There’s a quote floating around the internet that gets attributed to Anthony Bourdain like most great quotes about food, travel, and life. Whether he said it or not, it sticks: “Be a traveler, not a tourist.”

And oh, how true that rings.

See, a tourist skims. They drop into a place, check the boxes, take the selfies, and leave. They collect postcards of experience without really being there. A traveler, though? A traveler dives headfirst. They taste the street food even if it looks a little suspicious. They listen to the music even when they don’t understand the words. They get lost in side streets, linger in conversations, and don’t clutch the itinerary like it’s a life vest.

Bourdain, or Bourdain-esque wisdom, wasn’t just about travel. It was a manifesto for living.

Because here’s the thing.  Life is short, ridiculously short, and we can either observe from the sidelines or jump into the fray. We can scroll endlessly, watch other people’s highlight reels, or we can immerse ourselves. Messy, unscripted, and sometimes uncomfortable.

Tourists in life never get their shoes dirty. Travelers in life? They show up with scuffed boots, unexpected stories, and a taste for something new.

I think about this often. When I travel, yes, but also when I walk my New York streets. When I parent. When I work. When I dare to put myself out there in spaces where I’m not entirely sure what the script is. To travel through life rather than skim it.

So today, I’m reminding myself:l. Don’t just take the tour. Travel it. Live it. Get lost, get curious, get uncomfortable, get present.

Because whether or not Bourdain ever said it, the man lived it. And I think he’d agree: postcards fade, selfies blur, but the messy, immersive moments those stay.