Looking for some travel inspiration? Here is a collection of our team’s favorite travel quotes to inspire adventure and spontaneity in everything we do.
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“Take only photographs, leave nothing but footsteps.”
Unknown
This quote (and its countless variations) seems to pop up everywhere. While the source of the original quote remains disputed, the message still rings clear.
Every single one of us should strive to leave a place better than we find it. Becoming more aware of your personal impact while traveling requires challenging your assumptions, but it can have a profound effect on how you view our wondrous world.
“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”
John Muir
John Muir, the Father of the National Parks & co-founder of the Sierra Club, knows a thing or two about nature. His writing has inspired wandering souls to trek into the wilderness & explore the natural world around them.
Anyone with an appreciation for the outdoors understands that humans, regardless of what language we speak, are just one of the countless species that calls this globe home. In that sense, being alone in nature makes you realize just how similar we all are as humans.
“The world is a huge place. How will you know where you fit in unless you explore beyond your comfort zone?”
Ernest Shackleton
Nobody knew how huge our world is better than Ernest Shackleton. The famed Antarctic explorer went to great lengths to explore the furthest stretches of our planet. His tales of persevering against all odds serve as the bedrock of countless leadership models today.
If you travel enough, you will no doubt find yourself in uncomfortable situations from time to time. Each of those moments is a chance to grow & learn something new (not to mention evolve into a funny story later on in life).
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”
Lao Tzu
While the historical accounts of Lao Tzu can be debated, there is no denying that Lao Tzu was a central figure of Taoism. The ancient Chinese writings attributed to Lao Tzu are often rooted in spontaneity.
I enjoy this quote because I think far too many people try too hard to plan out the perfect travel itinerary. Over the years, I have found that trying to cram too many activities into a vacation is detrimental; you end up paying more attention to the day’s schedule than to your surroundings & activities.
Slow down, enjoy each moment, and be flexible with your travel itineraries.
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
Stephen R. Covey
This quote is from the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, yet it is absolutely relevant to the modern day traveler. Have you ever met the tourist who is more interested in hearing themselves talk than hearing a local’s perspective?
I get it: you are a worldly traveler and you relish the idea of making sure everyone around you knows it. Just because you have been to more countries than everyone else does not make you the authority figure on all things travel.
One of the best parts about traveling is learning about new foods & cultures. I promise you will learn more if you aren’t worried about coming up with an impressive response when speaking with others.
“Paradise was always over there, a day’s sail away. But it’s a funny thing, escapism. You can go far and wide and you can keep moving on and on through places and years, but you never escape your own life. I, finally, knew where my life belonged. Home.”
J. Maarten Troost
Author J. Maarten Troost writes hilarious books about his off-the-wall adventures in far-flung destinations. He has been to some very exotic locales in which he experienced both the highs & lows of traveling. This excerpt is from his book Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu.
For many, travel is the ultimate form of escapism. Running away from your job or responsibilities for days at a time allows you the freedom to pretend that you left your real life behind.
I think it is important to remind yourself that travel is an extension of your life and not a way to escape. Think about it: most people drag themselves to work every week for months on end just to be rewarded with a couple week’s worth of vacation days.
Make sure you are finding ways to enjoy the vast majority of the days you spend not on vacation. How can you make coming back home after a trip just as exciting arriving at a new destination?
“Be fanatically positive and militantly optimistic. If something is not to your liking, change your liking.”
Rick Steves
Rick Steves has been an American authority on travel for decades. His educational guides have helped countless travelers take that first trip outside of our border.
Traveling with someone who can be fanatically positive & militantly optimistic is an absolute treat. Radical positive is a great thing to have when things don’t go according to plan. Travelers who can be flexible & adapt to anything life throws at them will be infinitely happier on their journey.
“If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food, it’s a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.”
Anthony Bourdain
I am sure that I am not alone in my adoration for Anthony Bourdain. His travel style was so intentional yet nonchalant, and he found a way to strike the perfect balance between sophisticated and unpretentious.
In a day & age when somebody could sit on their couch and have a lifetime’s worth of content to consume on Netflix, there is something to be said about just getting up & going out.
.Put simply, the world is vast and you should see it for yourself.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, otherwise known by his pen name Mark Twain, spent part of his career writing travelogues. The travel writing he did took him across the country & around the world.
I think we can all agree that experiencing other cultures & countries is an eye-opening experience. Traveling gives you an opportunity to converse & connect with people you may have never crossed paths with.
The world becomes a much smaller place once you take the time to go out there and explore. Travel has a funny way of making foreign things seem familiar very quickly.
“The more I traveled the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends”
Shirley MacLaine
How often do you find yourself shying away from the unknown while traveling? Fear comes in many forms, and being in a foreign destination only serves to exacerbate that feeling.
What helps you get over that initial fear? Whether you are feeling apprehensive of going on a spontaneous adventure or are nervous about striking up a conversation with your seatmate, try to challenge yourself to break through that fear next time it bubbles up inside of you.
Sometimes, the best advice is to simply just do it.
“To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.”
Robert Louis Stevenson
While he may be best known for books like Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, author Robert Louis Stevenson also spent many of his years travel writing.
I like this as an alternative to the “the journey is more important than the destination” cliche because it adds an air of optimism & spontaneity to the mix. Stress & travel do not mix well, and trying to travel for the sole purpose of arriving on time to specific destinations only stresses me out more.
Wandering between destinations has offered me some of my most memorable travel stories. I carry that sense of optimism with me everywhere I go; who knows when I will stumble upon my next great story.
“There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t yet met.”
W. B. Yeats
Irish poet William Butler Yeats has a way with words. There’s a reason why he won a Nobel Prize of Literature!
This quote captures what it means to be the ideal traveler. Reframing every personal encounter with these words in mind will transform you into an approachable & trustworthy companion.
Every trip is a chance to make personal connections with those around you. Don’t let that opportunity pass you by.
“Love, peace, and taco grease!”
Guy Fieri
I think we all take ourselves a bit too seriously sometimes. Guy Fieri is the type of loveable goofball that can gather people from all walks of life together for a meal.
At the end of the day, traveling is supposed to be fun. Sure you can fill your notebook with the profound words of our world’s esteemed academics, but don’t forget that you can have fun & be silly while doing it too.
I could go on & on forever listing out inspirational quotes and dissecting their meanings, but I have spent enough time drafting this up and my bottle of wine appears to be empty.
What quotes do you live by when traveling?
