Ever since my days as a coaching assistant for the Eckerd College Sailing Team, I have used influential quotes from people I admire to help shape my philosophies. It was originally limited to quotes from sports legends that backed my coaching philosophy. People like Michael Jordan, Yogi Berra, Mohammed Ali, and Wayne Gretzky.
Over time, I found these quotes were shaping more and more of my values and philosophies. Influences expanded far beyond the sports world to include musicians, artists, and leaders from all over the world. I’ve decided to start posting collections of these influential and inspirational quotes so you can get to know me a little better and hopefully find some inspiration yourself.
First up is someone who made a profound mark on me since the first time I watched his show. Tragically taken from us in 2018, Anthony Bourdain was a true gift to this world. Whenever I finish watching an episode of Parts Unknown, I want to do nothing more than get out, explore the world, and experience new cultures. You can find many of Anthony Bourdain’s influences in my photography mission and story. Here are 15 of Bourdain’s quotes that have had the greatest impact on me as a travel landscape photographer.
“Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life – and travel – leaves marks on you.”
Go back a little more than 10 years and I hated traveling. I had the completely wrong attitude towards it, seeing it as a chore instead of an experience. It was simply a way to get from Point A to Point B.
Storm chasing quickly changed that equation. It literally forces you to travel for an experience. It hooked me after I moved to Arizona and took my first solo adventure outside of the United States. I had traveled abroad before, but never alone.
Walking across the border from the US into Mexico is a unique experience. There are no customs checkpoints. You simply walk through a turnstile gate like you were walking into a stadium. Only this time when you come out the other side, you’re in a different country.
You step out on the street and your senses are instantly hit with foreign sights, smells, and sounds. At times, it’s almost a carnival-like atmosphere. My favorite part is the smell of street tacos that wafts through the air. When that smell hits you, you know you’re gonna be eating good that day.
Sensory overload is such an alluring feeling to me. It’s exotic and almost addicting, regardless of what country you’re visiting. Talk to the street vendors. Listen to their stories. Most importantly, buy something from them. You’ll have a trinket to remember the experience, and will help them support their families. Every time I visit Mexico, I leave the US Customs hall on my return trip already planning my next visit.
“The journey is part of the experience – an expression of the seriousness of one’s intent. One doesn’t take the A train to Mecca.”
This is just good life advice for anyone. Don’t focus on the start or the end points. Enjoy the ride getting there. You only get one shot at this crazy game of life. Why not make the most of it?
“Looking at these photographs, I know that I will never understand the world I live in or fully know the places I’ve been. I’ve learned for sure only what I don’t know – and how much I have to learn.”
As a photographer, all I can say is why tell you when I can just show you?
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”
This quote really hits home after driving across the United States near the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in February, 2021. I got snowed in for 2 weeks in close to 40 below wind chills in Oklahoma. Then spent the night camped out in my truck on the side of a mountain in Kentucky in the middle of an ice storm. The lessons from that trip are heartbreaking.
Interestingly, seeing firsthand the pain that a year of pandemic, disinformation, and bitter divisiveness had wrought on this country left its mark in the most unexpectedly positive way. It’s time to bring good back to the world. After taking time to reflect and figure out what my true dreams are, the trip solidified my values as a global citizen. It finally allowed me to fully define my mission and goals for both Matthew Gove Web Development and Matt Gove Photo.
You only get one legacy. What’s yours going to be?
“Big stuff and little: learning how to order breakfast in a country where I don’t speak the language and haven’t been before – that’s really satisfying to me. I like that.”
On my first overnight trip to Puerto Peñasco, I found myself unable to find the breakfast hall at the hotel I was staying at. It was about 6:30 in the morning, and at the time, I spoke very little Spanish. I looked around for hotel staff to ask, but at that hour of the morning, they were few and far between.
I eventually found one of the housekeepers, and asked her. She shrugged her shoulders and pointed at her ear, a telltale sign me she didn’t understand English. Time to think quick to see if I could come up with my questions in Spanish.
With the tiny bit of Spanish I knew at the time and a big assist from my fluency in French, I was able to come up with “¿Donde esta el desayuno?” as well as “¿A que hora esta abierto?“. She led me right to the breakfast hall, where I enjoyed a delicious breakfast of eggs and chorizo. I was so proud of myself.
It remains my goal to become fluent in Spanish. My Spanish skills have come a long way since that day, but I still have a ways to go before I reach full fluency.
“Barbecue may not be the road to world peace, but it’s a start.”
They say that you always find the best hidden gems in the places that you least expect them. In 2012, a buddy and I took a road trip through the southwest. I was living in Oklahoma at the time, and it was my first time seeing the southwest.
Towards the end of the trip, we drove across southeastern Utah from Capitol Reef National Park to the Four Corners. As breathtakingly beautiful as the scenery was, it was also eerily remote. We drove over 150 miles. Other than the road, we saw no evidence of any civilization. No buildings, no parks, no rest areas, no cell service, nothing. Shortly after dusk, we rolled into Blanding, Utah, a small town near the Four Corners, and checked into one of the only hotels in town.
