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• 6 years ago by Claire Trickett

10 reasons to love travel

What does travel mean to you here are just 10 of the many reasons i love to travel….

• Travel Specialist

In today’s tech-obsessed world, social media may well be the perfect platform to showcase the world’s beauty to armchair travellers across the globe, but travel is so much more than just getting that perfect Instagram shot. Travel should be meaningful. It should excite and inspire you, rejuvenate and ground you, educate and challenge you, and most of all, it should humble you.

Travel gives us our greatest stories, our most cherished memories and countless irreplaceable learnings that we can choose to pay forward to others. It teaches us about ourselves and each other, it broadens our horizons and, just like a reset button, it forces us to refocus on what really matters.

Here’s what travel means to me…

For me personally, travel is a way of life. I was born into a travel-obsessed family and had already lived on three different continents by the time I started school, so wanderlust (and an often ridiculed hybrid accent) was inevitable for me. My sister and I are incredibly fortunate to have parents that insisted that travel was the best classroom and, thankfully, our school holidays were spent exploring fascinating places, both near and far.

Upon graduating university (and turning 21), I was given the greatest gift: the gift of travel. Armed with a round-the-world plane ticket and a sense of adventure, I took off on a six-month solo backpacking trip through Europe, Southern Africa and Australia and, without a doubt, it changed the way I saw the world. So, as a self-confessed travel addict, here are the 10 reasons why I love to travel.

1. Travel to leave our world a better place

I have been fortunate to work and travel with &Beyond for more than 13 years now and what inspires me most is our company ethos and unwavering commitment to care for the land, wildlife and people. Travelling with &Beyond has given me the rare privilege to actively take part in so many unforgettable and truly meaningful experiences, such as: witnessing endangered rhino being safely translocated; observing an elephant cow being collared for research and monitoring purposes; helping to relocate a vulnerable nest laid by an enormous and highly endangered sea turtle; spending a night in a traditional Maasai manyatta (homestead); and so much more. &Beyond ’s authentic, experiential travel not only enables travellers to participate, engage and learn, but it also allows them to travel with purpose and to help leave our world a better place.

2. Travel to meet different cultures

Travel exposes us to different cultures and ancient traditions and through these authentic encounters, we learn to embrace and celebrate both our similarities and our differences. Travel teaches us about humanity and gives us an appreciation, understanding and respect for different points of view and ways of life.

3. Travel to learn

Not all classrooms have four walls and travel is the best way to immerse yourself in geography, history, culture, gastronomy, languages, biology … you name it. Travel enriches the mind and educates us far beyond any textbook or travel guide. Not only do curious travellers learn about different landscapes, languages and lifestyles; glean fascinating facts while observing wild animals in their natural habitat; delve into a region’s history and taste the local flavours; but they also learn about themselves (and each other) along the way.

4. Travel to escape reality

We all need to fall off the radar and escape reality every once in a while. Travel allows us to enjoy complete anonymity in new and unexplored territories. It gives us absolute freedom to live in the moment and it allows us to be anyone, to go anywhere and to do anything. The best part of my six-month trip around the world, way back when, was the freedom of being able to just wake up and pick a spot anywhere on the map and find a way to get there. Travel enables us to be spontaneous and seek new experiences.

5. Travel to relax

Our lives are time-starved and technology-driven and, let’s be honest, it’s not often that we actually take the necessary time to de-stress and truly switch off. Travel allows us to escape life’s daily demands, dramas and deadlines and enables us to clear our minds. It encourages us to recharge our batteries and to truly disconnect (from our phones, Wi-Fi, emails, laptops, social media, etc.) in order to reconnect (with ourselves, each other and the natural environment).

6. Travel to explore

Travel takes us out of our comfort zones and inspires us to see, taste and try new things. It constantly challenges us, not only to adapt to and explore new surroundings, but also to engage with different people, to embrace adventures as they come and to share new and meaningful experiences with friends and loved ones. Whether you seek adrenaline and non-stop activity, or unapologetic siestas and ultimate relaxation, travel gives us the opportunity to explore with an open heart and an open mind.

7. Travel for humility

Without a doubt, travel is a crash course in humility. As we cross borders, and oceans, we gain true perspective. We learn to recognise and be grateful for all of the things we take for granted in our own lives, and we also gain an appreciation and respect for how others live. Travel teaches us to be tolerant, flexible and open-minded, and most of all it makes us humble.

8. Travel to eat

One thing you’ll never find on a suggested packing list is a diet. Leave it at home! Just make sure you bring a healthy appetite and a willingness to taste new flavours and sample all of the local delicacies. Remember, mimosas are totally acceptable at breakfast and dessert is always a good idea. Indulge, go back for seconds and exercise when you get home.

9. Travel to be transformed

Don’t just travel for travel’s sake. Travel to seek adventure and feel alive. Take part in authentic experiences that will not only change the way you see the world, but that will also encourage self-reflection, environmental awareness and global action to help protect and conserve our planet.

10. Travel to live out your bucket list dreams

Every traveller’s bucket list is different. Whether you long to watch the sun set over the Taj Majal, snowshoe on the side of an active volcano, witness Africa’s Big Five and the Great Migration, or find your Zen on a yoga retreat in the Himalayas, if you can dream it, you can do it. Travel is the best medicine and long may it continue to take our breath away and turn us all into storytellers (and committed custodians of our precious planet).

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Motivation for Travel | Theory: Plog, Maslow, Hudman, Krippendorf, Nickerson, General Theory

• Post last modified: 13 January 2023
• Reading time: 33 mins read
• Post category: Tourism

What is Motivation for Travel?

Travelers are motivated to satisfy a need, and they have a perception of what will satisfy their needs. At the same time, travelers have a perception of the attractions of the destination and whether the attractions satisfy their needs. If both sides are agreed, travelers are motivated to visit that destination.

