By Jae-Ha Kim
Tribune Media Services
August 2, 2011
When Loni Love was in her 20s, her company was undergoing massive layoffs. As an electrical engineer, Love was making a nice salary and had good benefits. But she wasn’t happy with her career.
“There were people who had been there for 30 years and I asked myself, ‘Is this something that makes me happy?’” says the 40-year-old Los Angeles-based comic. “I wanted to be laid off and save someone else’s job. I had been doing stand-up all along, and now I was free to do it full time. Being good to yourself and not getting too caught up in life goes along with traveling and taking vacations in my view. You need a good balance to keep you happy.”
Love is a regular on programs such as “Chelsea Lately,” “E!’s Wildest TV Show Moments,” “The Smoking Gun Presents: The World’s Dumbest” and “Kickin’ It.” To check out one of her live stand-up shows, go to www.lonilove.com/tour-schedule/ for the latest tour schedule.
Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?
A. I really like Hawaii, especially Maui. It’s quiet, lush and green. I try to turn off the phone and relax. If I’m there for a week, maybe I’ll check in every two days ‘cause the messages will get ridiculous if I don’t. I work a lot and travel a lot for work, so when I get a couple days off to just rest, I want to sit back and relax with those little drinks with umbrellas in them.
Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A. From Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Francisco are quick and easy trips. Las Vegas is cheap, fun and quick — and it never closes! For a comedienne, that’s the place to be. And Vegas has about the best buffets in the world, so you can eat on a budget if you need to.
Q. What are your favorite hotels?
A. I know a lot of people want to hear about all the high-end hotels, but do you know what hotel chain I really like? I really enjoy staying at the Holiday Inn. They remodeled a lot of them so they’re really nice, have comfy beds and are economical. It’s nice to get a cup of coffee there and it doesn’t break the bank. And I like that you know you’re going to get pretty much the same thing wherever you go because it’s a franchise. I don’t like to waste a lot of money, whether it’s my own or I’m traveling on someone else’s dime.
Q. Everyone’s scared of finding bedbugs in their hotel rooms. Have you seen one yet?
A. Not yet. And I don’t worry about them, but I do have my own little ritual. I wipe the place down and try to disinfect everything that I can. I really don’t like (hotel) bedspreads! I try to avoid them as much as I can.
Q. What are your favorite restaurants?
A. You know, there are so many but I can never remember the name of them because they’re the little mom and pop places that don’t have websites and I kind of forget their names. But I never forget the food! There’s this great little BBQ place in Kansas City that I really like. I like to ask the locals because they give the best recommendations for what’s best in their city.
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. If all my luggage was lost, I could get by with a pair of jeans and clean underwear. But I couldn’t live without my computer. And my lip gloss, because my lips are always getting chapped. Anything else, I can buy locally.
Q. What are some of your favorite cities?
A. I love Washington, D.C., Miami, Detroit and Virginia Beach.
Q. Where would you like to travel to within the U.S.?
A. I just went to Montana, so I’ve hit all 50 states.
Q. Where would you like to travel to that you haven’t been to yet?
A. I’d really like to travel more outside the United States. I would want to go to Hong Kong. I’ve been to Ghana, which was a lot more western than a lot of people think, but I haven’t been to Kenya. I really want to go on a safari some day. That’ll be my next big trip.
Q. Where did you go on your first big vacation?
A. I went to St. Martin and during that trip it dawned on me how important it was to take an actual vacation every once in a while. I used to be an engineer and I was used to working all the time. I took a 10-day trip and it was weird for me at first ‘cause the pace was so slow and relaxed. I was used to being in such a rush all the time. I came back to my office and felt totally relaxed and had so much less stress. My body and mind recognized the difference. I always tell people to take a vacation and go somewhere different.
(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. She welcomes your questions and comments.)
© 2011 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
I love watching Star Jones on the View everyday. But when did she change her name to Loni Love?