“When I was very young and the urge to be someplace else was on me, I was assured by mature people that maturity would cure this itch. When years described me as mature, the remedy prescribed was middle age.In middle age I was assured greater age would calm my fever and now that I am fifty-eight perhaps senility will do the job. Nothing has worked. Four hoarse blasts of a ships’ whistle still raise the hair on my neck and set my feet to tapping. The sound of a jet, an engine warming up, even the clopping of shod hooves on pavement brings on the ancient shudder, the dry mouth and vacant eye, the hot palms and the churn of stomach high up under the rib cage. In other words, once a bum always a bum. I fear this disease incurable. I set this matter down not to instruct others but to inform myself….A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find after years of struggle that we not take a trip; a trip takes us.”
~ John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America
Oh, to write and think like Steinbeck. A master with words who can whisk me away…
Source: the-little-deer. Image Source: tomorrowstragedy
Live & Learn 
I love Steinbeck…..
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Me too!
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That’s what life is all about – being taken on a trip. It’s our job to enjoy it.
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That’s it…
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I take the trip or maybe it takes me, I just don’t wait….gotta enjoy while I am able 😉
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Yes, I see from your recent post, you are all over this…proactively 🙂
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David – I just started to Read this book today and then I see your post. Yep, weird man. Thanks for sharing, Steinbeck is amazing. I visited the National Steinbeck Museum last month down in Salinas CA. The camper truck from this book is there.
Keep freaking me out with your timely posts.
– Michael
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Wow, incredible Michael. I haven’t read this book. Please let me know (via post or otherwise) what you think of it. I’m a huge Steinbeck fan.
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I find that travel invigorates me like nothing else–nothing like changing yournenvironment to freshen your perspective….great post….
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Thanks Lori. I’m not certain that all travel invigorates me but his writing certainly does…
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Love Steinbeck, but for the assumption that at 58 senility can take care of the itch. I’m 58 today – not cool John Steinbeck, not cool..But I forgive him everything, for there is nothing like changing the scenery to change your state of mind..
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Really, you are 58. My guess was that you weren’t a day over 42. Amazing. You are such a young 58 Mimi!
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I’m a profoundly neurotic, immature, playful and really short 58…but you can call me 42 – that’s cool with me..
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Done. You are 42.
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The wild horse is in all of us. If the gate is left open, would we gallop out to liberty and adventure?
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Laughing. I have no shortage of the wild horse thing…galloping, wrecking everything in its wake!
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Nor I 🙂
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Like attracts like! 🙂
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Just beautiful.
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It is…I agree. So visual. Feel like you are on a walking with him and he’s telling you a story.
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Beautiful, both text and photo.
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Thanks Marion.
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Travel the world and find enlightenment in your own back yard. That’s my rationalisation for being too lazy and financially challenged to travel anywhere but in my own head.
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I’m squarely aligned with you. I find more enlightenment in my own head and from others. 🙂
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