A lot of us have a conflicted relationship with food, but lately I’ve been tapping into the idea of finding joy in eating. Experiencing the tastes, smells, thoughts, and feelings of enjoying a meal. Food is a central part of every human culture and a big part of the human experience! I talk about food as a way of connecting to yourself or a location and the new food tours I'm leading this summer. Then I speak with Phil the Blerd Explorer (@theblerdexplorer) about food in Korean culture and his new ebook, The Black Travelers' Guide to Daegu South Korea. | @ibmarkwest | www.heymarkwest.com

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Check out a Mark West foodie adventure through Tour Chicago: www.tourthechi.com

With your booking, you also support Palenque LSNA, a woman of color led nonprofit organization serving the residents of Logan Square. Palenque LSNA is a catalyst for Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities and allies to take care of one another and take strategic action for systemic change and a just, resilient, and joyful future. | www.palenquelsna.org

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Phil The Blerd Explorer is an avid traveler and travel content creator based in South Korea. Blerd, means Black Nerd. He aims to produce travel information from the viewpoint of a Black person in an effort to demonstrate to the community how traveling the world can be an enriching and life-changing experience.

About the Book: “Over the years black tourism has grown into a billion dollar industry. It's a wonderful feeling to see more black travel content on social media. Unfortunately our presence is still minimum compared to other demographics. The Blerd Explorer has returned to create a new travel guide for black people by black people. This guide will focus on one of the largest cities in Korea, daegu. For the first time, readers will be able to read stories from other Black people who have lived in Korea.”

Check out his ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Travelers-Guide-Daegu-South-ebook/dp/B092R7LRPL

This episode is edited and produced with music and other features in the Real Talk with Mark West episode, "#26: The Art of Living | D'ya Eat?"

A lot of us have a conflicted relationship with food, but lately I’ve been tapping into the idea of finding joy in eating. Experiencing the tastes, smells, thoughts, and feelings of enjoying a meal. Food is a central part of every human culture and a big part of the human experience! I talk about food as a way of connecting to yourself or a location and the new food tours I'm leading this summer. Then I speak with Phil the Blerd Explorer (@theblerdexplorer) about food in Korean culture and his new ebook, The Black Travelers' Guide to Daegu South Korea. | @ibmarkwest | www.heymarkwest.com

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Check out a Mark West foodie adventure through Tour Chicago: www.tourthechi.com

With your booking, you also support Palenque LSNA, a woman of color led nonprofit organization serving the residents of Logan Square. Palenque LSNA is a catalyst for Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities and allies to take care of one another and take strategic action for systemic change and a just, resilient, and joyful future. | www.palenquelsna.org

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Phil The Blerd Explorer is an avid traveler and travel content creator based in South Korea. Blerd, means Black Nerd. He aims to produce travel information from the viewpoint of a Black person in an effort to demonstrate to the community how traveling the world can be an enriching and life-changing experience.

About the Book: “Over the years black tourism has grown into a billion dollar industry. It's a wonderful feeling to see more black travel content on social media. Unfortunately our presence is still minimum compared to other demographics. The Blerd Explorer has returned to create a new travel guide for black people by black people. This guide will focus on one of the largest cities in Korea, daegu. For the first time, readers will be able to read stories from other Black people who have lived in Korea.”

Check out his ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Travelers-Guide-Daegu-South-ebook/dp/B092R7LRPL

My friend Tracey Redding from the Art Institute of Chicago (@artinstitutechi) joins me to talk art, beauty, and anime. Beauty has become a sore subject in today's world, understandably so. It stirs up a sense of anxiety, fear, and, at times, self-hatred. I recently came to the realization that beauty is an essential part of a fulfilling life, and to seek out beauty in the world is to find the beauty within you. @ibmarkwest | www.heymarkwest.com
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Mark West's Art of Living | Family Meal - Are You on The List?
I believe the best dining experiences are the ones in which we’re seated around a table sharing food and stories with others. Family Meal is a dining experience where the goal is to deepen human connections through food, while learning something new about the city. Once a month, I curate a progressive, fine dining experience for me and 12 guests at one of Chicago's many great restaurants. Invitations with event details are sent monthly via email only to those on The List.

Visit heymarkwest.com/familymeal to learn more.