Deena Mangrum is a Los Angeles native who loves to travel. From family trips across North America in the family motor home to international travel for business and pleasure, she always seeks out new experiences, and if there is a chance to snowboard or golf in a new location, she is in heaven.
What inspired you to start traveling?
I’m just someone who loves to travel. I started off traveling with my family. We had a motor home and we would pile everybody in it. My grandmother, the dog, my mom, and my dad would go all over North America. We’ve been to Canada and across the country, and we’ve been to over 40 states. We used to go down to Mexico. That just got that travel bug in me early on so once I came of age, I grabbed my girlfriends, and we just started doing our trips. We went to Italy for the first one and then from there just started getting out and trying to see as much of the world as we could. New experiences, new people, and new places, and I love it all.
How do you select your destinations?
The first big international trip I did as an adult, we went to Italy because I saw the movie, The Talented Mr. Ripley. I saw that beautiful background and just thought what an amazing place to see. A lot of times it’s from movies I see, from places that people have gone to and talked about, and sometimes it’s to go and do an activity. I’m an avid snowboarder, so I went to Japan because I wanted to go snowboarding.
Everyone who wants to travel, both internationally and domestically, will need to be REAL ID-compliant in 2025. Tell us about that.
It was a simple process, I was able to walk into the DMV, which I thought was a little unusual, but I was able to go right on in and take care of my process. I just had to have the required paperwork. You have to have your proof of residency documentation. But they made it fast and easy for me to get in. I just didn’t want to have any issues while I’m traveling, in terms of identification or other things. So I made sure to take care of it.
What is the process like?
It’s just like getting your driver’s license. You go in, they do your application, they check off your paperwork, and then they take your photo for a new driver’s license. You get the temporary driver’s license there, but then your REAL ID comes in the mail a couple of weeks later. You have to have just proof of residency. I believe I had a water bill or an electric bill to show my name and my address. That’s what I took in with the DMV application.
