The “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” Season 2 winner and “Drag: The Musical!” co-creator shares her best travel tips for drag and beyond.
Mutli - hyphenate artist and drag queenAlaska Thunderfuck 5000 , or just Alaska , is good roll in the hay for being a runner up on time of year five ofRuPaul ’s Drag Raceand winningRuPaul ’s Drag Race All Starsseason two . Throughout the twelve year since she first appeared on the show , Alaska has gone on to have an incredibly successful vocation across media . In 2015 she released her unveiling albumAnusfeaturing the shoot song “ Your Makeup is Terrible ” and has cast off three more album since . In 2018 , she began co - host the Queerty Award - winning podcastRace Chaseralongside fellowDrag Racealum Willam Belli . Last class , Alaska made her off - Broadway entry in the original musicalDrag : The Musical!which she co - created with Tomas Costanza and Ashley Gordon .
Alaska talked to associate editor Annie Harrigan about her making love of enlistment buses , her favorite traveling computer memory , and being recognized by her voice in the drome . She is still starring as Kitty Galloway inDrag : The Musical!which will run through April 27 .
Annie Harrigan : Do you savour traveling ?
Photo by Bruce Glikas/Getty Images
Alaska Thunderfuck 5000 : I hump doing puff . I eff being on microscope stage . I love tattle . And I bang being with an audience . But when you ’re out and touring , that is only about five percent of what you ’re doing . The other 95 percent is waking up early , go to airports , packing the travelling bag , look at the hotel for check in , and sitting in the railway car after you ’ve just been on a carpenter’s plane and your back harm . But you know what ? I sleep together drag so much . I ’m willing to do all of that to do drag .
AH : Are you a window , aisle , or in-between prat person ?
AT5000 : I must have a middle seat and I can not have it reclined because that is just too comfortable . Haha . I ’m a window person . I recently sat in an aisle for reasons out of my ascendence and I was like , “ who does this constantly ? ” Everyone is banging you with their bags , their bodies . They ’re walk past you . The cart derive by and slap you . It ’s a never-ending battery . I guess if you wish that , get the aisle .
AH : What ’s your favorite way to pass time when you ’re on a plane ?
AT5000 : In Japan they have sleep competitions . Have you heard of that ? I imagine I could take the gold because I really have the ability to drop into residue and sleep for short periods . I can do it anywhere . I can kip on a plane . The utter sleep is when you fall at peace as everyone is still getting on the sheet and then you rouse up for the initial line .
AH : Is it the same when you ’re on a tour motorbus ?
AT5000 : I have it away a tour bus because I have airport trauma from so many twelvemonth of just doing the airport affair . Then set about to do a bus topology tour was so endearing because you get to just go and hang out with your friend and your work party in the bus and just force back through the nighttime and go to sleep and you awaken up in the next topographic point . It ’s like deception . It ’s fantastic .
AH : Do you have a favorite travel memory ?
AT5000 : I went to Japan not too long ago and it was so culturally unlike from America . I love the respect that people had for the common areas there . I did n’t see any trash on the street . It ’s just a societal thing . It ’s like “ no , we just respect the street and so we do n’t want to put trash there . ” There ’s just this culture of being venerating of the stead you ’re in .
AH : Do you get recognized a lot in airports ?
AT5000 : I do get recognized . unremarkably , it ’s when I open my mouth . I can kind of disguise myself but once I lead off speaking it really is the dead game show . That ’s really the confirmation that masses call for to make love it ’s me . So yes , I do get recognize , and when I do , I will block for a picture because it takes two proceedings out of my day and why not ?
AH : What are some thing you dead will not trip without ?
AT5000 : thing that bring me comforter when traveling are things like socks and underclothes . I have specific underwear that are for retarding force , I have specific underwear that are for go out , and I have sure underwear for traveling . My socks are all just pitch-dark Hanes air-sleeve because I find them very comforting since there ’s a lot of them and I always pack too many of them .
I have a uniform for the airport — it ’s basically a sweatsuit . I like to don all black there . I like to not sop up attention to myself . I have my black knapsack . I have one twosome of shoes that I always wear out to the airport . And then I have my AirPods hear to podcasts while I ’m walking .
As far as drag , I mean , it ’s a whole woman in there . She ’s beat clothes and she ’s got shoe and she ’s set out jewellery and hairsbreadth , nails . I need all of these things . For example , I do n’t paste my nails on because it hurts to do so . Instead , I use these glue dot that are for scrapbooking . Because I ca n’t just go out and bribe those anywhere , I need to verify I have them on me .
