7 Comments

Bottom up - so many wonderful WoPers in London! I love(d) the way you describe travel. It is never rushed, even when it is quick. Your ability to trap details that we can linger over is fabulous. And the London photos - nostalgic.

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“Even though I had an idea of what I was going to see, there was so much I didn't know I didn't know.”

This is why every time I cross a place off my travel list, I end up adding a bunch more.

Also, this piece makes me curious as to whether you plan to write about your time in China? It would be interesting to have you explore how that experience panned out for you, potential culture shock, how it changed you, etc.

P.S. Love the Wop meet up in London!

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“Be a tourist” feels like a quintessential spiky call to action. I’m convinced. I’m going to visit the Big Duck this weekend.

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Oct 20, 2023Liked by Charlie D. Becker

Anthony Bourdain will always be magical...utterly authentic, utterly unique.

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Had so many great experiences on Couchsurfing. RIP indeed

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author

Absolutely amazing platform. I hope that someday someone does a documentary or finds a place to collect long form reflections on the site. If you tried to make it now or explain how it worked, people wouldn’t believe you.

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This line brought up all kinds of nostalgia for me: "But I didn't go to Washington D.C. because I was pursuing a truth. I went because it was a fun trip with my Dad. We were tourists, not pilgrims." And you essay generally got me remembering how I used to accompany my dad every Sunday morning to set up chairs for church. We met in a middle school. I never helped because of my zeal for God, but because it was special time with my old man. Thanks for sharing this. It was a great read!

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