Anthony Bourdain Quotes
Just over a year ago, the world lost one of the greatest explorers of our generation. He brought the world into our homes and taught us about food, culture and people – and most importantly about life. He understood the value of travel and how it made people better. Tony would have turned 63 today and his close friends Eric Ripert and Jose Andres wanted to ensure it didn’t go by uncelebrated. The pair have since dubbed today ‘Bourdain Day’ in his honour. In remembrance, here are 12 Anthony Bourdain quotes that will be sure to inspire you to pack your bags and go see the world this year!
1.
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”
2.
“I’m a big believer in winging it. I’m a big believer that you’re never going to find perfect city travel experience or the perfect meal without a constant willingness to experience a bad one. Letting the happy accident happen is what a lot of vacation itineraries miss, I think, and I’m always trying to push people to allow those things to happen rather than stick to some rigid itinerary.”
3.
“The journey is part of the experience – an expression of the seriousness of one’s intent. One doesn’t take the A train to Mecca.”
4.
“Your body is not a temple, it’s an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.”
5.
“If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them – wherever you go.”
6.
“I think food, culture, people and landscape are all absolutely inseparable.”
7.
“It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know of it, how many places I have still to go, how much more there is to learn. Maybe that’s enlightenment enough – to know that there is no final resting place of the mind, no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom, at least for me, means realizing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go.”
8.
“Without experimentation, a willingness to ask questions and try new things, we shall surely become static, repetitive, and moribund.”
9.
“As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life – and travel – leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks – on your body or on your heart – are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt.”
10.
“Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.”
11.
“It’s an irritating reality that many places and events defy description. Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu, for instance, seem to demand silence, like a love affair you can never talk about. For a while after, you fumble for words, trying vainly to assemble a private narrative, an explanation, a comfortable way to frame where you’ve been and whats happened. In the end, you’re just happy you were there – with your eyes open – and lived to see it.”
12.
“If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food, it’s a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or mental health, do not be afraid to ask for help. Visit Crisis Services Canada to find help or donate to those in need.
