*** Article was originally published on Lonely Planet. Some contents have been removed here for brevity.***
When you hear the name “Ryan Dunn,” what’s the first thing you think of?
Bow legs. You obviously think of bow legs. Well, here at Lonely Planet we’re all about peeling back the curtain on world travelers. In our new series, “Definitely Lost, Not Quite Found” we showcase travelers with exceptional stories from around the globe.
Oftentimes, it’s easy to get caught up in the visuals of travel. The picture-esque sunsets, the perfectly orchestrated “breakfast in bed” with an avocado that’s realistically too ripe for eating, but it’s that perfect shade of green/yellow, so you put it in the picture anyways and then toss it to a stray dog who also doesn’t want to eat it either. Or maybe it’s just the expertly choreographed photo of you emerging from an infinity pool topless; pecs glistening, hair wet but not too wet, abs definitely there, but probably edited for effect.
Yeah, sometimes we can probably go a little overboard with the visuals of travel that we forget it’s a real human being in the photos.
In this interview, our very real, definitely not made-up Travel Editor, Chint Brimmley, sits down with Ryan Dunn to show you how he is much more than just a piece of Instagram meat.
The World’s Dumbest Traveler | Lonely Planet
by Chint Brimmley
I sat patiently outside Bogota Beer Company as I awaited for Ryan to arrive. In our brief email correspondence he had requested that I not enter the restaurant without him. An odd request, sure, but I would later come find out it was just so he could select the optimal vantage point of the sidewalk that also doubled as a Colombian cat walks.
Despite having done hundreds of interviews before, for some reason, this one was different. I was nervous. I kept repositioning myself on the metal guardrail trying to look natural.
Right leg over left? Left leg over right? Did I have to pee…? Jesus. Right leg propped up on the fence? What was I? A 21-year-old would-be Instagram model?!
Get it together, Chint. You’re a professional!!
Suddenly, there was a tap on my shoulder from inside the patio. It was Ryan. He was at our table and had already ordered two drinks. Ryan loves surprises. I do not. I was startled, but tried not to let it show. We had an interview to conduct.
First impressions
Ryan was wearing a bathing suit, flip flops and the 2nd lightest out of the 7 shades of blue henleys he owned. His hair was long and unkempt. A true traveler’s mop. If I was a betting man I would say he hadn’t washed his hair in 4-6 months, but Chint Brimmley is no betting man.
We exchanged pleasantries and sat down. Ryan had already ordered two beers, which seemed like an odd choice for a 9:30AM meeting. I had just brushed my teeth, but managed to choke it down over the course of our two-hour chat. There seemed to be some judgement in Ryan’s eyes when the waiter kept asking if I wanted another and I kept declining. I blamed it on the prostate medicine I was taking. I think he bought it.
The Man Behind the Mop
Once the interview started, however, he was putty in my hands. We talked about everything under the sun. Family, friends, world poverty, world hunger, world war, world of warcraft, world peace; you name it, we talked about it.
The conversation flowed so effortlessly. Each story he told seemed to go on longer than the last, but I didn’t mind. I could stay here all day and listen about this one time he stopped a tour bus in the middle of the Sahara Desert to relieve himself. Even his poops were cool.
The Unspeakables
We eventually got to the point in the interview that I like to call the “Unspeakables.” Where I turn off the recording device and just listen. Never to be published, these little snippets really help me add depth to the subject. A little something only I know, but ohhh baby does the audience want to find out.
Anyways, I got to asking Ryan how his love life had been on the road. Any foreign flings? Any juicy hookups? At Lonely Planet, we usually only get to re-publish the 10 Best Things to do in Prague over and over, so gossip like this and the page views would come flooding in.
When it finally came time to answer my question, Ryan paused briefly, taking a sip of his 6th beer of the morning and then said ever-so-calmly, “A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.”
Now, normally, this would be the most tell-tale sign of a guy who hasn’t gotten laid in months. But not this guy. Not Ryan.
Closing remarks
The interview carried on for a bit longer after that. Ryan reminded me for the 5th time that he played college soccer. We talked about how quickly his year of travel had gone by and his plans for returning home. He told me that if I ever found myself in Boston during the the summer that his brother’s roommate’s cousin’s girlfriend’s mom could get me into a few bars without any cover. I might have to visit.
We eventually shook hands and parted ways. Ryan had to rush off to some charity event that involved helping the elderly do everyday things like shower shave and go to the bathroom, all while the volunteers were shirtless. It was called Hard Bodies & Bowel Movements. I guess Ryan loves being shirtless.
I was left to foot the bill for the morning’s festivities. Well, Lonely Planet was. 8 beers and a hot dog called the “Heart Attack” ran up a fairly hefty tab. A pretty fair price, I’d say, for landing myself the story of a lifetime.