Table of Content

• 1 What is Motivation for Travel?
• 2 Travel Motivations
• 3.1 Economic Capacity
• 3.2 Spare Time
• 3.3 Psychological Factors
• 3.4 Group, Family and Social Atmosphere
• 3.5 Relaxation and Health
• 3.6 Exploration and Risk-Taking
• 3.7 Spirit and the Appreciation of Beauty
• 3.8 Social Interaction
• 3.9 Business Affairs and Official Matters
• 3.10 Family Responsibilities
• 4 Plog Theory
• 5.1 Psychological Needs
• 5.2 Safety Needs
• 5.3 Personal Interaction Needs
• 5.4 Esteem Needs
• 5.5 Self Actualization Needs
• 6.3 Pleasure
• 6.4 Religious and Spiritual Appreciation
• 6.5 Professional and Business
• 6.6 Friends and Relatives
• 6.7 Roots Syndrome
• 7.1 Recuperation and Regeneration
• 7.2 Compensation and Social Integration
• 7.4 Communication
• 7.5 Broadening of the Mind
• 7.6 Freedom and Self-Determination
• 7.7 Self Realization
• 7.8 Happiness
• 8.1 Physiological Needs
• 8.2 Safety Needs
• 8.3 Personal Interaction Needs
• 8.4 Esteem Needs
• 8.5 Self Actualization Needs
• 9.1 Travel Personality
• 9.2 General Personality

The Definition of “Motivation” A motivation is a wish that prompts people to take action, work hard to achieve a goal, and satisfy a certain kind of need. For example, when a person is hungry and there is a need to appease his or her hunger, a motivation to search for food is formed.

Therefore, people’s activities of all kinds are driven by their motivations, and they govern people’s actions.

Travel Motivations

• Why do we go travelling?
• Why do we choose to travel to a certain place?
• Why do we participate in a certain travel activity?

These are essentially questions about tourists’ travel motivations. Travel motivations directly spur people’s travel activities.

A travel motivation is the psychological need of a person to participate in travel activities, and this kind of need will directly promote travel motivation; if you have motivation, a travel action will result.

However, in real life, the process from the formation of a travel motivation to the occurrence of an actual journey, action is a complex one.

During this process, when people have a need to travel, they must also have corresponding individual factors and external environmental conditions, such as physical fitness, financial status, weather and transport, etc Factors that Influence Individual Travel Motivations

10 Motivation for Travel

These are the motivation for travel which discussed below:

Economic Capacity

Psychological factors, group, family and social atmosphere, relaxation and health, exploration and risk-taking, spirit and the appreciation of beauty, social interaction, business affairs and official matters, family responsibilities.

Economic capacity is the basis on which all needs are formed. Because travel is a kind of consumer behavior, the ability to pay the various types of charges involved is of course necessary. When a person’s economic income can only support his or her basic living needs, he or she will not form a motivation to go traveling.

As an economy develops, in countries and regions where citizens’ income increases, the tourism industry becomes more developed, and the number of people who go traveling climbs, or drops when the opposite applies.

Spare time refers to the time that people can freely allocate to taking part in pastimes and entertainment or anything else they enjoy participating in after their daily work, study, living, and other compulsory time commitments.

Therefore, spare time is an important condition for the realization of travel activities. In developed countries, labor protection laws are relatively strong and workers have statutory holidays, both of which ensure that people can form travel motivations.

Travel motivations are a form of individual psychological activity and are inevitably influenced by various aspects such as individual interests, hobbies, profession, attitude to life, understanding of the surrounding environment, level of education, and family.

Social Factors that Influence Travel Motivations. It is only when the economy of a country or region is developed that it will have enough resources to improve and construct travel facilities, develop tourist attractions and promote transport development.

Road transport facilities, accommodation, catering, and service standards at a destination are important factors in the tourists’ choice of destination, and also affect their formation of travel motivations to a large degree, especially for tourists with relatively high hospitality expectations.

Group or social pressure can also influence people’s travel motivations. For example, travel activities organized by enterprises, or travel awards, etc. encourage people to form their own travel motivations involuntarily, and travel activities subsequently take place.

Social surroundings can also influence people’s travel motivations. Colleagues, friends, and relatives travel behavior and travel experiences can always influence others, or lead to the formation of comparative psychology, making people form identical travel motivations, and leading to the formation of a kind of imitative travel behavior.

People who have stressful or monotonous daily lives or work participate in travel activities such as relaxing travel and recuperation holidays in order to relax and loosen up, as well as keeping healthy and finding entertainment.

For example, natural scenery, historical monuments, parks, the seaside, hot springs recuperation areas, etc., are all tourist choices for this type of travel motivation.

Travelers who are curious, knowledgeable, and adventurous, such as the Himalayas climbing parties and North Pole explorers.

For travelers with this kind of motivation, their travel activities are mainly directed at distinctive, beautiful things and phenomena in the natural world, as well as to visiting museums, exhibition halls, and famous tourist attractions, and participating in various types of theme-based travel activities, etc.

People all go traveling to meet friends and relatives, to find their roots and search for their ancestors, and to get to know new friends, etc.

Travelers in this category require that the personal relationships they maintain in the course of their travels be friendly, cordial, and warm-hearted, and want to care for Religious Faith People who have a religious faith go traveling to participate in religious activities and take part in religious studies, and those who travel driven by religious faith motivations do so mainly to satisfy their own spiritual needs. Religious travel is divided into two categories: pilgrimages, and missionary work.

People go traveling for various types of business and official activities, such as special trips to buy goods or diversions to a certain place to go traveling; business trips to a certain place to take part in academic observation, communicate, etc.

Travel activities participated in by groups, government delegations, and business associations, etc., that go to a certain place for discussions, etc.

