King has a passion for travel and gourmet cooking. She has traveled to over 70 countries and attended cooking classes with many of the top chefs in the U.S. and France. A Professor Emeritus in Intercultural Communications at the Evergreen State College in Washington State, she has taught college courses on travel, written a manual for living abroad, and led tours throughout the world. She is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.