Destination Quote by Jonathan Raban
“Travel. It was an intransitive verb. It didn't involve any destinations. It was going to the going's sake, to be anywhere but where you were, with motion itself as the only object.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Journey to the Centre of the Earth, 1999
Travel is portrayed as an act of movement for its own sake, not a means to a destination, emphasizing motion as the goal.
In simple terms: Travel for motion’s sake, not destination.
Key Takeaway
Embrace movement without fixed goals.
Themes
travel
philosophy
existence
Mood
reflective
curious
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- commuting
- long‑distance running
- creative brainstorming
- exploring new cities
Key Concepts
existentialism
process philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- What does moving without a destination teach you?
- How can motion itself be fulfilling?
A Different Perspective
It may ignore practical needs like purpose or progress.
![“My new city [Seattle] and its hinterland felt deceptively homely. Their similar latitude gave them the angular light and lingering evenings I was used to. Their damp marine weather, blowing in from the southwest, came in the right direction. When the mountains are hidden under a low sky, one might…” quote by Jonathan Raban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8e6/jonathan-raban-11981_britain_my-new-city-seattle-and-its-hinterland-f_363879.jpg)
![“The [travel] writer, looking back at the journey from a distance of a year or two (or three), is a different character from the hapless character who undertook the trip: wise after the event, with the leisure to tease out meanings from the experience that the distracted traveler never had, and…” quote by Jonathan Raban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e55/jonathan-raban-11981_alter-ego_the-travel-writer-looking-back-at-the-jo_461527.jpg)
