--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All journeys were return journeys" description: "\"“All journeys were return journeys”\" — Paul Theroux Bruce Chatwin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/paul-theroux-bruce-chatwin-268_journeys_all-journeys-were-return-journeys-322871_3228712.jpg" --- # All journeys were return journeys ![“All journeys were return journeys” quote by Paul Theroux Bruce Chatwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/paul-theroux-bruce-chatwin-268_journeys_all-journeys-were-return-journeys-322871_3228712.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/paul-theroux-bruce-chatwin-268_journeys_all-journeys-were-return-journeys-322871_3228712.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/paul-theroux-bruce-chatwin-268_journeys_all-journeys-were-return-journeys-322871_3228712.jpg) > ““All journeys were return journeys”” [Paul Theroux Bruce Chatwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux-bruce-chatwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. All journeys eventually lead back to where they began, implying cyclical nature of travel. **In simple terms:** Journeys are cyclical, returning to origins. Key Takeaway Embrace the full circle of experiences. Themes travel life journey return cycle reflection experience growth philosophy Mood reflective philosophical inspirational Type Journeys:1 Return:1 Return Journeys:1 Journeys Return:0 When to use this quote - travel memoirs - life coaching - storytelling workshops - educational curricula - personal reflection sessions Key Concepts literature personal development travel writing philosophical reflection life cycles Questions to Reflect On - What does a "return" mean in your life? - How do you find meaning in cyclical experiences? A Different Perspective Not all journeys are literal returns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Journeys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journeys/) [Journeys Return](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journeys-return-3564781/) [Return](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/return/) [Return Journeys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/return-journeys-3564780/) ## Related quotes > [“But: all journeys were return journeys. The farther one traveled, the nakeder one got, until, towards the end, ceasing to be animated by any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/but-all-journeys-were-return-journeys-the-farther-one-traveled-the/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [On many long journeys have I gone. And waited, too, for others to return from journeys of their own. Some return; some are broken;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/on-many-long-journeys-have-i-gone-and-waited-too-for-others-to-return/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Instead of bringing back 1600 plants, we might return from our journeys with a collection of small unfêted but life-enhancing thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/instead-of-bringing-back-1600-plants-we-might-return-from-our/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [It is funny how football works. Everyone has their own journeys, don't they?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ollie-watkins/it-is-funny-how-football-works-everyone-has-their-own-journeys-don-t/) [Ollie Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ollie-watkins/) > [“God doesn’t put that much prep into something that is insignificant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-doesn-t-put-that-much-prep-into-something-that-is-insignificant/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“This is what happens on journeys—the things you find are not necessarily the things you had gone looking for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ursu/this-is-what-happens-on-journeys-the-things-you-find-are-not/) [Anne Ursu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-ursu/) > [The intricacies, the problems, the trials and tribulations in relationships inspire me to give words to people's journeys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-intricacies-the-problems-the-trials-and-tribulations-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ten years ago, TV cookery shows were about a man or a woman following recipes. Now, it's all about journeys and campaigns and less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drummond-money-coutts/ten-years-ago-tv-cookery-shows-were-about-a-man-or-a-woman-following/) [Drummond Money-Coutts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drummond-money-coutts/) > [I'm a songwriter, and I understand artistic licence. We can embellish, go on little journeys and explore our inner selves. It can be quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-marling/i-m-a-songwriter-and-i-understand-artistic-licence-we-can-embellish/) [Laura Marling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-marling/) > [“When you let go of control and commit yourself to happiness, it is so easy to offer compassion and forgiveness. This propels you from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/when-you-let-go-of-control-and-commit-yourself-to-happiness-it-is-so/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“The most difficult journeys often take us where we were meant to go... B”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/the-most-difficult-journeys-often-take-us-where-we-were-meant-to-go-b/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [The people that we sometimes start our journeys with are not the people we end the journeys with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shervin-pishevar/the-people-that-we-sometimes-start-our-journeys-with-are-not-the/) [Shervin Pishevar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shervin-pishevar/) > [No two journeys are alike. Nobody can pretend to know the journey another person takes to achieve his dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-st-pierre/no-two-journeys-are-alike-nobody-can-pretend-to-know-the-journey/) [Georges St-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-st-pierre/) > [“Publicly telling the truth on social media can be one of the most effective healing journeys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/publicly-telling-the-truth-on-social-media-can-be-one-of-the-most/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“The distance doesn't matter; it is only the first step that is difficult.