Thursday, August 4, 2011

Comic likes unwinding in Hawaii

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?'" said 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."

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 because 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 (holidayinn.com). 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.

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: 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.

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 someday. That'll be my next big trip.

For more from the reporter, visit jaehakim.com.


View the original article here

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