Celebrity Travel: Go away with Cat Ridgeway

For musician Cat Ridgeway, being on the road is a perk of her job. “I split my time between Orlando and Vail these days,” said Ridgeway, who is promoting her latest single “Sprinter.” [The album of the same name will be released on March 28.] “A little over a year ago, I was offered an incredible opportunity to play at some of the swanky resorts in Colorado during the ski season. I’m a sucker for adventure, so I just went for it and moved across the country without really knowing what to expect [but] it was awesome and I got invited back. So, for the last two winters, I’ve been playing all over the Vail Valley [and then] coming home to Florida and using it as a touring base in the off-season.” Ridgeway shares her adventures and music on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/catridgewaymusic/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/catridgewaymusic) and on her website (https://www.catridgeway.com/).

Q: You wrote "Sprinter" about a friend’s death. What would you say to your fans to encourage them to take care of their own mental well-being?

A: Taking care of yourself is one of the boldest acts of love you can commit, to yourself and to the people around you. It’s not selfish. It’s necessary. One of my favorite quotes is from author Arlan Hamilton and it reads, “Be yourself so the people looking for you can find you.” There are things that only you can offer the world and you deserve to get to share them. You deserve to be here.

Q: Have you written any of your songs on the road?

A: I wrote “Restless Leg Syndrome” when I was in college studying abroad in Australia. The lyrics point to how much I love to travel and meet people and how I can never sit still for too long. And I wrote another song, “What If,” in an isolated cabin on 5,000 acres of woodland. Shout out to the Cochran Gallery in LaGrange, Georgia, for offering to host me as part of their artist-in-residence experience.

Q: Is there a venue you'd like to perform in that's on your bucket list?

A: Red Rocks.

Q: What's the most important thing you've learned from your travels?

A: How to listen. You meet so many cool, interesting and wonderful people when you’re open to experiencing new interactions. One time when I was in Australia, a girl behind the checkout counter at a store recognized my accent and asked how long I’d be in town. I told her I’d be leaving back for the States in a month or so and she responded very sweetly, “Well, I hope you have a nice life,” because we both knew we’d probably never see each other again. How poetic and poignant and beautiful is that?

Q: Do you speak any foreign languages?

A: Not fluently, but I would love to fully know Spanish. One of the most fun parts about being in Vail has been getting to play to people from literally all over the world. I had no idea how international of a city it is. During my first winter, there were multiple nights where I realized I was the only person speaking English in the room. Something like 90 percent of the visitors out here in the winter are from Mexico, specifically. Luckily, most of the bar staff at my main gig were also from Spanish-speaking countries and I had them all contribute to an ever-growing playlist of the most popular songs from their respective countries. I ended up learning a handful of tunes in Spanish. It has truly enriched my cultural awareness musically and brought me great joy. I’m very grateful that I took Spanish classes all through school and can at least pronounce words correctly, even if I’m not totally sure what I’m singing about.

Q: What are some of your favorite cities?

A: Orlando will always be home to me and I really do love it here. Aside from that, I’ve really enjoyed touring through so much of the country that I hadn’t seen before this year. Austin has an incredible, funky vibe, and that’s actually where the band and I got matching tattoos. Washington, D.C., has the best Ethiopian food I have ever experienced and a really interesting collage of people who make up the community. Brooklyn is a place I could see myself living in for a while, because there is so much going on at all times, and the coffee culture is wild over there. Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, is just cute. It looks like a town from a Hallmark movie. The people are so sweet. And finally, Boston is just amazing. As someone with deeply Italian roots, Little Italy blew my mind. I could spend forever out there.

Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?

A: Right now, Japan, Norway and Iceland are at the top of my bucket list.

Q: When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?

A: This is so predictable for me, but I love traveling with a hand-grinder and my AeroPress so I can make good coffee on the go. Plus, it opens me up to trying out beans I’ve scored from local roasters when I’m on the road. It’s no secret how much I love coffee. I've gotten the whole band into crazy specialty roasts and stuff, too. We've gotten in the habit of building our driving routes around the best coffee shops we can find when we're on tour. It's been so fun and special to get to share my obsession with them, and they've grown super enthusiastic about it, too. It's very cute to see everyone geek out together now. [Laughs]

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(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and journalist. You can reach her at www.jaehakim.com, follow her on Instagram and X @goawaywithjae, or read more from her on Substack (jaehakim.substack.com).)