Because they are busy at work, people will normally neglect to take care of and look after their family members and friends. For these people, they go traveling to satisfy a responsibility or obligation to their parents, wife or children, or to relax and have fun with friends.

Therefore, every summer, the number of family-based tour groups will increase greatly.

Plog Theory

Based on Plog’s theory, travel motivations are related to a very narrow spectrum of psychographic types:

• Educational and cultural motives to learn and to increase the ability for appreciation, scientific research; trips with expert leaders or lecturers.
• Study of genealogy such as visits to their ancestor’s homeland to trace their root.
• Search for the exotic, such as the North Pole and the South Pole, the Amazon, etc.
• Satisfaction and sense of power and freedom such as anonymity, flying, control, sea travel, fast trains.
• Gambling – Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Monte Carlo, Bahamas, Puerto Rico.
• Development of new friendships in foreign places.
• Sharpening perspectives such as to awaken one’s senses, heighten awareness.
• Political campaigns, supporting candidates, government hearings.
• Vacation or second homes and condominiums Near-Allocentric Motivations.
• Religious pilgrimages or inspiration.
• Participation in sports events and sports activities.
• Travel as a challenge, sometimes a test of endurance such as exploring mountain climbing, hiking, diving.
• Business travel, conference, meeting and conventions.
• Theatre tours, special entertainment.
• A chance to try a new lifestyle Midcentric Motivations.
• Relaxation and pleasure travel just for plain fun and enjoyment.
• Satisfying personal contacts with friends and relatives.
• For health reasons such as to change the climate, sunshine, spas, medical treatment.
• The need for a change for a period of time.
• An opportunity to escape from life’s problems.
• The real or imagined glamour of the destination.
• Appreciation of beauty such as national and state parks, forests, lakes, wilderness areas, canoe trips, ocean shores.
• Sensual indulgence such as food, comforts, luxuries for the body, romance, sexual.
• Enjoyment, rest, relaxation.
• Shopping such as souvenirs, gifts, expensive possessions like cameras, jewels, furs, cars, antiques, art.
• Joys of transportation – cruise ships, gourmet meals, buffets, comfortable trains, buses, airplanes, autos.
• Pleasure of pre- and post-travel includes planning the trip, anticipation, learning, dreaming. family or personal matters.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow (1971) distinguished five different levels of psychological needs ranging from physiological needs to self-actualization. According to his theory, the satisfaction of people’s basic needs is a prerequisite for the satisfaction of the higher needs.

Maslow argues that all behavior is motivated by psychological needs, for behavior serves to fulfill those needs physiological needs:

Psychological Needs

Safety needs, personal interaction needs, esteem needs, self actualization needs.

These are needs required by humans to sustain their existence and prolong their lives and are the minimum basic needs, including needs relating to food, water, oxygen, sleep, a place to live and warmth, as well as clothing, food, shelter, mobility, sex, and other psychological functions.

If these needs cannot be fulfilled, human existence becomes a problem.

These are needs that represent human desires to protect their own bodies and minds from injury and to guarantee safety and stability. For example, needs relating to health, a safe and orderly environment, a stable career, and the avoidance of unforeseen accidents.

When a person’s physiological needs have been fulfilled, he or she will want to fulfill such safety needs.

Personal interaction needs include the need for love and a sense of belonging. The need for love refers to the fact that people all hope to achieve harmonious relationships with friends and colleagues or to maintain friendships; everyone wants to love others and be loved.

In addition, the need for a sense of belonging refers to the fact that people all want to have a sense of belonging, and want to gain the acceptance of a certain group and to be included and valued by it, as well as for its members to care for and look after each other.

These are human desires to gain other people’s respect, a satisfactory status, due human rights, reputation, and prestige, and to realize a certain social position.

These are human desires for the need to give full play to one’s own potential and to realize one’s own ideas and aspirations, including the seeking of knowledge, the appreciation of beauty, creativity, achievements, etc.

Maslow considered self-realization to be mankind’s highest level of needs, which signify a full, enthusiastic, wholehearted experience of life.

Hudman’s Motivators of Travel

These are some hudman’s motivators of travel theories :

Religious and Spiritual Appreciation

Professional and business, friends and relatives, roots syndrome.

People travel for improving their health. They would go for leisure and medical treatment to relax and entertain themselves. Natural landscapes, historical sites, coastline, spas, and resorts are the destinations of these travelers.

Curiosity People travel because of curiosity, inquisitiveness, and adventure. Politics, culture, public figures, physical features, and disaster would attract these travelers.

People travel for sports to release their pressure and fantasize about being an athlete. Being a spectator could experience the atmosphere of the competition, and have social contributions such as connecting with other audiences and meet new friends.

Vocation relates to pleasure because it could give routine life a break. People would try new things and participate in activities that would make them feel happy, such as visiting art museums, watching operas and gambling, etc.

People travel for spiritual needs. They visit religious headquarters usually because of religious reasons. In this way, they could have a stronger belief in their religion. On the other hand, many travelers gain satisfaction by the appreciation of natural landscapes, art performances, and visiting museums and historical sites.

People travel for business such as scientific expeditions, business meetings, conventions and education.

People travel because they want to visit their friends and relatives; it shows their care of family and friends.

People travel to trace the root of their family or the culture of their homeland. Pedigree research and hometown exploration are the common activities of these travelers.

Many people travel for gaining respect from others and a satisfying social status because one with plenty of travel experience and knowledge of different countries is usually admired by others.

Krippendorff Reasons for Travel

Research on reasons for travel uncovers an endless list of travel motivations. Apparently, people want to ‘switch off, relax’. They want to ‘get away from everyday life, ‘recover strength’ and ‘experience nature’ ( Krippendorff, 1997 ). Krippendorff (1997) distinguishes eight reasons for travel:

Recuperation and Regeneration

Compensation and social integration, communication, broadening of the mind, freedom and self-determination, self realization.

