As I sit here typing this, I am watching CNN’s tribute run of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. When I saw that this was going to be airing, I thought it would help ease the weird sadness I’ve had the past few days. Instead, it makes it harder for me to believe that Anthony Bourdain is gone. It feels so surreal.

I’ve been inspired by Anthony Bourdain since I was a teenager. As a young’un, one of my career aspirations was to be a pastry chef. To give me a realistic view of what that life could look like, a friend who was in the industry recommended that I read Kitchen Confidential. I loved it. At the time, it was one of the most scandalous books I had ever read. Yet, it didn’t deter me from the kitchen. Instead, I was more intrigued. As someone who felt outside of the norm in their upper middle class, preppy high school environment, I thought that the kitchen could be some place where I could fit in. I saw it as an opportunity to be creative and explore new things. In his writing, Anthony Bourdain showed how the kitchen life wasn’t easy, but it looked liked it could be rewarding.

Even though this particular career idea didn’t work out (as many don’t when we are young), I still took much inspiration from Anthony Bourdain. I read, but never completed Medium Raw my senior year of high school. I loved his frank, no nonsense way of story telling. I admired how he didn’t hide unflattering details. He was unapologetic, and at that point in my life, that was what I needed to see; that was what I desired to be.

My love of his work didn’t stop there. I watched No Reservations when it aired every week. I was amazed by his travels and appreciated how he represented the people he met. Even in less than ideal conditions, he presented them through an appropriate lens. He inspired me to travel. When I couldn’t travel, he inspired me to explore my local world through food. Without this push, I probably wouldn’t have discovered my love of sushi. This would have been awful as I really love sushi.

This week, we lost a legend. We lost one of the most authentic people to ever exist. I hope he is able to rest easy now. I hope he is free from whatever demons plagued him. I hope his family and friends are able to heal in time. I hope those who were inspired by him will continue to use that inspiration to fuel their lives and their adventures.

 

I’ll always remember you in my travels, Tony. May you enjoy exploring what comes next.

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On a related note, if you know someone that you think is struggling, please reach out to them. Sometimes when others are suffering, they don’t know where to turn and will become more isolated in their own world. If you are struggling, it may help you to reach out to someone close to you, such as a friend or family member. A more anonymous option is to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.