same stage. That was a real treat for me.
© 2020 JAE-HA KIM
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