June 25th marked the first annual Anthony Bourdain Day, created by his longtime friends Eric Ripert and José Andrés, who called on people around the world to toast and celebrate Bourdain and his legacy on the day of his birth, rather than on the day of his death, June 8.
On what would have been 63rd birthday of one of the most legendary and beloved personalities in pop culture today, people all around the world celebrated Bourdain’s legacy and remembered his impact. As a huge fan of Bourdain’s CNN series Parts Unknown, I was devastated at his death last year, particularly because his passion for celebrating and appreciating cultures outside of your own is a message that is more important now than ever. Bourdain used something as simple and universally understood as food to tackle complex issues surrounding politics, race, culture, labor, immigration and complicated histories, ultimately showcasing how we are all far more connected and similar than we may think.
As Eater points out, mourning — which, despite Ripert’s and Andrés’s best intentions, is still the foundation on which celebrations of Bourdain Day are built, one year out from the loss of Bourdain — is not really about the person who has died, so much as the people who are left behind. The majority of the people mourning Bourdain did not know him personally. While they won’t ever know that specific, terrible pain, neither will they know the closure of saying goodbye to a person who exists in their boundless imaginations, forever. Bourdain Day was that rare opportunity for people to meaningfully remember and consider one’s relationship with this beloved figure, among a community of others who are doing the same. For some, it may be the only way. So we’ll take it.
In honor of Anthony Bourdain Day, here are some of his most iconic and impactful quotes.
“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. Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food. It’s a plus for everybody.”
- “Assume the worst. About everybody. But don’t let this poisoned outlook affect your job performance. Let it all roll off your back. Ignore it. Be amused by what you see and suspect. Just because someone you work with is a miserable, treacherous, self-serving, capricious, and corrupt asshole shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying their company, working with them, or finding them entertaining.”
- “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.”
- ”When dealing with complex transportation issues, the best thing to do is pull up with a cold beer and let somebody else figure it out.”
- “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.”
- “Without experimentation, a willingness to ask questions and try new things, we shall surely become static, repetitive, and moribund.”