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mari-de-vichy-chamrond-marquise-du-deffand/the-distance-doesn-t-matter-it-is-only-the-first-step-that-is/) [Mari de Vichy-Chamrond Marquise du Deffand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mari-de-vichy-chamrond-marquise-du-deffand/) ## More Journeys quotes > [“The distance doesn't matter; it is only the first step that is difficult.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mari-de-vichy-chamrond-marquise-du-deffand/the-distance-doesn-t-matter-it-is-only-the-first-step-that-is/) [Mari de Vichy-Chamrond Marquise du Deffand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mari-de-vichy-chamrond-marquise-du-deffand/) > [“Publicly telling the truth on social media can be one of the most effective healing journeys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/publicly-telling-the-truth-on-social-media-can-be-one-of-the-most/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [No two journeys are alike. Nobody can pretend to know the journey another person takes to achieve his dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-st-pierre/no-two-journeys-are-alike-nobody-can-pretend-to-know-the-journey/) [Georges St-Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-st-pierre/) > [The people that we sometimes start our journeys with are not the people we end the journeys with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shervin-pishevar/the-people-that-we-sometimes-start-our-journeys-with-are-not-the/) [Shervin Pishevar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shervin-pishevar/) > [“The most difficult journeys often take us where we were meant to go... B”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/the-most-difficult-journeys-often-take-us-where-we-were-meant-to-go-b/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“When you let go of control and commit yourself to happiness, it is so easy to offer compassion and forgiveness. This propels you from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/when-you-let-go-of-control-and-commit-yourself-to-happiness-it-is-so/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [I'm a songwriter, and I understand artistic licence. We can embellish, go on little journeys and explore our inner selves. It can be quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-marling/i-m-a-songwriter-and-i-understand-artistic-licence-we-can-embellish/) [Laura Marling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-marling/) > [Ten years ago, TV cookery shows were about a man or a woman following recipes. Now, it's all about journeys and campaigns and less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drummond-money-coutts/ten-years-ago-tv-cookery-shows-were-about-a-man-or-a-woman-following/) [Drummond Money-Coutts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drummond-money-coutts/) > [The intricacies, the problems, the trials and tribulations in relationships inspire me to give words to people's journeys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-intricacies-the-problems-the-trials-and-tribulations-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“This is what happens on journeys—the things you find are not necessarily the things you had gone looking for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ursu/this-is-what-happens-on-journeys-the-things-you-find-are-not/) [Anne Ursu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-ursu/) > [“God doesn’t put that much prep into something that is insignificant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/god-doesn-t-put-that-much-prep-into-something-that-is-insignificant/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [It is funny how football works. Everyone has their own journeys, don't they?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ollie-watkins/it-is-funny-how-football-works-everyone-has-their-own-journeys-don-t/) [Ollie Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ollie-watkins/) > [Change is a journey and the journey is always about change. And if there is no change, why bother with the journey? And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-owen/change-is-a-journey-and-the-journey-is-always-about-change-and-if/) [Harrison Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-owen/) > [“It needs to be said that faith-journeys are never simply intellectual exercises.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-j-keller/it-needs-to-be-said-that-faith-journeys-are-never-simply-intellectual/) [Timothy J. Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-j-keller/) > [I've always allowed myself to go on journeys creatively and emotionally, and never put, like, limits on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bernhard/i-ve-always-allowed-myself-to-go-on-journeys-creatively-and/) [Sandra Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bernhard/) [Browse all 204 Journeys quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journeys/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“All journeys were return journeys”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Theroux Bruce Chatwin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux-bruce-chatwin/all-journeys-were-return-journeys/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Journeys" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux-bruce-chatwin/all-journeys-were-return-journeys/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/paul-theroux-bruce-chatwin-268_journeys_all-journeys-were-return-journeys-322871_3228712.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/paul-theroux-bruce-chatwin-268_journeys_all-journeys-were-return-journeys-322871_3228712.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/paul-theroux-bruce-chatwin-268_journeys_all-journeys-were-return-journeys-322871_3228712.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“All journeys were return journeys” — Paul Theroux Bruce Chatwin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Paul Theroux Bruce Chatwin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux-bruce-chatwin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“All journeys were return journeys”", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux-bruce-chatwin/all-journeys-were-return-journeys/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux-bruce-chatwin/all-journeys-were-return-journeys/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```