2018: A Year Of Travel & Food
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.
-Anthony Bourdain
When I was younger, I didn’t understand the importance of travel. I traveled for the sake of saying that I traveled, not because I wanted to immerse myself in another culture.
Bare with me while I make this reference, but have you heard the song “Emotionless” by Drake? In the song, he sings about people who show a very filtered perspective of their lives on social media, and have to constantly seek validation from people on social media … He raps about a girl who goes to Rome just so she can post pictures for her friends back home—AKA ME! I literally did that when I traveled to Rome with my family a few years back.
Traveling became more of a front to make my life look more exciting than it actually was. In the back of my mind was always, “where can I capture the best Instagram photos? Where can I travel to to impress my friends?” While I still love to capture pictures of the places I travel to, 2018 has taught me to be more present when I travel.
Similarly with food, in the past I would go to restaurants and bakeries just so I could take pictures of what I was eating. Now I’m not saying that anybody should stop taking pictures of their food—because I LOVE a good food picture and I have no right to tell anybody what to do—but again, I have learned to be more present when I sit down for a meal with friends or family. I don’t need to have my phone out for a whole meal and my Instagram can wait.
A look back at some of the highlights of my year:
Overall, 2018 was a year of big changes in my life. As confusing and hard as parts of this year were, the only things that made sense to me were food and traveling. Exposing myself to new foods and really being present so that I can enjoy them has been a big takeaway. Also, the places I have gone in 2018 have completely changed my perspective of the world. Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, New Orleans, Houston, and Lisbon have all revealed something to me about traveling and embracing other cultures and lifestyles.
My main life lessons I have learned this year throughout my travels and foodventures—and apparently listening to Drake—are …
Traveling makes you realize how small you and your problems actually are.
Put down your phone, and be present!
Share what you have learned during your travels, because the Internet can sometimes present a skewed glimpse of the world around us.
2018 has been my favorite year so far and I hope that 2019 will be just as fulfilling. Here’s to another year of adventures and good eats!