Day 13: A Favorite Travel Quote

I have quite a few “quotables” on this here site.  I used to do a segment called “That’s What He Said” but I fell off a little.  That said, here’s another one of my favorites:

I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them“.
-Mark Twain

Speaks for itself right? That said, in addition to counseling, I think all future spouses should go on vacation together first. Really. I work part-time at an airport and I’m telling ya – when your flight gets cancelled and you’re starving and there’s only one security checkpoint line open – you learn a few things about one another.  And it ain’t always pretty.

Do you have any other favorite travel-related quotes out there?

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Were you paying attention? Did you notice that I skipped Day 12? Day 12 was about someone who has influence me to travel and I really couldn’t think of anyone. Isn’t that crazy? I could easily think of a few people who have tried to discourage me but I honestly think the desire to travel has just always been there.  Maybe it was all of the family reunions we took as a child.  Those were all road trips though and actually made me hate driving long distances.  Or maybe it was simply my Dad saying I could do and be absolutely anything that I wanted.  And with that I also assumed he meant “anywhere” I wanted.  He’s always been the most supportive of my travels and has even talked about joining me on a few trips. He is my ideal Amazing Race partner!

The Tweet Heard ‘Round the Web

“Every really great decision I’ve ever made was terrifying at first.”

-via Stephanie from @20sTravel

Twitter is one of the best ways for me to live vicariously through other people’s travels while I’m in between trips.  Lately I’ve found myself saving more than a few of the tweets related to travel – probably because I haven’t travelled in a while (6 weeks = withdrawal!).  Sometimes someone will say something that strikes you so much simply because it’s the appropriate time in your life.  At least that’s how it was with this quote from travel blogger/tweeter @20sTravel. Every time you set out to make a life decision, and this really doesn’t even have to be related to travel, there will be some type of fear that overwhelms you. Yes, that fear means GO! If you have been thinking about studying abroad, or booking that first international trip, but that little voice inside you is causing hesitation – that’s how you KNOW it’s the right decision.

I have had quite a few ideas swirling around in my head about my near future that are absolutely terrifying. This tweet came just in time to let me know that the fear doesn’t mean I should stop. It means I should move forward because I may be on the brink of greatness and not even realize it!

Make sure to visit Stephanie’s blog, too: Twenty Something Travel.

That’s What He Said…

“For every traveler who has any taste of his own, the only useful guidebook will be the one which he himself has written.”

-Aldous Huxley (writer, author of Brave New World)

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I came across this quote while looking through Moleskine travel notebooks (my favorite!) at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.  Usually, when I see a quote I like I just remember some key words and the author and then look it up online when I get home.  But this one rang so true that I just had to write it down right then and there.  The line for the Van Gogh Museum was about an hour and a half long (yes I measured the length of the line in hours) and on top of that it was raining – no bueno! Fortunately, I was being my usual observant self and while walking to the museum spotted a sign for “Museum Tickets” at the Diamant Museum (less than a block away!).  Now, I almost walked by it because I assumed it was only for the Diamant Museum, but I thought “What the heck” the worst they could do is say no right? So long story short – I was able to purchase tickets for both the Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum there and bypass that loooong line and walk straight to the door.  Talk about a triumphant feeling! It was the kind of feeling where you want to let everyone at the end of the line in on your little secret.  This quote made me think of this because no other guidebooks would have told you that – they probably wouldn’t have even known about it.

Writing your own guidebook, both figuratively and literally, is about more than just keeping track of little secrets like skipping the lines at the Van Gogh Museum.  It’s about experiencing a country through your own eyes and not through the eyes of Rick Steves or Anthony Bourdain. You don’t have the same interests, personality, or hobbies as the people who write those guidebooks so why would you prioritize your trip according to what they deem as “must-sees.” Writing your own guidebook means recording the smells that intoxicate you, keeping track of the special hints that people give you, and looking at your destination through a set of fresh new eyes, as if you were the first person to ever visit. Your opinions, views, and experiences are just as important and valid (if not moreso, especially to your close friends and relatives) as any other guidebook author’s – you’re just not getting paid for them.  Well, not yet anyway. 😉

That’s What He Said…

“My experience in Amsterdam is that cyclists ride where the hell they like and aim in a state of rage at all pedestrians while ringing their bell loudly, the concept of avoiding people being foreign to them.”

-Terry Pratchett 

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There is no in between when it comes to bicycle culture – you either hate it or you love it. I’ll be in Amsterdam by the end of the week and can’t remember the last time I rode a bike. But I imagine I’ll make up for lost time while I’m there 🙂 I linked to this site about Amsterdam Bicyles in the previous post, but I ran across this quote and just had to share it again, this times with pics. Click more, to see the rest of the pictures.  

That’s What He Said…

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

-Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher

 

(First step: getting your passport! National Passport Day in the USA is this Saturday, March27th. Click here to find out what passport agency in your area is participating by waiving the requirement for appointments, having passport-themed activities, and more. This is one of the last opportunities to get your passport at the current rate – the fee will increase soon. Statistics vary, but no more than 1/3 of Americans have a passport – and I’m sure that number is drastically less among Black Americans. Let’s change that!)

That’s what he said…

” A nation, like a person, has a mind – a mind that must be kept informed and alert, that must know itself, that understands the hopes and needs of its neighbors – all the other nations that live within the narrowing circle of the world.”

-Franklin Roosevelt

(Found on a great blog – Social Abroad)