Anthony Bourdain was one of my heroes, in so far as I have any at all. A man who showed the world that there was beauty and deliciousness to be found in every country, that one man's weird is another man's tasty treat, and - to all appearances, anyway - lived life to the fullest. He showed the beautiful and sometimes less beautiful aspects of countries some of us will never visit. He was outspoken, unapologetic, sometimes an asshole, but always a greatly emphatic and compassionate person - he didn't just tell stories about the countries he visited, but he listened to the stories that the locals told, and made sure that the millions of us watching his show listened to those stories too, no matter how controversial (the Armenian genocide, Cambodia's history with the Khmer Rouge, the Troubles in Northern Ireland, just to name a few).
He lived the life I want to live, saw all the things I still want to see, and was the man I sometimes wish I could be. He helped shape my view on food and cooking to a greater degree than both my parents. No Reservations and Parts Unknown were, for me, vicarious experiences of everything the world has to offer. The world is undoubtedly a worse place without him and his unrelenting voice.
I'm bummed the fuck out. I will be for a while. But I'd like to recommend to all of you one of the lessons I took away from him. Eat something you've never eaten before. Just for the hell of it. Just because you can, and because it's there. Go to that weird ethnic restaurant in your city, or nearby. You might not love it. Everybody has their own tastes. But life's too short not to try.
