Welcome to another Three Things Thursday
There is one meal that I will never forget. I’m not sure if I would say it was my favorite or best meal of my life, but it was by far the most memorable. It wasn’t at a Michelin star restaurant or some legendary BBQ joint here in Texas.
The most memorable meal of my life was an Egg Salad Sandwich from 7/11.
Crazy right? Let me explain.
A year earlier I was sitting at home watching Parts Unknown with Antony Bourdain. I had been binge-watching the show and had quickly become a big fan of both the show and Bourdain. The way he traveled the world, ate great food, had real experiences, talked about culture and history, and his enjoy the life we live attitude all spoke to me.
In the episode, I was watching he was in Japan. I watched the episode. The episode finished.
I booked my flight.
Fast forward one year. I had just walked out of the 7/11 on my first day in Tokyo. The egg salad sandwich was neatly packaged but I had never liked an egg salad sandwich before. So I was skeptical but I purchased two and a glass bottle of cold brew.
I walked out and looked for an interesting spot to sit and eat. What I found was the most beautiful organized chaos I could ever imagine.
Shibuya Crossing. I stood in awe at the mass of people.
I decided this was the place to sit down and eat my egg salad sandwich. Delicious. Glorious. Life-Changing. Seriously…life-changing.
Fancy food and experience can be great. They make for interesting stories. But so too can a simple egg salad sandwich. The mundane can be beautiful.
I talk about egg salad sandwiches often now. I think about them far more than I should. I tried way too many here in the U.S. but nothing comes close. So at some point in the near future, I will get on a plane to fly 16 hours to get an egg salad sandwich and watch a mass of people walk across a street.
I wrote a tweet the other day that I’ve been thinking about a lot. It goes back to stories and why we need them.
Also, this week was the launch of Cohort 1 for Performative Speaking. It’s been absolutely incredible. The energy, the commitment, and most of all the community have really made this one of the most exciting weeks of my life. So much good stuff is to come from this group and this course. Stay tuned for a lot more.
If you are interested in joining the waitlist for Performative Speaking Cohort 2 scheduled for January 11 go here: Cohort 2
Now for Three Things:
Last week I referenced this podcast but it wasn’t uploaded. So now you can take a listen. We did this one live and unprepared. It was a great conversation and he’s one of the best people to talk about all things communication with because he does it with visual design, writing, and also speaking engagements.
This visual from Producemore
“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. The extent to which you can walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food, it's a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.” Anthony Bourdain
Last week I talked about beauty being placed on hold. This week, it’s travel. The quote above is one of many that Bourdain said about travel and it’s hard to choose just one. It’s frustrating to me because in a time where we need to feel more connected to one another, lockdowns and fear have created a real disconnect between people.
The damage done by cloistering ourselves in safe little bubbles will be long-lasting. Travel lets us see other people, cultures, and make the connection that people are people no matter where they live. We can learn from different ways of life. We learn from new experiences and perspectives.
Sadly, these past 6-10 months have put a hold on much of this. I am a much better person because I have traveled. Because I have met people. Because I have expanded how I think and feel.
When you feel safe to travel again, I encourage you to take advantage. Nothing gives us more clarity, growth, and inspiration than traveling to lands far and wide.
Send me an email and tell me about your favorite travel experience. I would love to hear from you.
See you next week.
Robbie