13 Uninspirational Travel Quotes
“Not all those who wander are lost”, wrote J. R. R. Tolkien when he wasn’t chasing hobbits. “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page”, wrote Saint Augustine, probably having a rest between chasing women and chasing God.
Our world is full of inspirational quotes, and the world of travel even more so. The interwebs are riddled with photos of magnificent sunsets emblazoned with a famous person’s words, to stir the spirit and rouse the body out of a comfortable sofa.
As I have an ingrained suspicion (some might say distaste) of motivational speak, most of these pamphlets of vapid stimulation never did manage to induce anything more encouraging than a stifled yawn. Also, I found them at odds with a lot of the more, well, let’s say mundane behavior of fellow wanderers.
Of the myriad quotes, sayings and haikus I’ve come across throughout my reading days, there is only one I’ve felt to be honest enough to merit a sunset (or at least a tweet): “I am a traveller, not an adventurer. Things happen to me in my search for a way out”, wrote Henry Miller when he was chasing life, death and all in between.
Hence, as one year ends and a resolution-packed new one begins, I have unleashed the old curmudgeon within (he shares headspace with the wide-eyed child, the insecure narcissist, the quiet dreamer, etc – insert appropriate Walt Whitman quote here) and created a few uninspirational (or downright ridiculous) quotes, edited from real ones, for those times when a wild sunset reminds you only that you should have brought more mosquito repellent.
Explore, Dream, Dysentery is my personal favourite.
🙂 Gracias, Kelly! Happy 2014!
While I love a good Tolkien quote, the blog-o-sphere is over saturated with horribly cliche and absolutely meaningless quotes that, on top of it all, usually also include lewd grammatical offenses. So, basically, I love this post. Here’s wishing you a snarky 2014 😉
(Recently a friend of mine posted a meme that said “One day someone is going to hug you so tight. That all your broken pieces will stick back together.” I commented that I hoped her broken sentences would stick back together too. She did NOT think it was funny.)
Yes to everything you wrote. After the hundredth inane motivational quote, I’m usually motivated to unplug the interwebs. Your comment to your friend’s meme had me in stitches. I love a good comeback! Wishing you an equally snarky (I first read “sharky”, which could also be fun, if somewhat dangerous) 2014!
lol!!! I love all of these, those who travel only read Lonely Planet hahaha. love it!
Many gracias, Samantha! Wishing you guys a brilliant 2014. Good luck!
Nice work guys, love these! Breakfast included made me laugh ha. Have a great 2014!
Thanks a lot, Jeff! Happy New Year!
Lol love these!! Especially the lemmings and dysentery quotes
Many gracias, Sharon! Wishing you a great 2014!
Lol, this is a funny post! Loved the breakfast quote the most. Truly (un)inspirational. Have an awesome 2014!
Thanks a lot, Frank! Have a tremendous 2014!
I like the one saying “Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travellers don’t know where they are going”, it’s often true! Happy New Year 🙂
Yeah, that one is very popular, and is by Paul Theroux – I just added the last sentence, after spending too many nights in hostels by the beach 🙂 Thank you for stopping by and happy New Year!
Bwhahaha. You got a guffaw from me on the dysentery quote. I’m the anomaly in the comments here: I like a good motivational quote slapped on a pretty travel photo. But, I love your un-motivational take on these too! I hope you guys had a wonderful New Years Eve. 🙂
Hola Shannon! I’m also fond of the occasional lovely quote/pretty picture combo, but this is more of a cranky reaction to the bewildering ubiquitousness of inspirational travel quotes – and then seeing what a lot of folks actually do while traveling. In the end, it’s more of a fun writing exercise than anything else. Thank you so much for stopping by and hope you had a grand New Years Eve – and continue to rock the travel world with your wonderful stories in 2014. Good luck!
These are great!! Made me laugh!! So going to share some of these 🙂 Happy New Year!!
Thanks a lot Megan! Wishing you a fantastic 2014!