After checking into the hotel, the clerk informed us that they had a deal with a barbecue restaurant next door so people staying at the hotel could get a discount on food. Since I am a big fan of barbecue, it was no-brainer where to go for dinner. And boy did it not disappoint. To this day, it remains some of the best barbecue I’ve ever had.
We actually liked it so much we went back in the morning and had steaks for breakfast.
“You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.”
One of my favorite things about eating street food on my trips to Mexico is the people you meet. From the workers prepping your food to other patrons eating with you, it seems there’s always someone interesting to talk to.
Being a global citizen means getting involved as members of the international community and committing yourself to building on this community in a meaningful and positive way. I fondly remember a conversation with a candy vendor as we both ate lunch on the back deck of a waterfront seafood restaurant in Puerto Peñasco. It was a sweltering August afternoon, so everyone else sat inside in the air conditioning. Like most conversations with the locals down there, it was half in English and half in Spanish. It’s part of the unique charm I love about adventuring south of the border.
Open yourself up. Listen to their story. Try to understand where they’re coming from. And tell yours. You’ll be a better person, and the world will be a better place when we can better understand each other.
“I’ve seen zero evidence of any nation on Earth other than Mexico even remotely having the slightest clue what Mexican food is about or even come close to reproducing it. It is probably the most misunderstood country and cuisine on Earth.”
I thought I knew what Mexican food was. Then I started traveling to Mexico. Since then, pretty much every Mexican restaurant I’ve eaten at outside of Mexico just isn’t the same. There are certainly exceptions to that rule, but I found almost all of those eateries in either Texas or Arizona. Tex-Mex and authentic Mexican food are two very different things.
“I don’t have to agree with you to like you or respect you.”
In today’s world of disinformation, it doesn’t take much. Present your view and back it up with facts and sensible logic, and you’ll get my respect. Regardless of whether or not I agree with you.
“I am not afraid to look like an idiot.”
People’s obsession with what others think of them has baffled and bewildered me for decades. Sure, we all want to look good. But if it takes looking like an idiot to be comfortable or have a good time, so be it.
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”
Immerse yourself in new experiences and new cultures. Become a member of a community, and commit to build on that community in a meaningful and positive way. Broaden your perspective through travel and bring back fresh, new views to your own community. And encourage others to do the same thing. You’ll all be better for it.
“Don’t lie about it. You made a mistake. Admit it and move on. Just don’t do it again. Ever.”
We’re all human. We all make mistakes. When you screw up, just admit it. People appreciate honestly a lot more than BS. And they’ll respect you more for it, too.
“Avoid at all costs that vile spew you see rotting in oil in screw top jars. Too lazy to peel fresh? You don’t deserve to eat garlic.”
There’s no such thing as too much garlic. I put it in everything. And as someone who has cooked with and eaten both the spew rotting in oil in screw top jars as well as the fresh, Bourdain is right. If you’re too lazy to peel fresh, you don’t deserve to eat garlic.
“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.”
I grew up in Massachusetts, went to school in Florida, went back to school in Oklahoma, and now live in Arizona. I’ve lived in many different parts of the US and have traveled to even more corners of it. Those experiences set me on the road to being a global citizen and played a major role in shaping my views and values. I truly believe that I would not be in the position I am in today to go travel and see the world if I hadn’t moved around so much.
Far too many people remain far too narrow-minded today. Open your mind to new experiences. Go out and try new things. You’ll be amazed at what you discover about yourself.
“Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico, and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonald’s? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria’s mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head?”
I am a firm believer that when you travel, you should completely immerse yourself the local culture. There’s one particular episode of Parts Unknown that stands out to me. Bourdain traveled to Chaing Mai, Thailand, and met up with a friend at a local restaurant to try some of the regional cuisine.
The general rule with food in Thailand is that it gets more exotic the further north you get. Some of the foods they tried in Chiang Mai sounded absolutely disgusting, but Bourdain said it was one of the most delicious and satisfying meals he ever had.
The lesson here is simple. Try the food. Speak the language. Participate in the local pastimes. You’ll have a much richer experience and can bring those new perspectives back to your own community. Save the McDonald’s for when you’re home.
Conclusion
The most valuable returns on the investment of travel are the experiences you have, the perspectives you gain, and the stories you can share with your community at home. Photography is an incredibly powerful means to engage communities and raise awareness both at home and abroad.
As you can tell from the quotes, Anthony Bourdain had major influences in my global perspectives and philosophy as a travel landscape photographer and as a global citizen. Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll ever fully appreciate just how true of a gift he was to this world.
That is why we travel. Where will your next adventure take you?
Top Photo: Fannette Island and Emerald Bay
South Lake Tahoe, California – Feburary, 2020