“I am a Disney fanatic,” said Lynn Chen, who portrays Dr. Michelle Lin on the ABC medical series “Grey’s Anatomy.” “(My dream trip would be) visiting all the Disneylands outside of the United States with my entire family — the nieces, nephews, in-laws, everyone.” Based out of Los Angeles, Chen’s resume also includes roles in “Saving Grace,” “Shameless” and “The Affair.” Fans may follow her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mslynnchen/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/MsLynnChen).

Q: If you had to cancel travel plans due to the pandemic, where were they to?

A: I had plans to world premiere my directorial debut, “I Will Make You Mine,” at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival and found out via a breaking news update on my phone that it wasn’t going to be happening. From there, I knew that the other film festivals I had planned on traveling to (in Cleveland, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia) were most likely going to be canceled as well. We missed a big family trip, too. But because we knew we would be home so much, we did end up adopting a dog, and he has been everything to us.

Q: What kind of trips have you taken during this pandemic?

A: I took a few trips with my husband, Abe, and (our dog) Miles, where we could drive directly from Los Angeles. We rented a house in Julian (San Diego County) and another up in Marshall (Marin County). We also stayed nearby for a few days in Pasadena at the Langham Hotel. Just recently, I took my first flight so that I could see my family in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving. Sometimes, I feel like just figuring out the logistics of travel and packing and unpacking is enough mental stimulation for me when I am going stir crazy.

Q: What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?

A: I went to New Orleans for Christmas one year and got food poisoning on my birthday. I spent the rest of the trip very sick and unable to eat anything, so the following year we came back again and gorged successfully on beignets, gumbos, po’ boys and muffaletta sandwiches.

Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?

A: I went to Botswana for safari over a decade ago. As I took an outdoor shower and witnessed a baby elephant crossing a stream with its mother, I remember thinking, “Nothing will ever top this moment, ever.” And I was right. Never again have I experienced an emotional or spiritual feeling like I did then and there. And I still know better than to compare anything to that experience, which has been imprinted deep into my memory bank.

Q: What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?

A: I like to watch movies that have filmed on location wherever I’m going, then visit those places. When we were in Paris, we did a little “Before Sunset” tour, making sure to visit Le Pure Cafe and Shakespeare and Company bookstore. Imagine our surprise when we spotted Ethan Hawke himself at Sacré-Coeur the next day! In recent years, I discovered I have a rather serious gluten allergy, so I always look up places to eat where they can accommodate people with celiac, or where I will be able to easily communicate with the chef about my special dietary needs.

For more from the reporter, visit www.jaehakim.com.