4th Anniversary Recap and an Announcement

 “…I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.  I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come.  But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities , and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.” ~ Nelson Mandela

Yesterday marked a special day with the passing of Nelson Mandela, a man that contributed greatly to human freedom.

Every year Mr. B prepares a video of our travels and experiences over the past twelve months.  He was finishing this when news of Nelson Mandela’s death was announced.  Soon after, the quote above was being posted on many social media outlets and I was moved by the sentiment.

As I was reading this quote from Mandela, I couldn’t help but put it in a personal context. While most people have not had the impact that Nelson Mandela has had, his words ring true that regardless of your journey, it is important to pause and look back and it’s equally as important to move on.

* Be sure to change the video settings to view this in HD (high definition).

Thinking about the past four years, I am always amazed at the people we’ve met during this time, the places we’ve traveled, and the experiences we’ve had.  Creating this video is as much a reflection for us as a way to share the year with our readers and to say thank you to the many people that have allowed us into their lives.

This year has also been exciting as I’ve seen other writers and photographers, who I’ve known since we first started Bunkycooks, begin to forge careers outside of their blogs.  Many have become professional photographers or writers and some have authored cookbooks.  Others have been able to make a full-time career out of their blog.  For us, we’ve been able to combine our love of food, cooking, wine, and travel to create a culinary travel business and bring that to you, the reader.

The past year has been filled with opportunities we didn’t anticipate and our travels provided countless surprises.  Our trip to Arizona was a compete surprise.  Due to changes in other travel plans, this trip came together very quickly.  We knew it would be a unique experience from anything else we’d done so far, but we were truly wowed and fell in love with Southern Arizona, Sedona, and the Grand Canyon.  I am still working on several articles and look forward to sharing them with you in the near future.

On the other hand, sometimes the surprises are not as good and your expectations are left unfulfilled,  and you find yourself without a story.  Or the story you had planned to write was less fulfilling, in which case you walk away and don’t write anything.  Unfortunately, there were some of those.  However, even when we encounter a less than striking story, we have learned that the journey is not always what we plan, but it can be far more rewarding if you listen carefully and stay flexible.  That has been the case many times this year.

In this video, our readers will be reminded of the many places, people, and recipes that we have shared this year through articles, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  Many of you will see yourself in the video and pictures.  We will take you on a journey from America’s Southeast and Southwest to New England and across the Atlantic to Switzerland, Germany, and The Netherlands.

Heidelberg, Germany

On another exciting note, we are thrilled to announce that we are collaborating on a book with Chef Anthony Lamas of Seviche, A Latin Restaurant in Louisville, KY.  Chef Lamas is a three-time James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef Southeast.  He has appeared on numerous television shows and will be seen on upcoming episodes of Back Home, a series produced by Diego Luna for Fusion Network, Beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network, and Bar Rescue on SPIKE TV.  He travels throughout the United States taking part in many culinary events and has garnered much acclaim for his unique combination of Southern, Latin, and West Coast flavors.  We’re personally looking forward to bringing our travel, photographic, and cooking experiences to the effort and hope to share more information about this project very soon.

In addition, we are also working on an e-Book with another chef which will be announced once the book is released.

So, spend a few minutes with us, but don’t linger because there are many more journeys ahead and our walk has not ended.

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Bunky & Mr. B

* Food photo from Enchantment Resort is courtesy of Executive Chef David Schmidt.

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