Dear Mr. Bourdain,
My name is Caroline Jung. I am writing to you to thank you for changing my view on traveling. Your work has made me seriously consider my experiences and view of the world.
I wish I had the opportunity to speak to you today. It was only after I watched your series Parts Unknown that I found out about your death. Your life was filled with such a vast amount of experiences, I wish I had the opportunity to ask you about each one.
One of your episodes in Parts Unknown really resonated with me, the Cajun Mardi Gras episode. I had the opportunity to be in Louisiana at the start of Mardi Gras. It was an unbelievable experience. However, after watching that particular episode, I reflected on my memories and questioned my experiences as a traveler.
Back in January of 2019, I took a travel course to New Orleans to study the impact of Hurricane Katrina. I spent little over a week immersed in the French Quarter, the Ninth ward, and the other surrounding areas.
Like you I got to ride a fan boat and talk to locals. For one week, I traded the fast paced life in California for the laid back life in the French Quarter. I partied (as much as an 18 year old could party ) down Bourbon and ate beignets at Cafe Du Monde. I even held a baby alligator in the middle of a swamp. I saw as many famous landmarks as I could.
By pure coincidence, I was in New Orleans right at the beginning of Mardi Gras. However, unlike you, I saw the the party version of Mardi Gras. Down Bourbon, I saw parade after parade. Me and my parasol partied with the parade goers. I even now have my own share of beads. I participated in capitalized form of Mardi Gras. Only a visitor, I chased and experienced the Louisiana I always imagined.
I cannot lie Mr. Bourdain, I did not exactly know who you were before watching your series. I learned after in my search to figure out who you are that you are incredibly well known as chef. The first time I watched the episode, I did not grasp your significance in the travel world. However, with your status as world renowned chef, I am not surprised by your connections and experience. The Culinary Institute of America honors you and life. our life’s work as an award winning chef, author, and television star helped me to understand the significance of your world views and approach to travel.
As I watched you travel through Louisiana, I opened myself up to seeing travel through your eyes. Watching you reconnect with old friends and immerse yourself into the traditional Cajun and Creole Mardi Gras, I began to see you as an experienced traveller. Knowing how I would travel through the same area, I know I would not be fortunate enough to participate or observe a traditional Cajun Mardi Gras run. I have been to my share of nations and experienced many cultures, but as I follow you through unfamiliar places, I gain a drastically different experience.
Seeing you wear a traditional Tee- Mamou Iota Cajun and Creole Mardi Gras mask and participating in the traditional run, I lingered on your every word about what you saw and did. I may never be able to participate in a Mardi Gras run with all the beer, horses, and chickens, but I can vicariously experience it through you. I have seen so many travelers that do not immerse themselves in the culture before trying to explain it away to the world. You appeal to ethos in a way where I respect your experiences and opinions as a traveler.
I wish I could say that my idea of Louisiana and Mardi Gras was different from the mainstream version perpetuated by society. Only seeing Louisiana through New Orleans, especially the commercialized blocks of the French Quarter, I expected something else. Watching the episode, I was taken aback by the music of the Lost Bayou Ramblers. Half expecting big band music, I instantly understood the purpose of this episode when the tone was different than my expectations. It should have been obvious in the title of the series, but I was still shocked by your immersion into the traditional cajun culture found in the countryside.
I like to believe that the term traveler if significant for both of us. However, I think our experiences are travelers are so different, that the way you apply and understand it is unlike my interpretation. Kenneth Burke coined the term “terministic screens” to encapsulate such discrepancies. Edward Schiappa, Professor of Comparative Media Studies and Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, concluded from Burke’s writings that :
“Our understanding is social in the sense that our concepts are human-made and are part of a shared language. Our understanding is constructed in the sense that our claims, interpretations, and orientations constitute conceptual fabrics that weave together contingent sets of beliefs and social practices.”
Based on our individual experiences and lives, we create a society where all our beliefs intertwine. Our common language allows us to communicate but it is our own understanding, our own experiences that construct meaning individually.
I will never have the chance to sit down and speak with you. I can only interpret what I saw. Your outright dismissal of the commercialized party version of Mardi Gras really gave me insight to your personality and preferences. Your approach to traveling is grounded in pursuing history and truth. Watching you partake in the less common and non-mainstream activities while traveling really think about my own experiences seeing the world. Your approach to traveling is unlike mine and I wonder I missed the true purpose of traveling.
I have gone to so many places, but I have only seen the tourist aspects of each. Looking back on my own trips, I realize that my visions and memories were heavily guided by mainstream culture and media. Reflecting on my experiences and tendencies, it seems that my definition of traveler is more closely associated with tourist. If all my trips consisted of going to every marketed place, then I never really saw each place for its true history and culture. If I really think, all of trips just jumble together and none really held real significance. Mr. Bourdain, thank you for opening my eyes. I want to approach the future differently. I want to find more purpose in my adventures. I want to learn more than what is being sold to me as a tourist. Thank you for guiding me to seeking real significance in where I go.
Sincerely, Caroline
Beyond My Door 