For me, it’s less about the food (but to be clear, still about the food) and more about the cultural experience. Going someplace different, seeing how other peo

For me, it’s less about the food (but to be clear, still about the food) and more about the cultural experience. Going someplace different, seeing how other people live, and eating with them can be a real joy. Your mileage may vary, of course. But people often find ways to connect over our shared need to eat. I think fondly about a meal I shared in rural China. I was the only American in the group. Despite our many differences, we all learned a lot from each other. I have similar strong memories about having breakfast at Shaw’s hiker hostel in Maine (the one featured in Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods). And many others. I hope to have many more experiences like that in my life.