CurrieBird got her start as a location scout for feature films including Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and a Woody Allen flick. Now she bounces between Portland, San Francisco and Austin, Texas, where she owns Spartan.  The shop, which also has an outpost in SF, is a tightly edited collection of beautiful and functional objects. This winter, her family moved from the home that’s been in their blood line since 1860. I feel for you, Currie – mine just did the same thing. Here’s to being uprooted… yet totally grounded.

What’s in your bag? When you pack for a trip, in your handbag, in the pockets of your jeans…?

Mac Book, iPhone, camera, sunglasses, 5 or 6 fancy magazines or journals (I am a bit of a publication addict and the only time I have time to focus is on planes!), a good book to be my date when eating alone, kaweco and muji pens, a sketching notebook, a couple of fragrances by MCMC & Olo, Inventive Organics moisturizer and Burt’s Bees lip balm.

You have 5 minutes to pack up – for a trip of which the duration you’re not sure. What do you take?

2 pairs of jeans (gray & indigo), a well-cut light jacket or blazer, big ethnic wool wrap, a couple of favorite sweaters and tees, plenty of undies, little black dress, running apparel, (you can run just about anywhere) 1 pair fancy (but comfortable) shoes, 1 pair of rugged all-weather boots, lots of fun statement jewelry to dress up your ensemble when you need to, and a bathing suit because you never know.

What is your most essential article of clothing? 

A comfortable, sturdy, handsome pair of boots that you can wear with jeans or dresses. I love to walk everywhere, rain and snow be damned – I beat the hell out of my shoes. Right now I am having an extended romance with clog boots.

What are the top 5 songs you need to have access to hearing at all times?

My music selection is always changing, but classic country & blues always remind me of home. I usually have a really peppy, dance your ass off running mix ready to go on my phone.

What is your preferred hummingbird beat/cities you like to frequent?

I’m always flying from Portland, Oregon where I live to San Francisco to Austin to check in on the shops and those are 3 phenomenal cities, so I am pretty fortunate. I spent 11 years in New York working as feature film location scout in all 5 boroughs, so I know it better than anywhere I have lived – I miss the diversity and energy there, New York is really a huge part of who I am. I have a hard time staying away from the beautiful light in Paris, it calls to me like a Siren – and the Mediterranean is what I fantasize about when I need a peaceful vacation.

What is one tip you have for traveling – a beauty tip, a survival tip, a culinary tip… ?

Good manners are a huge asset when traveling. Please, thank you (or the indigenous version thereof), a big smile and a great attitude can get you pretty far most places in the world. Joy and enthusiasm are contagious.

What makes you a good house guest?

I put a lot of thought into leaving a unique gift for my host, and I always know somewhere super tasty and off-the-radar to treat you to dinner.

What’s a recent or favorite meal you had while bouncing around the globe?

I can’t leave New York without eating the cous cous and the banana tart at Cafe Gitane. I would pay big bucks for that cous cous recipe.

Where have you had your best night’s sleep?

Anywhere next to my man, with the window open and a breeze sweeping through.

Who would you like to travel with – three people (you guys can caravan together or on separate trips)?

I really wanted to come up with some really witty combination of celebrities, but to be honest,  I can imagine no better adventure than sharing a big house somewhere stunning with my best friends, family, and my man – cooking, hiking, swimming, exploring, and telling stories by the fire.