Michaela Jaé Rodriguez Loves to Travel—But She’s Terrified of Airplanes
The actress and singer talks about her most memorable trip, favorite travel sweatpants, and why she stopped drinking on planes.
In this edition, Golden Globe-winning actress, singer, and Pose and Loot star Michaela Jaé Rodriguez tells Annie Harrigan about why she travels despite a fear of flying, her favorite makeup to wear on the road, and the reason she always leaves extra room in her suitcase. Rodriguez is releasing her album, 33, on September 26.
I love to travel, but planes scare the crap out of me. But I know that if I want to go to another part of the world, I just have to force myself to get on there and be scared the whole time. That’s truly the one thing I hate about travel. I know that when I land, it will be worth the nerves, and hitting up the flight attendant a thousand times to ask her if this turbulence is all right or if we are all going to die. It's all worth it.
I think my most memorable travel experience was when I went to the south of France. It was around the Emmys, and Pose was up for a few awards. I had never traveled overseas before, and I got to take this trip with my boyfriend, my mom, and my godmother. The best part was going to Monaco and just enjoying a nice dinner off the cliffs. I remember looking over at the water, walking around with my family, having a little date night with my boyfriend, and experiencing what life is like outside of the US. It just felt totally different.
America's still lit, but we have some problems that we need to fix. And going overseas, seeing different cultures, and learning about the ways people move compared to how we move over in the US was really eye opening for me. It's quite beautiful. You get to experience a different part of the world and different people.
And, not to mention, I gag when people actually know me overseas. Like, little ol’ me? Over in this big old world? I didn’t know you knew me!
Rapid Fire
Window, middle, or aisle seat?
Give me a window seat. Even though I have no control over landing the plane, I want to know where that motherfucker's going. Are we going on land, are we going in the water, or are we going into some cushion? Whatever it is, I need to see it.
Pack light or overpack?
I pack light for sure. I want to be able to go to a different place, get some new garments, and bring those things back with me. I don't want to overpack and then have to buy a whole bunch of suitcases while I’m traveling. I want it to be light and easy.
Favorite way to pass time on a plane?
I'm going to be honest. There is no time for me to pass time on an airplane. Text messages, movies, music, even talking to the flight attendant, none of it works for me. I’m having a stress-induced heart attack, deep down inside of the crevices of my very core, and I'm just trying to keep it together while I'm on the plane instead of thinking, “I'm going to crash.” There's really nothing I do to pass time on a plane; and it's okay. I'm going to get through it.
Biggest travel fear?
Crashing.
Best tip for fighting jet lag?
I think the best tip is to make sure the first thing you do when you land is just knock out. Get into your bed and get some sleep. You have to get that rest because jet lag is a real thing. It creeps up on you and if you can really combat it and take a good nap the moment you land, you can beat a little bit of it the next day.
Favorite travel snack?
Gummy bears! The gummy bears that they give on planes. I don't know what their name is, but they come in a white pack with a little red splash on it. They usually give them out on United flights. They taste like pure magic. Oh god, yes. Gummy bears for sure.
Go-to drink order on a plane?
When I was first beginning to fly, I used to have one little taste of brandy. Nowadays, I don't do that because I know it dehydrates you. So now, my main go-to drink is water. Because one, that's going to get you relaxed, and two, you don't want to wake up tipsy or hungover and dehydrated.
Must-have travel items
My Bose headphones are my go-to. On the plane, I'm listening to my own music sometimes, but I'm being critical and thinking of the things that I can work on. Aside from that though, I’m listening to Tyla, Chloe, Doechii, Megan Thee Stallion, or Beyonce. Sometimes I listen to some oldies but goodies like Anita Baker, Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, and Etta James. If I can center myself, listen to music, and not get scared by turbulence, that is what saves me.
There are travel days when I'm like, “I'm going to go on this mofo and be cute.” Then there are some days when I'm like, “I'm going to give leisure.” For the leisure days, I am still going to wear a good name brand sweatsuit—it's still going to be cute. Bandier has really, really good leisure wear. We are not going to look sleazy. Comfortable and cute.
I have to make sure I have some kind of skincare to wash my face while I'm on the plane if I get a chance to. If I can’t wash my face, I'll use a mist and then I'll put on a moisturizer afterwards to help it sink in.
I try to bring a neck pillow with me as much as possible because obviously the plane, whether you're in economy, business, or first class, it's still uncomfortable—especially for our heads, so I need to bring something that's going to keep my neck together.