--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is a fine sense of freedom that…" description: "\"There is a fine sense of freedom that comes from wandering about a familiar city with no particular destination in mind, with no one to meet, no duties..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82e/steven-saylor-22882_cities_there-is-a-fine-sense-of-freedom-that-co_1640768.jpg" --- # There is a fine sense of freedom that comes from wandering… ![“There is a fine sense of freedom that comes from wandering about a familiar city with no particular destination in mind, with no one to meet, no duties, no obligations. I had nothing to do and a thousand nameless, sun-drenched streets to do it in.” quote by Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82e/steven-saylor-22882_cities_there-is-a-fine-sense-of-freedom-that-co_1640768.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82e/steven-saylor-22882_cities_there-is-a-fine-sense-of-freedom-that-co_1640768.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82e/steven-saylor-22882_cities_there-is-a-fine-sense-of-freedom-that-co_1640768.jpg) > “There is a fine sense of freedom that comes from wandering about a familiar city with no particular destination in mind, with no one to meet, no duties, no obligations. I had nothing to do and a thousand nameless, sun-drenched streets to do it in.” [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wandering without a set agenda in a familiar city offers a liberating sense of freedom and self‑discovery. **In simple terms:** Aimless city wandering brings freedom. Key Takeaway Allow yourself unplanned exploration for personal insight. Themes freedom exploration mindfulness urban life self‑discovery Mood reflective liberating Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - city walks - solo travel - creative breaks - mindful pauses Key Concepts spontaneity serendipity urban wandering inner reflection Questions to Reflect On - What does wandering reveal about your inner needs? - How can you balance freedom with safety? A Different Perspective Unplanned trips can feel unsafe or unproductive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Destination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destination/) [Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/duty/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) ## Related quotes > [But once you allow yourself to recognize necessity, you find two things: One you find your options so restricted that the only course of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-brust/but-once-you-allow-yourself-to-recognize-necessity-you-find-two/) [Steven Brust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-brust/) > [Sometimes when you lose your way, you find YOURSELF.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-when-you-lose-your-way-you-find-yourself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There’s something about arriving in new cities, wandering empty streets with no destination. I will never lose the love for the arriving, but I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-eriksson/there-s-something-about-arriving-in-new-cities-wandering-empty/) [Charlotte Eriksson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-eriksson/) > [“If you lead me astray, then my wanderings will bring me to my destination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/if-you-lead-me-astray-then-my-wanderings-will-bring-me-to-my/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [This is the period from ages 60 to 90 in which many people have a new sense of freedom, kids grown up, retired from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-butler-bowdon/this-is-the-period-from-ages-60-to-90-in-which-many-people-have-a-new/) [Tom Butler-Bowdon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-butler-bowdon/) > [I came from a Sorkin-like project in the sense that there was no freedom to change a line, which, in a weird way, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-graham/i-came-from-a-sorkin-like-project-in-the-sense-that-there-was-no/) [Lauren Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-graham/) > [I really have to feel a sense of freedom in my storytelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-robertson/i-really-have-to-feel-a-sense-of-freedom-in-my-storytelling/) [Robbie Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-robertson/) > [Once you have an animal, you have to commit to it. They need a sense of freedom, but, of course, they must have some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-stevens/once-you-have-an-animal-you-have-to-commit-to-it-they-need-a-sense-of/) [Connie Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-stevens/) > [“One of Christianity’s key contributions to Western civilization was to give men and women a sense of freedom from the whims of fate, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-j-chaput/one-of-christianity-s-key-contributions-to-western-civilization-was/) [Charles J. Chaput](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-j-chaput/) > [“Sometimes it’s easier to live when there is no hope left. A strange sense of freedom ironically fills up the space where earlier hopes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madhu-vajpayee/sometimes-it-s-easier-to-live-when-there-is-no-hope-left-a-strange/) [Madhu Vajpayee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madhu-vajpayee/) > [There's also a sense of freedom. I was so obsessed by this problem that I was thinking about if all the time - when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-wiles/there-s-also-a-sense-of-freedom-i-was-so-obsessed-by-this-problem/) [Andrew Wiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-wiles/) > [“to her every whim? As he closed in on Kitlington, though, the duke began to feel a sense of freedom that was quite different.