It’s no surprise to me that so many people who embark on the Joyfully Jobless Journey are also travel enthusiasts.
Since I’ve been seriously nesting for the past five months, my wanderlust is feeling a bit neglected. I’ve hardly set foot on an airplane during this time, for goodness sake.
So when I was moving some things in my office this morning, I noticed a traveler’s journal someone had given me and decided to take a quick look. Every page has a travel quote on it and I couldn’t bear to keep them to myself.
Here’s a short sampler of some of my favorites. It’s easy to see how they can also be a metaphor for self-employment.
I hate a room without an open suitcase in it…it seems so permanent. ~ Zelda Fitzgerald
Traveling, especially traveling light, teaches you the difference between what is important in life and what may be an onerous burden. ~ Rick Berg
The man who goes ahead stumbles, so that the man who follows may have his wits about him. ~ Kenyan saying (This is also true for other pioneers.)
The traveler was active: he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive: he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes “sight-seeing.” ~ Daniel Boorstin
I was once asked if I’d like to meet the president of a certain country. I said, “No, but I’d love to meet some sheepherders.” The sheepherders, farmers and taxi drivers are often the most fascinating people. ~ James Michener
Someone said to Socrates that a certain man had grown no better by his travels. “I should think not,” he said, “he took himself along.”
Travel is transformational, the thing that keeps our world vibrant and alive. It’s one’s duty to travel, to keep moving, to expose oneself to foreign cultures, foreign landscapes, foreign ideas. ~ Brad Newsham
And, of course, I have to add my two all-time favorite quotes which were not included in the journal.
The world is a book and he who stays home reads only one page. ~ St Augustine
When setting out on a journey do not seek advice from someone who has never left home. ~ Rumi
This is why I have the map hanging in my home office. It’s a world map that I got in India years ago. There are blue pins in all the places I’ve been, red pins in places I’d like to go, a white pin for home (Eugene, OR), and yellow pins in my 3 favorite cities (Seattle, Washington; Edinburgh, Scotland; Chiang Mai, Thailand).
The map is also covered with various buttons funny and profound, mementos, and about a dozen fortune cookie fortunes.
Whenever I look at it, I smile. The map reminds me of what I’ve done, and what I dream to do. As much as I love being home, the map helps fuel my wanderlust and plan my next adventure.
What a great idea to have a visual of your travels and travel dreams. Roots and Wings are not mutually exclusive, you know. I like both myself.