My dad was working abroad in Iraq and he was a doctor. We used to go and visit him in Baghdad off and on. For the first ten years of my life we used to go backwards and forwards to Baghdad so that was quite amazing. I spent a lot of time traveling around the Middle East.

For 'Around the World in 80 Plates' we got to travel all over having what was like a cross between a culinary competition and races. And in each country we had a chef Ambassador. We went to London Barcelona Bologna Hong Kong Thailand Morocco... It was amazing.

I never travel without my Stetson but the more I wear it the more I realise that no one wears hats any more. When I was a kid everybody wore hats especially in Texas but I get off the plane in Dallas now and I'm the only guy with a hat. It's amazing.

I've had a very interesting career. I get to do amazing things and work with amazing people and travel and learn languages - things most people don't get the opportunity to do.

It's necessary to start most work alone. But I'm tickled to death when I can pull somebody in or join someone whether it's borrowing poetry or traveling with an associate.

He travels fastest who travels alone and that goes double for she. Real feminism is spinsterhood.

I was a little doubtful about the propriety of going to the Mammoth Cave without a gentleman escort but if two ladies travel alone they must have the courage of men.

I'm a workaholic. Before long I'm traveling on my nervous energy alone. This is incredibly exhausting.

When the traveler goes alone he gets acquainted with himself.

I get a friend to travel with me... I need somebody to bring me back to who I am. It's hard to be alone.