Moon Unit Zappa is the daughter of late musician Frank Zappa. Coming from an entertainment family, she first attained fame at 14, appearing on her father’s hit single “Valley Girl.” Since then, she has continued dabbling in music while establishing herself as an actress, writer, author and tea merchant.

While conducting a Talking Travel interview with someone not directly involved in travel, there’s always the possibility the guest won’t have much to say. When I asked Zappa about traveling as a youngster, she responded she didn’t travel at all, despite her father performing worldwide. My trepidation was quickly calmed, though, as Zappa went on to passionately discuss falling in love with travel.

Zappa discussed sharing her love of travel with her child. She also told a sweet story about a simple connection she made while traveling.

In 2001 Moon Unit Zappa wrote her debut novel, America the Beautiful. Zappa took a broken-heart story and turned it into a funny, poignant, realistic read. I was so impressed and eagerly looked forward to her next book. While not her books, several other books contain Zappa’s essays and art.

It took many years, but Zappa is back with Earth to Moon. While a memoir, not a novel, it has the same characteristics, as Zappa once again flexes her writing chops. A long-time fan of both her and her father, I learned a lot about both. Zappa’s writing style is engaging, whether lighthearted or totally serious. With its openness and honesty, this had to be a difficult book to write, but Zappa did not hold back, yet retained her optimism. Now, Zappa gets to do more traveling as she embarks on her book signing tour.

Zappa brought another of her passions to life with Moon Unit Tea, organic and ethically sourced. A new but ardent fan of tea, I look forward to trying her tea varieties.

Talking Travel is an interview series on Global Traveler. Subscribe to the GT YouTube channel to be notified of all future interviews and other travel-related videos.

— John Wroblewski, online writer