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-haversham/to-her-every-whim-as-he-closed-in-on-kitlington-though-the-duke-began/) Abigail Haversham > [There's a fine line between giving the sense of freedom and being too free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-satriani/there-s-a-fine-line-between-giving-the-sense-of-freedom-and-being-too/) [Joe Satriani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-satriani/) > [“I couldn’t make sense of the freedom I felt when I let go and let him control me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-couldn-t-make-sense-of-the-freedom-i-felt-when-i-let-go-and-let-him/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And this was the greatest gift that aviation could ever give me; not the sense of freedom but the sense of permanence, coupling, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-benjamin/and-this-was-the-greatest-gift-that-aviation-could-ever-give-me-not/) [Melanie Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-benjamin/) ## More by Steven Saylor > [All writing is an act of self-exploration. Even a grocery list says something about you; how much more does a novel say?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/all-writing-is-an-act-of-self-exploration-even-a-grocery-list-says/) [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) > [When I was a boy, my grandfather taught me the list of kings: Romulus, Numa Pompilius, Tullus Hostilius, Ancus Marcius, Tarquinius the Elder, Servius…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/when-i-was-a-boy-my-grandfather-taught-me-the-list-of-kings-romulus/) [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) > [Even the crudest, most derivative novel is an expression of the author's hopes and fears and ideas about good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/even-the-crudest-most-derivative-novel-is-an-expression-of-the-author/) [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) > [“The strands (the gods) weave out of our mortal lives are like a pattern visible only from the heavens; we here on earth can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/the-strands-the-gods-weave-out-of-our-mortal-lives-are-like-a-pattern/) [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) > [“on and on, he wasn’t the ranting sort,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/on-and-on-he-wasn-t-the-ranting-sort/) [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) > [I can't say I had an ideal father, and I'm not a father myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/i-can-t-say-i-had-an-ideal-father-and-i-m-not-a-father-myself/) [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) > [Im like the painter with his nose to the canvas, fussing over details. Gazing from a distance, the reader sees the big picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/im-like-the-painter-with-his-nose-to-the-canvas-fussing-over-details/) [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) > [In politics, reality and appearance are of equal importance. You cannot attend to one and neglect the other. A man must determine both what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/in-politics-reality-and-appearance-are-of-equal-importance-you-cannot/) [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) > [Some men are one thing on the surface and another underneath. The true poet shows not just the exterior of his subject, but all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/some-men-are-one-thing-on-the-surface-and-another-underneath-the-true/) [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) > [“But sometimes...sometimes I wake with a mad thought in my head: What if that boy's life mattered as much as anyone else's, even Caesar's?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/but-sometimes-sometimes-i-wake-with-a-mad-thought-in-my-head-what-if/) [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) > [Adrienne Mayor's inquiry into the myth--and surprising reality--of Amazon women begins with the fierce Greek huntress Atalanta, but takes us deep into the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/adrienne-mayor-s-inquiry-into-the-myth-and-surprising-reality-of/) [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) > [I'm like the painter with his nose to the canvas, fussing over details. Gazing from a distance, the reader sees the big picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/i-m-like-the-painter-with-his-nose-to-the-canvas-fussing-over-details/) [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) > [“Why have two figures of such remarkable interest been so scanted by the annalists and historians, so overlooked by philosophers, poets, and priests? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/why-have-two-figures-of-such-remarkable-interest-been-so-scanted-by/) [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) > [“men ran to fill all ten positions. To pull that off required the cooperation of men who would normally have been your rivals.” “And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/men-ran-to-fill-all-ten-positions-to-pull-that-off-required-the/) [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) > [“Bears?” Epaphroditus wrinkled his nose. “Everyone knows Prometheus was tormented by vultures. Every day they tore out his entrails, and every night he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/bears-epaphroditus-wrinkled-his-nose-everyone-knows-prometheus-was/) [Steven Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) [Explore all 25 Steven Saylor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/) ## More Cities quotes > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Surely, if Mother Nature had been consulted, she would never have consented to building a city in New Orleans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-zuckerman/surely-if-mother-nature-had-been-consulted-she-would-never-have/) [Mortimer Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-zuckerman/) > [Cities are 2% of the earth's crust, but they are 50% of the world's population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlo-ratti/cities-are-2-of-the-earth-s-crust-but-they-are-50-of-the-world-s/) [Carlo Ratti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlo-ratti/) > [A man could be a lover and defender of the wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/a-man-could-be-a-lover-and-defender-of-the-wilderness-without-ever-in/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [All Germany was in turmoil. Revolutionaries seized power in the cities of Munich, Hanover and Cologne. One regional German government after another was toppled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cross-giblin/all-germany-was-in-turmoil-revolutionaries-seized-power-in-the-cities/) James Cross Giblin > [Nice is a city of ghosts and specters, but I hope not to become one of them right away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-modiano/nice-is-a-city-of-ghosts-and-specters-but-i-hope-not-to-become-one-of/) [Patrick Modiano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-modiano/) > [I know of not one Republican candidate that would not appear publicly with Mitt Romney and I know many Democrats that don't even want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sessions/i-know-of-not-one-republican-candidate-that-would-not-appear-publicly/) [Pete Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sessions/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [We will neglect our cities to our peril, for in neglecting them we neglect the nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/we-will-neglect-our-cities-to-our-peril-for-in-neglecting-them-we/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [I didn't know the city at all, but I was so happy to be in New York I cried. I was so excited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/i-didn-t-know-the-city-at-all-but-i-was-so-happy-to-be-in-new-york-i/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [Outside of Paris, there is no hope for the cultured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/outside-of-paris-there-is-no-hope-for-the-cultured/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [Dawn's faint breath breathes with your mouth at the ends of empty streets. Gray light your eyes, sweet drops of dawn on dark hills.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-pavese/dawn-s-faint-breath-breathes-with-your-mouth-at-the-ends-of-empty/) [Cesare Pavese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-pavese/) > [Vienna is a handsome, lively city, and pleases me exceedingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/vienna-is-a-handsome-lively-city-and-pleases-me-exceedingly/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [“We have grace of strength to work, to clear our cities of any dirt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/we-have-grace-of-strength-to-work-to-clear-our-cities-of-any-dirt/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I was too tired to think. I merely felt the town as a unique unreality. What was it? I knew -- the moon's picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-too-tired-to-think-i-merely-felt-the-town-as-a-unique-unreality/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 7,153 Cities quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is a fine sense of freedom that comes from wandering about a familiar city with no particular destination in mind, with no one to meet, no duties, no obligations. I had nothing to do and a thousand nameless, sun-drenched streets to do it in.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steven Saylor" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/there-is-a-fine-sense-of-freedom-that-comes-from-wandering-about-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cities" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/there-is-a-fine-sense-of-freedom-that-comes-from-wandering-about-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82e/steven-saylor-22882_cities_there-is-a-fine-sense-of-freedom-that-co_1640768.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82e/steven-saylor-22882_cities_there-is-a-fine-sense-of-freedom-that-co_1640768.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82e/steven-saylor-22882_cities_there-is-a-fine-sense-of-freedom-that-co_1640768.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is a fine sense of freedom that comes from wandering about a familiar city with no particular…” — Steven Saylor", "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": "Steven Saylor", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-saylor/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is a fine sense of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/there-is-a-fine-sense-of-freedom-that-comes-from-wandering-about-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-saylor/there-is-a-fine-sense-of-freedom-that-comes-from-wandering-about-a/#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 } } ] } ```