People get tired during working weeks, and use vacations to replenish their ‘bodily and mental strength’.

Tourism compensates for everyday social failure by presenting another world next to everyday dreariness.

Everyday life contains more and more aspects of stress; people want to escape from this.

Traveling abroad gives people a chance to gain human warmth, to establish contact with other people.

People want to satisfy their interests in other cultures and nature.

Tourists are in a position to largely make up their own rules; they are free from any obligations.

An unfamiliar and strange environment offers a great chance for investigating and enhancing the Self.

Vacations are highly associated with joy and pleasure, so happiness becomes a reason for embarking on a holiday trip.

Travel is a complex social action, and tourists use to travel to satisfy their own various needs. At the same time, under the influence of external environmental conditions, motivations always change as the environment changes.

Therefore, the same tourist’s motivations for going on different trips will differ from each other. At the same time, a lot of travel motivations do not just involve one motivation but may include various kinds of motivations.

Nickerson’s Travel Motivations

Furthermore, following the above reasons for travel, tourism seems to serve psychological needs. Nickerson (1996) argues that deep psychological needs are the basic motivators for tourism. She uses Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs”, a theory about psychological needs and motivation to describe people’s motivation to travel.

Nickerson applied the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to describe travel motivations as below:

Physiological Needs

This can explain why people go to the seaside or a mountain retreat to avoid the heat; these are all actions required to be performed by certain physiological conditions inside the human body.

To travelers, safety needs are expressed in terms of the safety of people’s life, property, and psychology. They hope that in the course of a journey, no vehicle or boat accidents occur, they don’t get sick, they’re not robbed, they don’t have things stolen, and that they safely complete the entire journey, etc.

They also hope to achieve a psychological feeling of security. For example, they hope there is no political upheaval or war in the country they go to and that social order is sound there, etc.

Although the natural scenery and human cultural landscape of some countries are extremely rich, tourists would lose the motivation to travel there if the country has been involved in a long period of upheaval or war.

Therefore, the need for safety is one of the most important factors that influence people’s travel behavior.

Tourists’ personal interaction needs have diverse characteristics. People who go traveling all want to be able to travel together with close friends, get to make new friends in the course of their journey, understand different cultures and customs through interaction with local people, or enhance their friendships by visiting friends and family.

Therefore, travel is one of the most effective activities for people to make new friends, meet up with old friends around the world, and promote contact between people.

A person who has experience of frequent travel and knows a lot about different countries and regions is often admired and respected by others, which helps to fulfill the need to be respected as an individual.

Travel can involve a search for stimulation, challenging oneself, and acquiring knowledge about new things, and this kind of travel involves expressing one’s own self-value to fulfill self-actualization needs. For example: climbing Mount Everest.

The Push-and Pull Theory In 1977, Dann, a U.S. academic, put forward the push-pull theory of travel motivations. He considered that travel behavior was influenced by both push factors and pull factors. People travel because they are “pushed” into making travel decisions by internal, psychological forces, and “pulled” by the external forces of the destination attributes.

Travel Personality and General Personality Theories

Travel personality, general personality.

As stated before, motivation, opportunity, and ability are not the only determinants of tourist behavior. Personality influences traveling behavior too. For example, people who want to climb Mount Everest, in general, have certain personality traits in common.

Most of those people will have a tendency to sensation seeking, for climbing mountains is performing risky behavior.

The personality dimensions used are commonly used in personality psychology. Therefore it seems relevant to explore a few basic aspects of these theories. Four personality dimensions are used to describe tourists in order to indicate motivations for different types of travel:

• Activation: A guest’s level of excitement, alertness or energy.
• Variety: The need for change or novelty.
• Extraversion or introversion: The extent to which a person is outgoing and uninhibited in interpersonal situations.
• External or internal locus of control: The way people perceive whether or not they themselves are in charge of the happenings in their lives.

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28 Beautiful Travel Words that Describe Wanderlust Perfectly

Describe your travels with these unique and beautiful travel words from different languages around the world.

I love travelling and I love languages, so imagine my excitement when I came across a treasure trove of travel words and wanderlust synonyms that describe how we feel before, during, and after we travel. 

Just like a photo can’t fully capture what it feels like to stand on the edge of a fjord , neither can ‘wanderlust’ fully express how we feel when we crave our next adventure. These travel words are literary gems which have been gathered from languages around the world. From Japanese to Swedish , Latin to Greek , travel brochures of the future will be peppered with travel words like of resfeber , livsnjutare, and coddiwomple .

Wanderlust meaning

As you’ll see in the list below, every language has its own variation of how it explains and defines what wanderlust is. In English, wanderlust means to have a strong desire for or impulse to travel, wander and explore the world.

Learn a language from home

During these times it can be bittersweet to think about travelling when we have to stay at home and practice social distancing, let this list of wanderlust-filled words inspire you to a learn a language from home and prepare yourself for your next trip. Being travel fluent is the best way to enrich your travel experiences.

Without further ado, here are 28 beautiful travel words you should slip into your vocabulary. When you’re done, take and look at this collection of inspirational travel quotes . I’d love to hear which ones are your favourites in the comment section below.

Table of Contents

• Eleutheromania
• Quaquaversal
• Schwellenangst
• Strikhedonia
• Livsnjutare
• Novaturient
• Coddiwomple

1. Resfeber  (n.)

Origin: Swedish

Definition: The meaning of resfeber refers to the restless race of the traveller’s heart before the journey begins when anxiety and anticipation are tangled together.

It’s that moment just after you buy your plane tickets and excitement and fear floods in all at once, creating a mixture of emotions that make you feel anxious or physically ill.

For more inspiration, don’t miss my guide to cool gifts for language learners and the best travel accessories and travel gadgets here.

