Singer and actress Lucy Tops on what tops her travel pops

My name is Lucy Tops and I play Heidi Hansen, Evan’s mother, in Dear Evan Hansen.

I consider myself a traveller. I don’t get to travel as much as I’d like, but I’ve been fortunate to visit some incredible places in my life so far.

My travel personality is easy-going, adventurous and curious.

I grew up in Durbanville, Cape Town. On family holidays, we often joined friends who had a home in Hermanus. I have many happy memories of lagoons, beaches, sand dunes, hiking, and braais — simple, joyful pleasures.

My first trip abroad was to Spain. We visited Benalmádena on the Costa del Sol. My father travelled frequently for work, visiting many different countries while I was growing up. Once, we got to go with him, and I have such incredible memories of that time. I fell in love with the culture and still am to this day.

In Spain, the vibrant colours of the food and traditional clothing captivated me. I thought (and still do) that the women looked like goddesses, the language was beautiful, and I used to dream of being a flamenco performer. I adore how deeply music and dance are woven into their culture. It also introduced me to their delicious cuisine, which I still love today. I returned once as a teenager and plan to go again someday to show my son.

The most adventurous destination I’ve visited was the Orange River on a college trip. Sleeping under the stars, spiders crawling over my sleeping bag, hearing and seeing fish eagles, and battling rapids — it was an exhilarating experience I will never forget and would love to do again someday.

I also have to mention the incredible experience of flying on a seaplane to an island in the Maldives. That was unforgettable. And those enormous fruit bats that soar through the sky like dinosaurs — unreal!

So far, the friendliest country I’ve been to is Thailand. The people are so warm and lovely. The least friendly was the US — at least during my visit to New York — but I didn’t mind. I had expected it after consuming so much American culture growing up. A highlight from New York was ice skating in Central Park at Christmas time with 1950s holiday songs playing in the background. Pure magic.