The French Philosopher René Descartes famously declared “I think, therefore I am” which essentially means because man is capable of thought it proves his existence. We think travel has a similar impact, the act of travel makes us human. Therefore it’s reasonable to say, we are travelers by nature.
However rather than having us tell you about the importance travel and how it helps to define us, we thought we’d compile a list of some of our favourite travel quotes. Through the wit and wisdom of the some of the world’s great thinkers it’s easier to understand the importance travel makes in our lives and our world.
First off travel is deeply personal.
We all travel for different reasons, although there are certainly common themes and motivations as to why we want to visit foreign lands, see different cultures and stretch our comfort zone.
Perhaps it make sense to start with Anthony Bourdain who in spite of his tragic end, spent his life inspiring us all to travel.
“Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life – and travel – leaves marks on you.” ― American author, TV personality and chef Anthony Bourdain
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” – French writer Marcel Proust
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” — American writer Henry Miller
Another common theme among travellers is that there is always something funny about the process of getting out there and exploring. And of course it can be exhausting, frustrating and tough on a relationship.
Airplane travel is nature’s way of making you look like your passport photo.” — American politician Al Gore
“I’ve been to almost as many places as my luggage.” — American comedian and actor Bob Hope
“It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on earth has ever produced the expression, ‘As pretty as an airport.’” — English humorist Douglas Adams
“It’s easier to find a traveling companion than to get rid of one.” — American humorist Art Buchwald
Another facet of travel we love is the ability to experience different cultures, different peoples and different ways of seeing the world. Travel opens our eyes to all of the great possibilities on this earth. That’s another powerful reason why we travel.
“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” – Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson
“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” – English writer Rudyard Kipling
“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – English writer and philosopher Aldous Huxley
But perhaps the most important reason we travel is to make us better people.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” — American author Mark Twain
“Travel’s greatest purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” ― English writer William Hazlitt
And for this reason we give the final word to Tenzing Norgay who along with Sir Edmund Hillary was the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest.
“To travel, to experience and learn: that is to live.” — Nepalese mountaineer Tenzing Norgay
Why we travel is varied and complex and deeply tied to who we are as a species.
We are naturally curious, we want to learn new ways and new ideas and at the heart of nearly every person, is desire to grow and widen our perspectives. Thus travel helps define us and as such we all can say, we are travelers by nature.
