Want to know how to travel in style, just like the pros? We check in with frequent fliers to find out how often they fly, their favorite destinations and what they never leave home without.
Name: Teri Johnson
Occupation: Full time Travelista, Travel Host, Producer, Writer
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Residence: New York City
College: Florida A&M University
College major: Marketing
Website: travelistateri.com and travelista.tv
Twitter: @TravelistaTeri
Facebook: Travelista TV
Google+: Teri Johnson
Instagram: travelistateri
YouTube: TravelistaTV
Short bio: Teri Johnson is the creator, producer and host of Travelista TV™, an online video network focused on travel, culture, lifestyle, and entertainment. Her passion for adventure, storytelling and her multilingual talents has taken her to more than 55 countries where she has hunted with the Kuku-Yalanji aborigines in Australia, swum with horses in St. Croix, and trekked through the mystical Dogon country in Mali.
As a travel host and personality, Teri has starred in national advertisements, web series, and online campaigns with Ford, Honda, Hampton Hotels, Choice International Hotels, TravelChannel.com, BET, and TVOne. Teri has been a guest on NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice,” and Travel Channel’s “Stuff Rich People Like. Teri has produced and hosted video series in 10+ countries including South Africa, Mexico, Antigua & Barbuda, and Indonesia.
Although she primarily shares her travel experiences through video, she is also a writer and contributes to several outlets including Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Uptown Magazine, Four Seasons Magazine, and Ebony Magazine. The Houston, Texas native resides in New York City.
Languages spoken: French, Spanish and conversational Italian.
How often do you fly? At least once a month.
How many countries have you been to? 56
How many continents have you been to? 6
Earliest travel memory: Flying on AeroMexico as a child when there were smoking and non-smoking sections on board. I was one row behind the smoking section where the businessmen smoked stinky cigars the entire flight. The smell made me so nauseous that I spent as much time in the lavatory as possible.
Favorite American city: New York City.
Favorite international city: Florence.
Least favorite country: I don’t really have one. The country I had the least amount of fun in was Estonia, but I would definitely return.
Country with the meanest immigration officers: Jamaica.
Favorite World Heritage Site: Cappadocia, Turkey.
Favorite aircraft type: 747.
Aisle or window: Window.
Favorite airport lounge: Any lounge that serves champagne and chocolate.
Favorite international airport: Singapore.
Favorite hotel: The W South beach.
Favorite travel credit card: Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Favorite island: Santorini, Greece.
Favorite beach: Ipanema.
Favorite fancy restaurant: Zen at the Crane in Barbados.
Favorite hole-in-the-wall: Sky’s tacos in Los Angeles.
Craziest thing you’ve eaten: Green tree ants in Australia.
Drink of choice (in the air and on the ground): Sauvignon Blanc, especially from Marlborough, New Zealand.
Favorite travel movie(s): Hors de Prix starring Audrey Tautou.
Favorite travel show(s): Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain.
Favorite travel book(s): “Island Beneath the Sea,” by Isabelle Allende.
Right now I am reading: “The Time In Between,” by Maria Duenas.
Favorite travel website(s)—besides JohnnyJet.com, of course! travelisateri.com, afar.com.
5 things you bring on a plane: Scarf, sunglasses, peanut butter crackers, headphones, Altoids.
What do you like least about travel? People who smell bad on flights.
What do you want your loved one to buy you from an airport duty-free store? Perfume that I can’t get in the US.
Favorite travel app(s): TripIt and Yelp.
Most embarrassing travel moment: Me and my friends were jumping waves on Ipanema beach when a colossal wave came that knocked me down and around, rolled me over at least three times, took my bikini top and put sand in unspeakable places.
What’s your dream destination: Galapagos Islands.
Favorite travel charity: The Passport Party Project.
Best travel tip: A smile and a compliment can go a long way, especially when dealing with people in the travel industry.
I really liked her travel story. One of the “good ones.”