How I Travel: Rachael Leigh Cook on What to Do if Your Kid's a Seat Kicker

Rachael Leigh Cook may be a forever teen idol for many, but these days she’s also a parent struggling with the realities of the pandemic. “This morning was every cliche about how difficult homeschool is,” she says on a call from her home in Los Angeles. “I couldn't get the QR codes to work on my kids’ iPads, and I couldn't get them logged in properly, and I didn't upload their homework right, and all of the boring sort of parent-stress stuff that comes along with this time. But I need to just have some perspective and take it in stride.”

The actress has spent the last few years lending her voice to video games and appearing in small-screen romantic comedies, and her latest, Love Guaranteed, is out now on Netflix. She chatted with Condé Nast Traveler about the slightly dreamier (pre-COVID-19) aspects of her life, like the glory of Vienna, a memorable flight to Italy, and the most fun things to do in her hometown of Minneapolis.

Her most recent work trip:

I feel almost guilty about the fact that I was able to leave recently to go work. I was in Wisconsin for two weeks working on what I believe will be an anthology-style series called Nowhere, with a good friend of mine who's an incredible musician, Cory Chisel. We got to shoot at a place called the Refuge, in Appleton, Wisconsin, which is a former Capuchin monastery that's now an artists' space. It's just an absolutely incredible escape. We all had to COVID test rigorously and often, but it was really worth it. I feel like I got a sort of hall pass away from the pandemic. That's my mom guilt of getting to leave, get on a plane.

Her least favorite method of travel:

Turns out I am not a boat person. You can only find that out one way.

What’s in her carry-on bag:

According to anyone who’s ever traveled with me, too much. But unless you actually work for the TSA, I don’t care what you think. Because I have two young kids, there’s a lot of things that get put into clear plastic Ziploc bags. It’s not glamorous. I wish I could be that person! And I’ve read Conde Nast Traveler; I am always in awe of the Goop-esque, beautiful travel accoutrements that people seem to have. They’re always monogrammed, and they have a case for their sunglasses, and they have all of the special compartments. I’m whatever the disaster version of all that is. You need the emergency lollipops for the kid in the next row for the ear pressure. Wipes, coloring books—occasionally a tiny emergency toy from the dollar store, if it really comes down to it.

Her tips for traveling with children:

If your kid is a seat kicker—number one, apologize profusely. Throw your body over them, if necessary. If you're worried that you may fall asleep and they might continue to kick seats, take their shoes off and buy drinks for the person in front of you.

Her go-to plane outfit:

I want to be wearing sweat pants, but my pride prevents it. Apparently yoga pants are not allowed. So I'm kind of a mom jeans kind of traveler. Mom jeans with spandex, let's be real.

Her in-flight entertainment:

My favorite thing is when I walk back from the bathroom to my seat, if I can see someone watching a movie that I have been in. I think that that's only happened to me once—clearly it made a big impression. I love to watch sports movies on planes. I don't know why, but I always gravitate toward those. Or documentaries! I watch a lot of 30 for 30.

The first time she rode in first or business class:

It would have been so long ago, probably [to] Los Angeles to make The Baby-Sitters Club. But the one that stands out in my memory is when I was 16, and I traveled to Italy with connecting flights out of Minneapolis, where I was living at the time. And back then when you flew on Alitalia, you were in a nonsmoking section, and the row next to you was a smoking section. It was what it was. That's not a time we'll see again.

Her favorite vacations of all time:

We went to Prague and Vienna over Christmas and New Year's, which was an incredible holiday. But the holiday that I yearned for the most again—it was the standout one of the decade—was absolutely staying at the Mulia in Bali. My goodness. I cannot tell you how dialed in this place is. They have thought of absolutely everything. I cannot wait to go back. I could not recommend it more highly.

What she recommends for travelers to her hometown, Minneapolis:

I'd say the thing you just shouldn't miss, if the weather permits it, is biking the lakes. There's just nothing prettier than doing that. You can do one or you can do all three, depending on how much of a trip you want. You can't miss the Walker Art Center. It's the jewel of our city. If you don't have time to do the whole museum, even just the gift shop will wow you. It's that good.

What she prioritizes when planning a vacation:

I'm like, “Are my kids going? What's happening?” If it was just me going—dare to dream, right?—I would say somewhere that has both excellent shopping, relaxation, and nightlife. Not “nightlife,” [it] sounds like you're going to the discotheque. I would say, entertainment. Rich culturally, but also has the opportunity to be relaxing. Most places are one or the other, and when I find that balance, that's where I want to be.