VERY nice. I liked the Dysentery and Breakfast ones best. Maybe I’ll try to combine those two into something really inspirational.
HA! They are somewhat related, now that you mention it 🙂 Have a great 2014, Bob!
These quotes seem much more applicable to the people who post them then the usual versions! I admit, I sometimes like a good adventure quote myself, but I don’t want to see the same one fifty times. It’s the same as taking an ultra-exciting National Geographic photo and reposting it on every blog/twitter/facebook in existence – it stops being exciting and starts looking lazy and unoriginal.
Hola Jess! Yeah, this whole thing stemmed from too much time browsing the travel blogging world 🙂 The first quote is fine, and might even be inspiring, but after seeing it 15 times with different backgrounds the mind starts to falter… Also, having one of those quotes next to a post on Top Ways to Get Wasted in Whatever Part of the Developing World doesn’t really help… Thanks a lot for stopping by and good luck in 2014!
LOVE THIS. Although being eaten by lions sounds painful. I’ll pass on that one.
Haha! Yeah, we’d prefer to skip that one too… Thank you Sarah-Jane, and good luck!
Haha this was funny. I especially love the ‘breakfast included’ as that is an important option for me when traveling 🙂
Thanks a lot, Chanel! Good luck and safe travels!
Love the “Explore. Dream. Dysentery” one! They made me laugh. 🙂
Thanks a lot, Emma! Good luck and safe travels!
You really had me at ‘Explore. Dream. Dysentery’! Hah.
The aspirational travel stuff needs an antidote sometimes and you delivered one in a very funny way.
Thanks a lot Marek! Antidote is the word 🙂 Good luck and safe travels!
Best post about travel quotes I’ve ever read, so funny (and some of them are so true!) 🙂 !
Thanks a lot, Nina! Safe travels!
These are great! I especially like the “I travel not to go anywhere but to buy souvenirs”. It always feels like I’m buying souvenirs. Thanks for sharing them.
Thanks a lot, Carmen! Good luck and safe travels!
“A journey is best measured in facebook likes, not miles”
Sadly, this is a reality for some people…
Hola Sandra! There’s always a bit of truth in a joke 🙂 Good luck!
Love, love, love. I need to start a funny quotes Pinterest board. I especially love the “A journey is best measured in Facebook likes, not miles.”
Thanks, Tamara! We’ll keep an eye open for that Pinterest board 🙂 Good luck!
Got a laugh out of the one regarding Lonely Planet. Seems like these days that may be uninspirational but to some degree true; everyone on the road has one.
Hey Tim! Yeah, you have a point there. Thanks and good luck!
I laughed out loud at so many of these quotes 🙂 ‘measured by facebook likes ‘eaten by lions’ hilarious! Great post!
Thanks a lot, Samiya! Good luck!
Love it. Thanks for my smile of the day.
You’re very welcome! Good luck!
Ok, so, this is kinda funny. I especially like the one about Facebook likes. It’s funny because it’s true (at least for some people).
Hey Francesca! Glad you enjoyed it, good luck!
Hahaha! Awesome! Love all of them.. Hilarious!! Especially the ones about breakfast, getting eaten by lions, and facebook likes 😀
Hey Nita! Thanks a lot, glad you enjoyed them 🙂 Good luck!
Explore; Dream; Dysentry….. a backpackers Guide to the world! That could easily be a name for a blog hahaha
Hey Sammi! Haha, you might be on to something there 🙂
lol, this is so funny. My fave is the one about measuring a journey in Facebook likes. It so deftly tears apart this view some people have that if something doesn’t go on Facebook, it didn’t happen.
Thanks a lot Karyn, glad you’ve enjoyed it 🙂 Good luck!
How I haven’t seen these on your site is beyond me, but these are HILARIOUS. Love love love.
Thanks, Adelina. Safe travels!
Haha! These are AWESOME!
Thanks Raymond, glad you’ve enjoyed them 🙂