"I've been to Europe a few times. I actually split my time between London and New York now, but that's less of an adjustment than the Continent," stand-up comedian Andy told Bored Panda.
"In England, I just know that if I want a cold brew or some other caffeinated American indulgence, I have to go to Starbucks, or maybe a hip coffee shop. But everything is pretty much available," he said.
"For instance, Tesco has plant-based milk and meats, etc. In France, or Italy where I am now, it's pretty unlikely that I get something like that, unless I go to a specific restaurant or cafe, so I just kind of give up and go with the flow. That Oat Milk latte was a long shot, and clearly a miss."
Consistency, according to Andy, is the secret to standing out on social media. "I will say that Twitter is my weakest link. I've never had a tweet explode like that, but on other visual mediums, it's just about putting out content on a regular basis and trying to make sure it's of decent to better quality," he said.
"I think social media is all about feeding the beast. I mean most influencers aren't very deep, it's more like look at my body, or money, with a hit song to accompany it. Disclaimer: I'm not very deep either," he quipped.
Andy started doing comedy right out of college, about 18 years ago. It started out as a hobby. But once he got more work, he turned it into a full-time job.
"I love it, and I feel extremely grateful for the life it's given me, but I also don't have the traditional career trajectory. Where most comics get a little momentum and either build their fanbase and go on tour, write for television, or act, I've kind of done a million parts of the job and keep on going," he opened up to Bored Panda.
"I mainly perform around the cities I'm in, and then make my money doing consulting work or the random gig that comes up. Ideally, I'd like to be successful enough to keep on jumping between continents and selling tickets to shows," he said.
As for his passion for comedy, Andy noted that it "ebbs and flows."
"It's like a marriage, you've got to be kind and patient, and sometimes you have to remind yourself why you married it in the first place. Don't show this to my wife," he joked.
Travel expert, investor, and best-selling author Rick shared his insights about coffee culture and the best dishes he'd recommend while you're visiting Italy.
"Italy is very different from the US when it comes to food and drinks. And coffee is no different. For example, coffee in Italy is usually served in a small cup—similar to what you'd expect an 'espresso' to be in the States. But in Italy, it's known as a 'Caffè.' Now, if you ask for a latte, you'll probably get a glass of milk because 'Latte" means milk in Italian. You'd be better off asking for a 'Caffè Latte' instead," he said.
"And last, never order a cappuccino after lunch. Many Italian restaurants will frown or downright deny the request."
When it comes to travel, Rick suggests that anyone who's scared of taking the first step ought to see themselves as an explorer, who is ready to learn about other cultures.
"Sit back, relax, enjoy the scenery and the food, and try not to do too much... after all, you're on holiday!" he said.
Authentic food in Italy is regional, Rick told Bored Panda. "This means each region has a food or dish that they are specialized in. Here are a few of my favorite things to eat in the most famous cities:
- Rome: Pasta Carbonara (Nothing beats authentic carbonara!)
- Naples: Pizza (Pizza in Naples is something else. It's out of this world!)
- Florence: Fiorentina (The most delicious T-Bone steak you've ever had.)
- Venice: Cicchetti (The Italian version of tapas.)
- Sicily: Cannoli (Probably one of the best deserts around.)"
Then for dessert (and for those lovers of all things sweet like yours truly) is gelato. Rick said that you can find it "no matter where you are in Italy."
"People eat gelato in Italy year-round, and for a good reason—it's the best!"
Stand-up comedian Andy’s thread got a jaw-dropping amount of attention online. He got over 203k likes. But the true beauty of his tweet about asking for an oat milk coffee in Paris was how much he inspired other travelers to open up about their own gastronomic and other experiences while abroad.
Andy focuses on doing stand-up professionally. He also has a podcast with his wife, called Find Your Beach.
Us, personally? We live for travel. There is nothing like the thought of having a trip waiting for you in the near future to energize and motivate you. It doesn’t necessarily even have to be a flight to Paris, New York, or Tokyo, either. Sometimes even hopping on a train or driving for a couple of hours is enough to give you a completely different perspective on life.
Life’s an adventure. Or, well, it’s supposed to be. But how many of us live it to the fullest? Or anything even close to resembling that? It takes quite a bit of energy and courage to step out of your comfort zone. Leaving your 9-5 and pile of unwashed dishes for a few days or weeks can be daunting. However, the result is very much worth it, we feel. Travel is good for the soul.
Taking the first step can be incredibly frightening. You don’t know what’s waiting for you on the other side! So it’s no surprise that some people cling to everything and anything that’s familiar: the language, behavior, food, and drinks that they’re used to. However, if you open yourself up to new experiences and go with the local flow, you’ll end up enriching yourself beyond taking a few selfies at popular tourist spots.
By being open to exploring the unfamiliar and unexpected, at the end of your trip you might find that you’ve made a ton of new friends with people whom you would otherwise never would have considered talking to. You’ll have visited places that might not even be in the tourist guides. And you’ll have tasted things that help you develop your palate. It’s fine to set aside your love of latte for a week and live like a local.
The mindset with which you head out on your journey matters a lot. Taking the time to learn a bit of the local language and customs can help improve your entire trip. Besides, the locals will probably be far friendlier when they realize that you’re not just any other tourist.
