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“When seeing a new place, I often think: I am going to come back here later — when I am rich, or when I have more time, or when I have a purpose, or when I am with someone I love — and do this right. But it is a self-deception. More often than not, my feet lead me somewhere new rather than somewhere I have already been. And as I sat at that window watching the train bore through the heart of China, I had a different, more probable thought, and I wrote it down: I better remember what this place looks like. I will never be back.”
–Brad Newsham, All the Right Places (1989)
November 16th, 2004 at 4:46 pm
Great quote. I often have the sensation (not only while traveling but also while reading, studying, working, whatever) that everything I do is in preparation for something else. For the best experiences, though, the sensation becomes one of rehearsing to do the same thing again later. For some of us (like me), letting life’s best experiences be ends in themselves isn’t easy.
November 16th, 2004 at 5:35 pm
I know what you mean, Ron. I think being fully in the moment of any experience is difficult for all of us. It’s an ongoing challenge — and a great thing about travel is that it gives us an excuse to practice that kind of awareness in a novel setting.
November 17th, 2004 at 8:34 am
This reminds me of a (somewhat corny) passage by Robert Hastings that can be read here.
November 17th, 2004 at 8:37 am
My previous comment seemed a bit dour. Let me rephrase: The passage might be a bit corny, but it is inspiring, so give it a read!
November 20th, 2004 at 6:10 am
It’s always flattering to be quoted. And it’s interesting, to me anyway, to think that I sat at that train window and wrote that senctence twenty years ago and now it’s appearing on a website using a technology that didn’t exist back then… and no, I haven’t been back. And right this minute (5:59 a.m.) I’m headed off for ten hours behind the wheel of my taxi…