Not Another Anthony Bourdain Obituary!

This is not an obituary.  This is not an homage.  We’re not good enough writers to do either and frankly we don’t know Tony.  But this is our way of saying thank you.

We’ve all been asked or pondered who would be included in our dream dinner table.  Living or dead.  Pick four people from history with whom to have dinner.  For S, Bourdain has long been on his shortlist.

It’s taken us a few days to process our disbelief and mourn missing out on what stories will be left untold.  For that we’re all worse off.  So we apologize for this late addition to the celebration of his life.

There’s been a zeitgeist shift among millennials to pursue experiences over the acquisition of things.  We and millennials can quibble about a good many things but this is not one of them.  Since E and S met in December 2013, we’ve traveled to over 20 countries…mostly in the third world.  And not just the third world but literally to the poorest places in the poorest countries in the world.

Anthony Bourdain as much as anyone has made it cool to travel and to travel off the beaten path.  Don’t just go to big cities.  Go further.  Wander.  Ask questions.  Understand the locals point of view.  Eat what the locals eat.  Do what the locals do.  Drink what the locals drink.  Try to get a small taste of their experience (pun fully intended).  Just don’t be afraid.

Our global adventure was not empowered by Bourdain.  It wasn’t even inspired by Bourdain.  But to say he played no role would be disingenuous.  He gave us more confidence to visit places off the beaten path.  He gave us confidence to eat where and what we might not have.  He gave us confidence to drink where and what we might not have.  He gave us confidence to talk to people we would not ordinarily have.

Would we have gone to Zambia, Malawi, Laos and Myanmar without Bourdain’s television shows?  Probably but we might not have jumped in with both feet.  We might not have done so with full confidence.

One of our favorite Bourdain quotes goes something like this…Your body is not a temple.  It’s an amusement park.  Enjoy the ride.

We love this quote.  Love it even though we disagree with it.  It’s not worth discussing why.  We simply love the attitude.  The joy.  The purity.  Bourdain lived life his way.  Authentically.  Fully.  Unapologetically.  Insert your own adverb here.

Perhaps Bourdain the person and Bourdain the television persona couldn’t co-exist together any longer.  But we’re glad that he took us along for the ride for as long as he did.

So, thanks, Tony.  Kick back, grab a bowl of your beloved noodles, a cold beer and relax.  Undoubtedly nursing a hangover.  Now it’s our turn to bring you along for the ride.   To tell you a story.  There will always be a seat for you at our table.  We hope that we’re doing it right.

P.S.  Bourdain has said that if he could eat one meal for the rest of his life it would be at Swan Oyster Depot in San Francisco.  Just a few blocks from our home.  Really?  You may be gone but the long lines no doubt remain.  Damn you Tony!!!