Meet the Traveler: Lanee Lee
Lanee in Negev Desert, Israel.
Hometown: Aztec, New Mexico.
Occupation: Web Show Co-Host / Writer.
Favorite destinations: India, Mono Hot Springs (Sierra Nevada), Black Sands Beach on Big Island, my own bed after a trip.
Dying to visit: Cuba, Myanmar, Tasmania, Jeju Island.
Bizarre travel rituals: Hot roller my hair (for some reason this makes me feel properly coiffed for a flight) and check like a madwoman dozens of times to make sure I have packed important docs/passport.
In-flight relaxation regime: Indulge my guilty pleasure of reading celeb gossip mags while sipping a neat Maker's Mark.
Always in carry-on: Giovanni Peppermint wipes, gummy bears, Bausch & Lomb Redness Reliever Eye Drops, lavender essential oil (many uses for this, from mood enhancing to surviving foul plane odors).
Concierge or DIY? DIY. Don't trust concierge as they don't usually direct you to the off-the-beaten path digs.
See it all or take it easy? See it all until my eyes bulge out.
Drive or be driven? Be driven, want to take it all in without worrying if I'm driving on the right side of the road.
Travel hero: Tim Hetherington, director of the incredible documentary Restrepo, slain while on assignment in Libya.
Weirdest thing seen on travels: A holy man levitate in Rishikesh, India.
Best hotel amenity: Seven-headed showers, free minibar, pillow menu.
I dream about my meal at Andreoli, Le Baratin, La Table de Fes, and a captain-cooked meal aboard Voile Mercator on route to L'Anse St. Jean, Quebec.
Everywhere I go, I check out the liquor/wine store.
When I arrive in a new place, I learn the lay of the land by checking into my hotel and wandering aimlessly. The only place I ever got lost was Venice, Italy. Otherwise I am a human GPS.
I always bring home artisanal hooch, a tacky glass-blown ornament, cheese (the stinkier the better), and local newspapers.
If I never return to Tijuana, it'll be too soon because Montezuma's Revenge is alive and well.
I travel for the childlike wonders and for golden moments of bliss.