2. Sonder (v.)

Origin: Unknown

Definition: The realisation that each passerby is living a life as complex as your own.

The full definition, taken from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows reads:

[Sonder is] the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries, and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.

I often feel this way when I pass groups of strangers, speaking a language that is completely foreign to me, and realise just how incredibly big the world is. We all have a life that is full of different connections, memories and possibilities. That’s sonder.

The internet suggests this may not be a real word, either way, the concept is beautiful.

3. Solivagant (adj.)

Origin: Latin

Definition: Wandering alone. A solitary adventurer who travels or wanders the globe.

Not all those who wander are lost, but all those who wander alone are definitely solivagants . From the Latin word solivagus , meaning lonely or solitary, solivagant describes anyone who enjoys meandering around new countries, alone, in order to take it all in.

4. Fernweh (n.)

Origin: German

Definition: This German word,means an ache to get away and travel to a distant place, a feeling  even stronger than wanderlust. If wanderlust wasn’t poetic enough for you, allow me to present fernweh , a German word that literally translates to “distance-sickness.”

While someone with wanderlust might sit at home and happily fantasise about all the places they might visit, someone with fernweh would feel a deeper sense of longing, a sort of homesickness but for foreign lands.  For me, it’s wanting to be back in Rome . Fernweh is one of most those beautiful untranslatable words I’ve ever come across.

Carry this beautiful word with you with my Fernweh T-Shirt available in men’s and ladies styles and black or white. Buy it here.

5. Sehnsucht (n.)

Definition: A wistful longing and yearning in the heart for travels past and future.

One author translated it as the “ inconsolable longing in the human heart for we know not what .” Another compared it to “ a longing for a far-off country, but not one which we could identify.”

When you return from travelling and wish you could do it all over again and experience every moment like it was the first.

6. Eleutheromania (n.)

Origin: Greek

Definition: An intense and irresistible desire for freedom.

We all want to be free, and travelling shows us how the freedom in the lives of others that is different from our own. Eleutheromania describes a person who has a strong desire and obsession for freedom.

7. Cockaigne (n.)

Origin: French , Middle French

Definition: An imaginary land of luxury and idleness.

Every destination seem like a wonderland or cockaigne before you set foot there and see it for yourself.

The term c ockaigne ” comes from the Middle French phrase pais de cocaigne, which literally means “the land of plenty.” The word was first popularised in a 13th-century French poem that is known in English as “The Land of Cockaigne.”

8. Quaquaversal (adj.)

Definition: Moving or happening in every direction instantaneously.

This perfectly describes my state when I’m in a new place and want to see and do everything at once.

9. Dérive (n)

Origin: French

Definition: A spontaneous and unplanned journey where the traveller leaves their life behind allows themselves to be guided by the landscape and architecture.

Literally translated as “drift”,  dérive is the idea that even if you drift you will end up on the right path. This could describe life in general, but it also describes small journeys. When you’re wandering through a new city and you just happen to wander on a path that takes you to great discoveries.

10. Ecophobia (n.)

Origin: English

Definition: This word came into English word via Greek and means a fear or dislike of one’s home.

I don’t dislike my home, but recently I can’t stop thinking about going back to Lofoten, Norway.

11. Numinous (adj.)

Definition: A powerful feeling of both fear and fascination, of being in awe and overwhelmed by what is before you.

Originally, this word refers to having a strong religious or spiritual quality; but it can also be used to describe how you feel when you see things that are so beautiful that you realise how wonderful the world is and the small part you play in it.   Hiking Trolltunga was a numinous moment for me.

12. Schwellenangst (n.)

Definition: Fear of crossing a threshold to begin a new chapter.

From s chwelle (“threshold”) and a ngst (“anxiety”), this word explains that feeling you get before deciding to set out on a new journey. Argh! Did I make the right decision?

13. Strikhedonia (n.)

Definition: The pleasure of being able to say “to hell with it”.

Another personal favourite word on this list. Not only is it the joy I feel, but the freedom to be able to say “to hell with it” and book that next trip and embark on your next adventure.

14. Vagary (v.)

Definition: A whimsical or roaming journey.

From Latin, vagārī meaning “ to roam”, is an unpredictable idea, desire or action to travelling without knowing the destination, and not caring.

15. Livsnjutare (n)

Definition: Literally meaning, “enjoyer of life”, this describes a person who loves life deeply and lives it to the extreme.

If you’re reading this, that’s probably you!  Need more inspiration?

16. Commuovere (v.)

Origin: Italian

Definition: To stir, to touch, to move to tears.

Just like the euphoric emotions I felt whilst whale watching.

17. Sturmfrei (adj.)

Definition: The freedom of being alone and being able to do what you want.

Literally translating to “stormfree”, this describes the freedom of not being watched by others and being alone in a place where you have the freedom and ability to do what you want.

Another great German word. Travelling solo can be especially rewarding because you have complete control. No compromises, no one else to please. Just you and the big wide world.

18. Saudade (n.)

Origin: Portuguese

Definition: This Portuguese word describes the emotional state of nostalgia and longing for someone or something distant. S audade  was once described as “the love that remains” after someone is gone.

Saudade  is the recollection of feelings, experiences, places, or events that brought excitement and happiness but now triggers the senses and makes one live again.

19. Yūgen (n.)

Origin: Japanese

Definition: A profound and mysterious sense of the beauty of the universe.

An awareness of the Universe that triggers emotional responses too deep and powerful for words.

20. Acatalepsy (n.)

Definition: The impossibility of comprehending the universe.

Henry Miller said “ One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. ” Do we ever really understand the world and what we see on our  travels,  and how they mould us? Sometimes, if at all, it takes time to discover how these things change our lives.

