News & Advice

How I Travel: Hamilton’s Phillipa Soo on the Joy of Unplanned Travel Days

We peek into the airport routines and bizarre quirks of the world's most well-traveled people.
Philippa Soo How I Travel
Agata Nowicka

For those stuck inside for months, a little relief came over Fourth of July weekend when Disney dropped the movie version of the smash musical Hamilton—a whopping 15 months earlier than originally planned. The hottest theater ticket of the last decade is now available any night of the week, and home audiences everywhere can see a performance from the original cast, including Phillipa Soo as Eliza Schuyler Hamilton.

Soo has stuck around New York City during the pandemic, and made the brilliant decision in May of bringing home a rescue dog, Billie. “So that’s been the bulk of our energy and time,” she says. “But it’s been very meaningful and lovely to have this wonderful animal in our home now.” Yes, she’s feeling pretty good about life at home, but traveling still beckons. Here, she tells Condé Nast Traveler about a few of her travel habits, and where she’s planning to go when this is all over.

The aspect of travel she’s longing for:

I miss the idea of a vacation mood shift. If you’re ever in a funk, or questioning your routine, traveling is so great for giving you perspective. Especially as a New Yorker, getting out of the city can be really important because there’s a pace, a heartbeat. It’s like a moving train, and sometimes you feel like, “Oh my gosh, I’m never going to stop, am I?” When you leave the city, it’s so rejuvenating to take a breath and have a mood-alterer.

How she protects her voice when flying:

I know some people actually have steamers, like handheld steamers you put in your bag to use on the airplane. But I think the number-one thing is just to drink a lot of water—and to drink water before you get on the airplane. I had a voice teacher who said that if you’re trying to hydrate for a show, you should do it a couple of hours before you need to go on stage because that’s how it will be the most effective.

What’s in her carry-on bag:

Definitely a good book. I love stopping into the newsstand and getting three or four magazines—one is usually a news magazine, one is usually some sort of food magazine. I'm definitely a water bottle person. Some headphones so I can watch movies and listen to music.

Her go-to plane outfit:

I like to be comfortable, but I also like to travel light. I so often find that I get there and there’s five things I brought that I don’t end up wearing, so I’m always challenging myself to try and consolidate as much as I can. So my attack is: How can I wear sweatpants but also rock a blazer, and look cute and not disheveled? That’s my goal.

The trip she can’t stop thinking about:

One of the most meaningful vacations was a trip I took last year with my husband and my stepdaughter to Ireland. It was really beautiful, and so great for the three of us to be able to travel together and share in this gorgeous place and eat all the delicious food. We’re all obsessed with history, so it was really fun to learn about all of that stuff. I’ll never forget it.

The spots she’s hoping to go to next:

I’d love to go to Italy. I’ve never been there, and I’m obsessed with food. I would also love to travel to China, because I’m half Chinese. I’d love to go to all major cities, to Beijing and Shanghai, and Hong Kong is really intriguing. There’s some really beautiful places in the rural area, and I would be so game to go on any adventure. My grandparents came over from China in the 1940s, so I do feel this strong pull to go back to my roots. I feel it will definitely happen in my lifetime.

The random hotel feature she adores:

I love a lobby that has nice, fresh, icy cold water. Very simple, but I love that. I’m always very grateful when I walk into a lobby and see a giant glass jar of ice water with maybe some fruit in it or something.

Her priorities when planning a vacation:

The number-one thing for me is always the food. I’m that person who’s always planning the next meal while I’m eating the food I have in front of me. Food is so wonderful because you can learn so much about the land and the people and the culture by enjoying a meal.

Her little itinerary tip:

Something that’s always important to me on any trip that I take is a day where I don’t plan anything. A day that is all about going where the wind takes me and seeing what my heart desires, which could mean sitting on a bench for four hours or it could mean “Let’s go skydiving.” I just need one day free, and that’s a spontaneous day. I know, it’s so hard to do! But I always try.