Dascha Polanco: “Travel keeps my family connected”
For the actor and proud Dominican New Yorker, taking trips has always been her favorite way to unwind—and stay in touch with her roots
Dascha Polanco was brought up in Brooklyn with parents from the Dominican Republic—and a huge sense of wanderlust. “They influenced me, as immigrants, traveling to a new country, not knowing the language,” she says. “That was admirable and courageous. And, as a little girl living in New York, getting exposed to different cultures, I wanted to see the world.
“Travel wasn’t accessible, so I’d use my imagination and watch a lot of National Geographic with my dad, and Sábado Gigante, a huge TV show in the Latin community, with segments about places in South America and Europe. That nurtured curiosity in me. I always felt that nothing was impossible.”
Polanco—known for Netflix hit Orange Is the New Black, as well as Russian Doll, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, and the movie In the Heights—often visited family for vacations as a child. “It was always DR. My parents didn’t get to go anywhere but DR. Or it was down I-95 to Miami.”
She has fond memories of her family’s Caribbean trips. “The meals were different, the flavors, what we ate in the morning, there were no pancakes. The music, the celebration, eating Johnnycake, a fried cornmeal dough with cheese in it, and the fruit guy coming around with papaya and mango.”
Having had kids young—daughter Dasany when she was 17, and son Aryam at 25—Polanco, now 41, became a “glamma” last October with the arrival of Dasany’s son, Dior. She has always taken her children on trips to DR, where her father now lives, and plans to do the same with her grandson.
“He’s the just cutest thing. I was like, ‘Oh, my God, my daughter’s going to make me a grandmother?’ But then my friend said, ‘What a privilege for you to be that healthy and experience your grandchild where you’re at.’
“I want to take him to DR. I want him to meet my dad. Through distance, you can lose that connection, so it’s important to experience the love of family. That is a great foundation,” she says. After all, she adds: “As a little girl, I wanted to be a nomad. Travel is what I live by.”
Dascha Polanco’s family travel tips
Create memories with your family
“The love for breaking bread together in an uncommon setting has been passed on through generations. And, as a kid, my dad would take road trips to show me the history in DR, where Christopher Columbus landed, and the lakes and waterfalls and to see the Morro de Montecristi. Now, I’ve been able to bring my kids to experience the food and music and interact with the culture. My dad is the don of road trips. He’s the dude, so I send my kids to him. He likes to be the tourist guide, so I let him do his thing.
When I want to buy a flight, I just buy it. Everything is always impromptu
Inspire the next generation
“I’m always telling my kids, don’t limit yourself. Go see, experience, taste, smell, awaken your senses. My son is a foodie, so he tells me, ‘Mom, you have to go to Vegas and try this spot because they’re known for this.’ He likes things that are really elaborate.”
A cultural guide to Las Vegas
Schedule your trip for a celebration
“On Independence Day in DR [February 27], they have Patronales, which is like a carnival. For Easter, it’s a huge cultural thing where everybody goes to the rivers and we eat crabs and play dominoes—honey, I’m very good at dominoes. We have Three Kings Day [January 6] and el día de la Altagracia [January 21]. And when I tell you we celebrate, we celebrate. An abundance of food. Roasted pig, fish, a lot of sweets, a lot of rum. We’re happy, music-driven people. I’ve got to twerk, honey, I’ve got to shake that booty.”
Do a suitcase culture swap
“I take minimal stuff, light clothing, and then I take things for my dad and clothes for my cousins. I always bring Linda ketchup back, it tastes different. And the powdered milk they gave me when I was a baby—crazy, I know, but it’s good. I bring juice packets, like Crystal Light, and mamajuana, a cured rum and wine drink.”
Be spontaneous
“Whenever I feel like I want to buy the flight, I buy it. Everything is always impromptu. ‘Oh, you’re available? OK, why don’t we just take a trip?’ It’s always a surprise: ‘Hey, Dad, we get there in two hours…’”
Lara Kilner is a lifestyle journalist who has contributed to The Times, The Telegraph, and more. She has traveled extensively through five continents, but her most memorable trip was the one on which she met her Malaysian husband.
