Travel Quote Tuesday | A Whisper In My Ear

“You would have to tie me to a tree to stop me travelling. I don’t know where to go next. As I get older and travel more, the world seems to open up to me, beckoning me and whispering in my ear saying ‘Go’.” ~ Joanna Lumley

When I read this quote by the lovely Joanna Lumley, I thought to myself, yes! The older I get, the more I want to travel… But then, I realised that I’ve felt this way throughout my life, so perhaps it’s not that my desire to travel is stronger than it was a decade or two decades ago, but that I am more aware of the urgency… of the fact that we only have one lifetime on this earth… and that, in mine, I want to visit and explore so many many places…

That said, I’m not a true nomad… I know there are many for whom the urge is much stronger and some of them have made travelling their full time life…

I can’t decide whether that would work for me… I love travelling and would love to do even more each year but at the same time I love being at home, being able to see family and friends easily, pootling around our house and our neighbourhood, nurturing plants in our garden and over at the allotment…

What about you? What’s your ideal balance between time at home and travelling?

Sunset image of tree in Alentejo, Portugal, overlay text “You would have to tie me to a tree to stop me travelling. I don't know where to go next. As I get older and travel more, the world seems to open up to me, beckoning me and whispering in my ear saying ‘Go’.” Joanna Lumley

Last year I visited beautiful Alentejo, the gastronomic heartland of Portugal. This gorgeous sunset was at Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, atop a low hill on which a new villa is being built within the ruins of an crumbling farm building. Once complete, they will be able to accommodate a few more guests on the estate.

More Kavey Eats Travel Quotes.

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17 Comments to "Travel Quote Tuesday | A Whisper In My Ear"

  1. Martina

    Wowww, thanks for this fantastic quote-he just described what I am feeling at the moment… I just made myself a note of that. Have a lovely day, Martina

    Reply
  2. Mei and Kerstin

    Thanks for sharing this quote. Like you, the older we get the more we want to travel. One because in time we see how short life actually is, and how the people around us get caught by illnesses, and two because unlike our parents or the elder generations, we probably won’t get much for retirement. So why wait? If there’s something we want to do, we have to do it now. 🙂

    Reply
    kaveyeats

    That’s exactly right. My husband and I try to balance time at home (to spend with family and friends, and of course to work so that we can save for both the travel and the future), but we travel as much as we can, who knows what’s around the corner!

    Reply
  3. Kaylene Isherwood

    I absolutely love traveling. And I think it’s important that we don’t put off the things we truly want to do. Life is short, and we can’t save everything for “retirement.” So let’s keep traveling! 🙂

    Reply
    kaveyeats

    Too many people get to retirement and they either don’t have their mobility or health any more, or they’re too darn scared to start travelling at their age!

    Reply
  4. Jessica

    The quote resonates with me strongly but your own words even more so. As I get older, I feel the exact same way. I’ve never considered why the urge has grown, but as you say, it is urgency! Time is fleeting quicker and quicker. Insightful observation. I also think the more I travel, the more I get addicted and need more to satiate the urge. Portugal is VERY high on my list. I’ve never been but I have this weird obsession with moving there, haha.

    Reply
    kaveyeats

    Thanks Jessica, yes it’s that combination of understanding how precious travel is (that drives both the addiction and the urge) and the realisation of how fleeting and opportunity to travel are! Portugal is beautiful, I wrote two posts about Porto and Braga that you should read if you’re planning a trip!

    Reply
  5. Bernie

    I think the older we get, the more we savor and appreciate the experiences of travel too. Whether it’s the beauty of a small plant, the smell of fruit at a market or a gently stormy sky, it all seems much more precious now I am in my fifth decade.

    Reply
    kaveyeats

    Yes, I do notice details in a different way, plus I have more life experience to filter everything through!

    Reply
  6. kaveyeats

    Anywhere, with no worries about cost, work commitments or anything? Probably back to South Georgia in the Antarctic, it’s the tail end of the season, I’ve only been in November / December before.

    Reply
  7. Rachel

    What a lovely quote! i cant help but agree with her – the older I get the less settled I feel. i couldn’t help read in Joanna’s voice as well!

    Reply
  8. Crystal

    This quote resonates with me too! I always get itchy feet if I am at home for too long. My goal is always to work as hard as I can whilst at home and to save that money for my next adventure.

    Reply
  9. Meagan

    The only reason that quote doesn’t resonate fully is that I have hungered to travel for almost as long as I can remember – when I was 10, I gave myself the summer assignment of researching the Nile, and I’ve been wandering the world in my mind ever since 🙂 Still, I love having a home base to come back to. Right now, we can’t do very long trips, but if I could travel a couple months out of the year, and spend the rest of the time working at home, I think I’d be happy.

    Reply

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