Great literature can transport you anywhere.
But if you have the opportunity to do so, traveling is good for the soul.
It offers perspective – especially if you travel alone – and builds character. You have to learn to have the confidence to rely on yourself.
Here are 8 of my favourite quotes about travel from writers, starting with writer and chef Anthony Bourdain.
Anthony Bourdain
Traveling can be difficult.
Maybe you’ve tried to learn the language, brimming with confidence as you step off the plane or train, only to realise how limited your language skills are.
Perhaps you’ve had a frightening experience, or even just a disappointing one.
Don’t shy away from it. You’ll mostly remember the best parts of your trip anyway.
Charlotte Eriksson
These quotes about travel need not mean a long journey abroad.
Have you ever just walked (or drove) aimlessly?
There’s something remarkably therapeutic about it.
I’m lucky enough to live near the Peak District so, once in a while, I’ll take the car out on the narrow, twisty-turny roads of Derbyshire, just to get out and clear my mind.
Gustave Flaubert
Your world expands in line with your footprint. The further you tread, the greater understanding you have of the world. I think part of this is down to perspective.
Growing up, Britain was the centre of my world. Because of course it was. From the maps and books I read… the language I spoke… my country was the ‘default’, the standard.
My parents expanded my horizons, taking me to places like France and Canada. Allowing me to realise that there was more to life than ‘Old Blighty’, lovely though it is.
Judith Therman
Ever heard of Hiraeth?
It’s the feeling of nostalgia, or homesickness, for a place that doesn’t exist.
It’s the dislocation of belonging. The yearning for something intangible.
You can read more about Hiraeth here.
Søren Kierkegaard
Kierkegaard is widely considered to be one of the first existentialist philosophers.
Travelling, particularly solo, is a pretty good way of examining one’s self. The few times that I’ve travelled alone, I’ve come home having learned something about myself.
Mark Twain
You’re far less likely to criticise someone if you’ve experienced what they have, or even simply been in their presence (and vice versa!).
Travel can bring people together, even if they’re diametrically opposed. Part of this is probably down to being out of one’s comfort zone.
Silly as it sounds, you see this with football fans (on a much smaller level). Growing up in Nottingham as a Derby fan, for example, gave me a far softer view of our very bitter rivals – many of whom are my friends!
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Be open-minded. Try to learn a language. Leave your pre-conceived notions at the door.
You might just surprise yourself.
Sir Terry Pratchett
Home.
It’s the place most special to me; one I am always happy to come back to. In many cases, I appreciate home all the more for traveling. Being away is thrilling, filling me with a nervous excitement – especially if it’s somewhere I haven’t been before, with a language I’m less familiar with.
So, when I come home, it’s a comfortable normality. One I was glad to step outside of, but a welcome steadiness that I always, truly, appreciate.
Have I missed any of your favourites quotes about travel? Where’s your favourite travel destination? Let me know below and let’s chat!