21. Trouvaille (n.)

Definition: A chance encounter with something wonderful.

Whether it’s stumbling across a hidden back street, a quaint cafe, or connecting with a local, trouvaille describes those magical moments we experience in our journeys. 

22. Hygge (n.)

Origin: Danish

Definition: Pronounced hue-guh , hygge describes the warm feeling you get while enjoying the company of great friends and all life has to offer.

Hygge is the conscious appreciation of recognising everything you have and enjoying to the present moment.

23. Onism (n.)

Definition: The world is a big place as not everyone will get to see it. Onism describes understanding that we’ll never get to see it all. It’s the frustration of being stuck in just one body that can only inhabit one place at a time. I felt this way before going to Copenhagen !

Similar to the Swedish word ‘resfeber’, onism describes the feeling of knowing that you’ll never be able to see it all. They say that the more you travel, the harder it gets to stay in one place.

24. Novaturient (adj.)

Definition: A desire to change and alter your life.

This was exactly how I felt when I quit my job and moved to Rome . There was this strong urge that pulled me towards my dream of pursuing a life of speaking Italian and travelling. I knew I  wouldn’t be living my life if I didn’t go.

25. Yoko meshi (n.)

Definition: This untranslatable gem describes the stress of speaking a foreign language .

The Japanese word ‘meshi’ literally means ‘boiled rice’ and ‘yoko’ means ‘horizontal,’ together it means ‘a meal eaten sideways.’ The Japanese have created a beautiful way of describing the unique kind of stress you experience when speaking a foreign language. Furthermore, ‘yoko’ also references the fact that Japanese is normally written vertically, whereas most foreign languages are written horizontally. Clever, right?

Related: 69 Wonderful Japanese Expressions That Will Brighten Your Day

26. Selcouth (adj.)

Origin: Old English

Definition: When everything you see and experience is unfamiliar and strange, yet you find it marvellous anyway.

It’s that feeling you get when you travel to a foreign land and food, culture, customs, or language, is strange and different to everything you’ve experienced before, yet you love it and find it fascinating.

27. Eudaimonia (n.)

Definition: A state of being happy whilst travelling and everything feels great.

That intense excitement and appreciation when you travel and everything feels great. Seeing the Northern Lights was one of the best experiences of my life, a feeling I won’t forget.

28. Coddiwomple (v.)

Origin: English slang

Definition: To travel purposefully towards an unknown destination.

A brilliant word, coddiwomple is when you have a vague idea of your destination within a care for how long it takes to arrive. A great example is when you go hiking, you know you’ll eventually reach the summit, but every part of the trail along the way is just as beautiful.    Like the time I hiked Norway’s Trolltunga.

If you enjoyed these words, then let wordsmiths Stephen King, Mark Twain and the Dalai Lama transport you around the world with these inspirational travel quotes or start using some of the beautiful untranslatable words from other languages.

Want to know more about learning languages? Start here!

• 18 Unexpected Advantages & Health Benefits of Learning A Foreign Language
• The World’s Most Beautiful Untranslatable Words from Around the World: The Ultimate List A-Z
• 13 Ways to Seamlessly Integrate Language Learning into Your Daily Life
• What Type of Language Learner Are You? Your 4-Step Personalised Learning Plan
• 15 Top Language Learning Resources You Should Use
• 7 Reasons Why You Should Go on a Language Holiday
• 11 Life-Changing Reasons Why You Should Learn a Language
• How to Learn Your First Foreign Language in 8 Simple Steps: A Beginner’s Guide
• 42 beautiful Inspirational Quotes for Language Learners
• Language learning tips: 11 Polyglots Reveal The Secrets of Their Success
• Top 10 Best Ways to Learn a Language Better and Faster
• How to Learn Italian Before Your Trip
• Free Travel Phrase Guides
• How a ‘Potato’ improved my French Pronunciation
• How Many Languages are there in the World?
• Hilarious Idiomatic Expressions that Will Brighten Your Day
• 78 FREE Dictionaries to Learn a Language Fast [Free eBook Download]
• 22 KEY Travel Phrases That Will Transform Your Travels [Free Guide]

Over to you!

Which one of these travel words do you identify with the most? What others would you add? Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post.

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Michele creates language learning guides and courses for travel. What separates her from other instructors is her ability to explain complex grammar in a no-nonsense, straightforward manner using her unique 80/20 method. Get her free guide 9 reasons you’re not fluent…YET & how to fix it! Planning a trip? Learn the local language with her 80/20 method for less than the cost of eating at a tourist trap restaurant Start learning today!

Italian Cognates & Loanwords: 17 Rules to Expand Your Vocabulary + FREE PDF

124 inspirational travel quotes that’ll make you want to travel in 2022, 12 comments.

Amazing list! One word I’d add is the Dutch word “gezellig” or “gezelligheid” – similarly to hygge, it describes a feeling of warmth/comfort/coziness/quaintness in certain settings or around certain people.

Thank you so much for sharing this Heba. So interesting to learn that Dutch has a similar word 🙂

This is such a fun article! Love these words and phrases!

Glad to hear it! Thank you so much, Eric 🙂

So many of these describe me or my feelings about seeing the world. But, if I had to pick one, the one that best describes how I choose my destinations would be “selcouth”. I so want to be a stranger in a strange land. To have my belief that there is no such thing as “normal” affirmed again and again and over again.

What a beautiful word. Thanks for sharing, Janet 🙂

Thanks Michele what a wonderful list of inspirational words. It nearly made me cry as I realised that I suffer from acute eleutheromania! ha

Thanks Juliana 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed this list. Eleutheromania? I know how you feel hehe

Unique list i must say – If you want to add one more word than check this !

