By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune (and other outlets)
July 19, 2022
Zibby Allen played a nurse for six years on “Grey’s Anatomy” before appearing in “Bates Motel,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “:30 Second Somebodies.” Her latest projects include the Netflix series “Virgin River” and the Lifetime TV movie “Lies Between Friends.” Asked if she thought either of her last two fictional characters would make a good traveling companion, Allen said, “That’s a fun question. I think Brie from ‘Virgin River’ would be a rad travel companion, actually. She’s resourceful, organized, self-sufficient, loves a drink and isn’t afraid to take risks. Self-sufficiency is a valuable quality for travel, I think. You’re truly venturing into the unknown anytime you go somewhere new and it helps to have that kind of confident self trust to navigate it all. Brie’s got that in spades. On the other hand, my character in ‘Lies Between Friends’ might be just a bit too uptight for travel. Ha!”
Q: You were born and raised in the Bay Area. Where’s home now?
A: Right now I’m stationed in Vancouver, British Columbia, where “Virgin River” films. Otherwise, my husband and I split our time living between Los Angeles, Edinburgh and Vancouver. My job isn’t very conducive to staying in one place for too long. Luckily, we kind of prefer living that way for now.
Q: What’s it like filming in Canada?
A: Honestly, filming “Virgin River” in British Columbia has been one of the most beautiful places I’ve worked so far. The scenery is a huge feature of the show. It’s as stunning in person as it looks on the screen. I’m a nature lover, so the luxury of working among the redwoods, next to flowing rivers, or on mountaintops is a grounding perk. The only time it’s not so fun is when it’s super rainy or cold. Wardrobe gives us heated vests to put under our costumes, which helps, but trying to say lines with frozen lips is hilarious and horrible all at once.
Q: Has this pandemic made you change your travel bucket list at all?
A: Definitely. Where I would normally be booking trips to places yet unseen on my hiatus, my husband and I have been busy prioritizing trips home to reconnect with family whom we’ve missed seeing since the pandemic began. It’s totally worth it, though. Like almost everyone else, we’ve missed out on so many moments and time spent with loved ones. Some of our best friends have had babies, whom we have yet to meet, and are already celebrating their second birthday! It’s so strange. So yeah, we have some lost time to make up for before we book a vacation to Greece.
Q: If you had to cancel travel plans due to the pandemic, where were they to?
A: I did have to cancel two trips. One was a trip back to Edinburgh, where we normally spend time every year. The other was a trip to Kauai and Maui. My Northern Irish husband has yet to visit the Hawaiian Islands and I’ve been so excited to experience that place with him for his first time. The pandemic had different plans for us all. We’ll re-book eventually, though.
Q: What untapped destination should people know about?
A: I recently visited a little seaside town on the Oregon coast called Manzanita. It’s quaint with essentially one small street that serves as downtown. It’s lined with wonderful bakeries, cafes and an awesome winery where you can bring your dog and sit by a fire pit while you sip on wine and eat their deliciously prepared snacks. The beach is absolutely stunning for walks and relaxation. It’s great for a couples’ trip or small family getaway.
Q: What was the first trip you took as a child?
A: My first trip as a kid was to Yosemite. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area so Yosemite was an easy-to-get-to destination for my family. We’d go every other year or so when I was young. Even though I was quite young, I still remember feeling a deep appreciation for Yosemite’s vastness.
Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
A: Not to skimp on accommodations or flights, like signing up for four layovers versus one just to save a little bit of money. Anytime I have, I’ve regretted it deeply. If you’re going to travel, do it well. No point in compromising, because there’s nothing worse than coming home from a trip and feeling like you need a vacation from your vacation.
Q: Do you have any summer trips lined up?
A: Well, we just returned from a month-long stay in Edinburgh and Northern Ireland. We were finally able to rebook that trip. So now that I’m back, it’s time to hunker down and detox before we jump into filming season five of “Virgin River.” My next vacation will have to wait until I’m on a break again. Maybe we’ll rebook that Hawaii trip.
Q: If you’ve ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?
A: It’s always Christmas in Scotland. The Christmas markets, the cozy pub life, fireplaces, dear friends and chunky sweaters all just make this California girl feel like she’s having a real winter holiday. Plus the whole city of Edinburgh is generally just magical over the holidays.
Q: What would be your dream trip?
A: Greece! Any of the islands. All of the islands. I’m dying to experience Greece. I think three to four weeks in Greece staying on various islands would be so dreamy. It’s a long time to be away but I don’t like feeling like a tourist. I like immersing myself in the places I’m staying, slowly on easy time.
Q: What is your best vacation memory?
A: One of my best vacation memories of all time was in Fiji close to 10 years ago now. I was floating on my back in the warm turquoise ocean one day. I was so relaxed it was like I was asleep. At some point I opened my eyes and just to my left was a massive sea turtle just kind of half swimming, half drifting next to me! We just sort of hung out, side by side for what felt like a really long while. I couldn’t believe it. I had the impulse to call out for someone to take a photo or just like witness it! But we were both so peaceful and so relaxed that I honestly couldn’t bother. Eventually it swam away, but what a special present little moment that was. I’ll never forget it.
© 2022 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
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