Sally Spectra’s travels have included trips overseas for fashion shows, and, of course, she’s gone from Los Angeles, The Bold and the Beautiful’s locale, to Genoa City, home to The Young and the Restless. Off-screen, her portrayer, Courtney Hope, has done a bit of traveling, too. The soap hopper recently sat down with Soap Hub to talk about her travels.
Courtney Hope — There Are Places She Remembers
Soap Hub: Do you have a dream destination –- either a place you’ve already visited and would like to go to again or a place that you’ve never visited?
Courtney Hope: Both. One of my favorite places that I have traveled to and would love to go back to is Japan. I loved it so much. I loved a lot of things about the culture. I felt at peace. I’d love to go back during cherry blossom season. I’ve always wanted to see that and also Mt. Fuji. I could see it from my hotel room, but by the time I got to it, there was this big cloud preventing me from seeing it up close. I’ve always felt a draw to go to Bali, but I have yet to go there. I think it’d be a wonderful place to visit. I know it’s a long trip, but hopefully, one day.
Soap Hub: Do you like to go with the flow or plan ahead meticulously, or do a mix of both?
Courtney Hope: I like doing a mixture. I like to have an idea of where I want to go and what I want to see, maybe places to eat. But I like to keep it loose. So that it’s still fun; if I meet someone who says oh, you should do this, I want to have time for that as opposed to saying nope, I am not going to.
If you go to a place, you have to be able to see the big attractions. When I went to France, I saw the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, but there was also a festival there that was only there that week. So I went to that and had a great local experience. I think it’s good to do a mix of both. When I was in Japan, I went to Tokyo, but then I went to Kyoto. I rented a bike there and went to some fun sushi places. I like to think I got a little bit of both.
Soap Hub: How are you at packing? Do you overpack or under-pack?
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Courtney Hope: I definitely overpack. I pack early. I like to make a list of things that I’m going to need. I’ll check things off. I try to leave room in my luggage in case I buy something where I’m going. I’ll take a carry-on, but I always travel with my pillow. I have a tendency to dress how I’m feeling. So I’ll bring a bunch of outfits, so I don’t have to buy anything when I get to where I’m going. If I’m feeling a certain way, then I’ll have options.
Soap Hub: Do you speak any foreign languages?
Courtney Hope: I took French in high school and in college. When I went to France, I was so excited to speak in French. I went to a market, and I apparently got nervous and forgot. The woman working there said, ‘I speak American, too.’ I felt all defeated, but it was pretty funny. Having studied French still came in handy because I could read things. That was exciting. That’s a place I’d love to go back to. I’d want to brush up on my French, which would be great because it’s such a beautiful language.
Soap Hub: Do you feel that travel enriches you?
Courtney Hope: I do. I wouldn’t trade travel for anything in the world. I think immersing yourself in actual experiences is wonderful. I love to go to museums — natural history museums, history museums. I’ve gone to a museum pretty much everywhere whenever I’ve traveled. There’s a difference between reading about something in a book and actually seeing it in person. I like traveling to Europe because you can drive a few hours and be in a totally different culture. I wish we had more of that here, but that’s what traveling is for!
The Young and the Restless airs weekdays on CBS. For an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.
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