In Hindi language (India) traveler called as “Musafir”

thanks Niraj 🙂

Thanks for sharing this! Really enjoyed it a lot ❤

Thanks Donah, I’m so glad you enjoyed it 😉

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If you don't know where you are , how do you know where you're going?   Find out how well you know Italian grammar today!

What Motivates People to Travel

There is no right or wrong way to live. The very concept of being right or wrong is based on the circumstances you find yourself in when you are called upon to make a judgment. But what about traveling? Do people who dare to walk on unusual paths know some tricks to stay motivated? Or maybe it is a kind of sport or activity that gives them these extreme emotions? Have you ever wondered what keeps them motivated? What motivates people to travel the world rather than spending time at home? Reasons are plentiful.

The reasons why we travel are as varied as travelers themselves. Someone may need a break from the hustle and bustle, look at things from a different angle. Make some new friends or get someone to fall in love with. It is no secret that occasional change of scenery is certainly necessary due to inevitable emotions any traveler experience on every trip. Making better decisions in your life often requires switching attention backwards and forwards between different tasks and focusing on something else. So there is nothing better than a two-week stay away from home to reboot your brain and start focusing on self-improvement, get rid of things you know don’t add value to your life.

In this post I’m trying to comprehend how does one stay motivated to travel, not to think about and regret going home because of homesickness, and why travel is so important in life.

1. The Need for Change

My original motivation for travel some 10 years ago was the need for change. I was aware of a whole world that existed outside of my comfort zone . I was striving to find a passion and start thinking and being more positive. At the same time, I realized reinvigorating my thinking would be impossible without taking myself away from the present, familiar environs to something that is new and unfamiliar and because it is new, gratifyingly stimulating and thrilling.

The entire thing wasn’t just about escaping from the dull daily routine. Though once I stepped out of my comfort zone, the joy and happiness from exploring new destinations became addictive. It didn’t take me long to realize I wanted to change myself in a way that will make me a better person. Furthermore, I wanted to get an unfiltered view of the world. I wanted to try traditional Thai food dishes , get lost in Beijing and see the most bizarre trees on the planet.

There’s nothing stale or banal about the psychology of tourism. I think you’ll agree with me when I say it’s a completely different experience to journey to Shanghai than to watch it on a NatGeo documentary. Exploring the winding streets of Hong Kong is drastically different from swiping HK photos on Instagram feed.

Adjusting to new surroundings, immersing myself in entirely different cultures, and hearing someone speaking an unfamiliar accent is something that makes me feel alive.

2. The Romance of Travel

Let’s face it, romance is a strong travel motivator. Apart from other cultural motivators in tourism, romance, and pleasure of the trip are the primary characteristics and qualities of the travel experience. Since loneliness and the need to escape unpleasant circumstances can drive some to extreme measures, the romance of travel and some indulgence are the best ways to overcome difficult personal circumstances.

Practicing pleasure travel gives rise to the satisfaction gained only by such experiences. And satisfaction often leads to reducing tension and anxiety. The pleasure trip thus becomes even more important and primarily learned a form of reducing stress and stopping anxiety.

Even the most committed solo travelers or digital nomads can relate to feelings of loneliness . After spending more than 10 years on the road I can admit, I have been succumbed to moments of feeling alone. Discussing the nuances of your trip with friends or relatives can have a big impact on the way you see the world and think about yourself. Few are immune to missing family and friends or feeling homesick at some time and have felt the need to seek interaction with other human beings. Dealing with loneliness is one of the greatest challenges solo travelers face .

3. Travel for Health

As I already said, there are many reasons why people love to travel. After a decade on the road, I’ve had my share of illnesses. However, I’ve always been prepared and controlled the risks by keeping in mind what should I do to stay healthy on the road .

Traveling is generally considered as an investment in health. When you travel, you get to visit healing sites like the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, the Pamukkale Hot Springs in Turkey or the Dead Sea. Hot springs and mineral-rich lakes can help you improve your skin, relieve pain, and reduce stress. Yup, hot geothermal springs can’t heal every kind of disease. But soaking in them may provide a range of conditions, from rashes to digestive disorders, improved after a visit.

Recently, I found myself standing on top of the Singuttara Hill admiring one of the most beloved and well-known holy sites in Asia . Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon was in front of me with its incomparable architectural design and shimmering gold plated dome. I found myself pulled to this spot with no clear understanding of what has happened.

Shwedagon Pagoda is the reason I am here, the backdrop to the myriad golden and painted lesser-known pagodas and temples I am photographing. And the reason so many people chose this place full of magic and mystery. The truth is that this golden stupa has a powerful vortex of spiritual energy. No one knows why this is, but the Pagoda is the most important religious site and place of pilgrimage.

4. Travel to Learn Life Skills and Life Lessons

The two months I spent traveling around Thailand during my big trip were some of the most intense and interesting months of my life. Every day was a new adventure. I challenged myself to learn new things, as a result, I learned so much during that time I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I mastered my inner peace, learned a lot about foreign language and culture, about Thailand in general, and about humanity.

With all the exciting moments we face each day abroad in a foreign place it’s hard not to come away with more than a souvenir.

What I love most about traveling (and hiking there) to new places is the chance to develop a better sense of direction. While I always thought that I had a good sense of direction, it was not until I went trekking in Thailand that it was really put to the test. Traveling on your own means you’re the only one who chooses what to explore next. There is no better opportunity to test and/or develop your sense of direction.

What I’ve learned from that trip I must create an awareness of my surroundings based on the four points of the compass. If you know where north is, you can easily determine the direction and navigate your way through. By constantly connecting your walking route to the north by using a compass (try not to use GPS!), you are exercising your natural sense of direction.

5. Travel for Pleasure

In most cases, traveling gives me a unique feeling of the present moment. When I’m entangled in my thoughts of past or future or imagination, finding the pleasures can help me shift the perspective. The very concept of traveling for pleasure is subjectively relative to many unexpected circumstances.

