As I started to make changes in my life, I came across a lot of different quotes (and not just travel quotes) which provided great inspiration for the day-to-day life. I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorites:
1. “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta
This is one of my all-time favorite quotes because I live it every day. Even when I’m not traveling, I’m either writing about a trip I took or thinking about the next one. I’d have never imagined what started with just a random trip to break the monotony would end up opening the door to new possibilities. My travels took me to places I had never seen or heard of. The experience of them all gave birth to the storyteller in me.
2. “Don’t listen to what they say. Go see.”
They said Mexico is not safe for solo travelers; the trip became an inspiration for future solo trips. They said Egypt won’t be safe either; I only wish I had stayed longer. It’s hard to describe in words how relevant this is when it comes to travel. Some of my most memorable experiences happened because I didn’t listen to what they said. In fact, travel not only helped break my own perceptions but also gave me a new perspective. As long as I know I’m not getting into trouble, I’d rather go and find out for myself than let people’s opinion form my outlook.
3. “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
It wasn’t until I put myself in a place I had never known that I understood the true essence of this statement. With each trip, I brought back a part of the place with me and just didn’t know how to go back to being the person I once was.
4. “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”
“But, you need money to travel.”, “Isn’t traveling expensive?” – I had the same questions/dilemma when I first started. Yes, you need money to travel but not as much as you think. As I kept traveling, I was able to figure out (legal) ways to keep supporting my passion. Moreover, the experiences, the connections, and the memories aren’t things you can just learn or buy unless you travel. Years from now, I probably won’t even remember how much the flight tickets cost me but I’ll never forget the crazy night I had with my stranger-friends in Istanbul.
5. “Of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport.”
Those are the best stories, indeed. Why? Because those are MY stories – of my adventures, of my misadventures, of my learning, and of my growth. I may be running out of pages in my passport but I’ll never run out of stories to share. Need I say more? Check out the stories here.