Down and Out in Paradise - Charles Leerhsen

If I stumble upon a book written by — or about — Anthony Bourdain, I’m going to read it.

It started with his breakout best-seller Kitchen Confidential, about his career and insights into “underbelly of the culinary world,” of course. I then read Medium Raw, written about his rise to stardom after his first breakout book, and even ventured some random fiction he wrote which was honestly, not great.

But I read it still. And I watched most, if not all his shows. From No Reservations to Parts Unknown, The Layover, and more. Bourdain greatly influenced my view on food, travel, and in many ways life in general. He believed, as I now do, that you have to risk a horrible meal to find a great one. He knew, deep down, that people from all over the world are generally the same and strive for the same things — the ability to make a living, start a family, have a roof over their heard. He despised inauthenticity, phoniness, and commercialism. He didn’t take himself too seriously (at least initially) and had a genuine curiosity about the world. These are traits that I strive for, and I believe that he has been somewhat of a mentor, and definitely an idol from afar.

He, along with my father, inspired me to travel to Spain in college. After college, He motivated me to travel throughout the Spanish-and-Portuguese speaking world, cheaply, and without fear. From Colombia to Peru, Brazil to Mexico, Puerto Rico, and beyond. I would work a job that I honestly didn’t care much about, quit, and travel.

And before I did, I would inevitably watch the Anthony Bourdain episode to learn a little bit about the place I was about to visit. When I went to Colombia, I went to the bar in the outskirts of Boggota where Bourdain played a barrage called “tejo” and guzzled cheap bear. I found the breakfast spot he raved about, and tried to act as Bourdain would throughout the country. Talking to people, rambling around town, trying to avoid the tourist traps and fancy hotels that most people get stuck in.

In short, to try to, at least for moments at a time, “live like a local.” Obviously, that’s not really possible, when you’re obviously on vacation, with not a whole lot of community, one week at a time. Vacation mode and life mode are simply different. But that was always the goal. And Bourdain was the epitome of that, making friends, drinking too much, curious about the common mans day to-day-lives, and always finding a way to extract a general lesson from each place he went.

But I digress. When Bourdain died, I was absolutely heartbroken, as if a good friend of mine — even a father figure — had passed. I watched the movie Roadrunner about his life and death, and started to realize that Bourdain’s life was more of a tragedy than a triumph, as most of his fans believed. Although this man had what I would consider the perfect job, he had far from the perfect life.

Down and Out in Paradise is not written by Anthony Bourdain. But the author, Charles Leerhsen, tells a great story about the tragedy that was Bourdain’s life. His childhood, his upbringing, his career, and a pretty insightful, if somewhat subjective, look into Bourdain’s personal life and evolution. It goes through the good, but mostly, it’s a look into the bad. It’s written in a way that tries to explain what led Bourdain to take his own life. His strange, addictive personality. His obsession with movies, and music, and fame, and ultimately, his striving to be perceived as a uniquely qualified truthteller. He was a performer, a moody shapeshifter depending on his surroundings, the time and place. He was a deeply fascinating, deeply passionate, deeply troubled man. Someone who really wanted to be known as a writer and artist — someone who was cherished and loved, and unique.

Which he was — all of those things. But it wasn’t something that came natural. Fame changed him, highlighted his weaknesses, and turned him from someone that was so easy-going on screen, to somewhat of a tyrant behind the scenes. And ultimately, all the things that made him so fascinating, and obsessive, and broken. That’s what ultimately led him to take his life.

Either way, it’s a fascinating read, about a truly fascinating man. I highly recommend, especially for Bourdain fans like myself.

Blog Post Title Two

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.