Are You a Traveler or a Tourist?

There are lots of travel shows. There are lots of books about travelling to interesting and exotic destinations.

I haven't watched all these shows and I haven't read all these books but the gist of it is to make you self-aware of the world you are about to venture into and explore.

Thanks for reading Vaibhav’s Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

But the best part about Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknownapart from the charming host and the unique perspective is that it is not trying to teach us how to travel or preach to us about different cultures.

It is telling us stories from different parts of the world. It is letting us know that places aren't perfect, people aren't perfect, but together they make a great story worth telling.

I can go on and on about the series but I want to list down 5 specific lessons I take from watching 12 seasons of the show.

Here are 5 lessons:

• Travelling is an exercise in learning about the place and its people.
• Do not get lost, Don't plan everything either.
• Embrace the change, Accept the differences.
• Travelling will bring out raw emotion; let it out.
• Be mindful of the learnings from the travels.

There were many episodes where I wasn't sure about the path it was taking but along the way, it made sure to reveal tiny bits of personality about the place as seen through the lens of the host.

The socio-economic issues that the episodes touch upon are eye-opening. Anthony Bourdain's narration provides a bit of punch.

It is a show about travel and food but what the crew managed to create is awareness of the fragile nature of human emotions.

"You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together." - Anthony Bourdain

So, next time you travel, share a meal with someone to know about the person and the place, in return you will walk away with learning a lot about yourself.

Thanks for reading Vaibhav’s Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.