Life exists only at this very moment. Thus focusing on many things at a time may generate dissatisfaction and the feeling of a missed opportunity. The kind of people you meet on your way often can help you concentrate your mind on the present moment. Therefore broaden your horizons. So having pleasure in traveling is not per se in the movement from destination to destination , rather the things that give you the story to tell.

When I was traveling from Cairo to Dusseldorf, the aircraft flew me through Rome and certain parts of Italy . Upon reaching a particular point, the pilot swerved the plane to give the passengers a view of the terrain. Though this twist was not a part of my original itinerary, it spiced up a good memory.

After that particular flight I realized, we don’t travel for pleasure. We travel to seek pleasure. Travel isn’t about short-term pleasures, it is rather about a long lasting pleasure that creates tangible memories both past and present.

What is your motivation for traveling?

STOP PROCRASTINATING YOUR DREAM VOYAGE!

8 REASONS WHY TRAVELLING MAKES YOU A BETTER PERSON

WHY DO WE TRAVEL

9 to 5 Voyager

Excellent post! And truly unique. I think finding the right motivation is key to getting out of the house and seeing the world.

Angella Shin

A lot of people ask me this question…and how I manage to save the money to travel. Well…I just tell them, I’ve been sheltered all my life because I was busy building up my nursing career. I finally met my husband who was already well traveled and he began to show me the world. We traveled to 7 countries in the last 2 years and I am just now blogging about them. We travel to get away from comfort and take a break from the norm. It just feels refreshing to visit a new country and learn a unique culture.

If you agree, please check out my travel blog as well…would love your feedback!

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Travel motives

Understanding tourists travel motives is crucial in several respects. Partly for tourism business owners who need to understand which needs their experiences should fulfil for tourists, but also for the various authorities planning for tourism development. It can also explain tourists’ (unsustainable or sustainable) behaviour on holiday and make it possible to counteract or encourage that behaviour. 

It’s important to clarify the definition of travel motive, especially in relation to the purpose of the journey. Motive isn’t the same thing as purpose. Motives are the underlying psychological reasons why we travel, and are often not openly taken into account, unlike the purpose of the trip. They reflect the needs of the individual and can often be hard to put into words.

One example: The purpose of my last trip to Stockholm was to meet friends and acquaintances as well as go to a music event. Those were my desired experiences and the purpose of the trip. Motive explains why we want to travel for that purpose and can in this case, for instance, be escapism (i.e. getting away from it all), relationships (strengthening and nurturing relationships with nearest and dearest) or nostalgia (seeing the band I’ve loved since I was a teenager). That it was Stockholm in particular that I travelled to was because I have friends there and the band was playing there that weekend. But it could just as easily have been another destination. In this context it’s also common to talk about push or pull factors, in other words factors that push you away from your home area and factors that pull you to various destinations. The former often includes motive, like the desire to escape day to day life (escapism) or to try and find something different (novelty seeking), whereas pull factors are specific attractions in destinations (read more about that later under Destinations’ Offers).

Research on travel motive has discovered a number of different motivating factors and patterns, that often change depending on context and destination. Two theories have been important for the understanding of travel motive; Travel Career Ladder and Travel Career Pattern, which are partly based on Maslow’s well known Hierarchy of Needs. The latter progresses the former, and focuses on motivation patterns, in other words the many different motives that cluster together to form a tourist’s motivation to travel to a particular place. The Travel Career theory is important here, as well as motivation pattern. Someone who has visited every corner of the earth and travelled continuously for long periods has other motives than a first time traveller. The motives overlap each other but research has shown that in general there is a significant difference that is derived from a tourist’s prior experience of travelling.

Research shows that tourists with high travel experience want to distance themselves from other “tourists” (read: charter tourists) and see themselves as “travellers” and “explorers”. Consumption of (different kinds of) journeys consequently becomes an important strategy, which is used to differentiate themselves socially and culturally from others. In the table below we can see examples of which motives arise in connection to how experienced a tourist is.

Table 1: Motivational factors, travel career patterns (adapted from Pearce & Lee, 2005)

The table shows that there are four main motives which arise whatever the travel experience; Novelty Seeking, Escapism/Relaxation, Relationships and Self Development. The last two motives pull in different directions depending on the travel experience; internal or external (personal development versus host site involvement and security versus strengthen relationships). The table also shows motives that are generally specific to those with lower travel experience.

Research on travel motives is often carried out on Western tourists. There’s a certain degree of variation in how strong the different travel motives are, but studies of Asian tourists, for instance, show bigger differences. For example prestige or self-actualization, and strengthening family relationships have been shown to be of greater importance in studies of Japanese tourists, and novelty seeking is less important in comparison. Other cultural contexts are said to be the largest reason for these differences.

Crompton, J. L., & McKay, S. L. (1997). Motives of visitors attending festival events. Annals of Tourism Research, 24(2), 425-439. Iso-Ahola, S. E. (1982). Toward a social psychological theory of tourism motivation: A rejoinder. Annals of Tourism Research, 9(2), 256-262.  Kim, S. S., & Prideaux, B. (2005). Marketing implications arising from a comparative study of international pleasure tourist motivations and other travel-related characteristics of visitors to Korea. Tourism Management, 26(3), 347-357. Munt, I. (1994). The ‘Other' postmodern tourism: Culture, Travel and the New Middle Classes. Theory, Culture & Society, 11(3), 101-123. Pearce, P. L., & Lee, U.-I. (2005). Developing the travel career approach to tourist motivation. Journal of Travel Research, 43(3), 226-237.

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7 Ways to Stay Motivated to Travel

Motivated people can achieve anything they set their minds to. But how does one stay motivated, especially to travel, when you are busy working and living life while your family and friends disparage your ideas , you’re overwhelmed planning your trip , or maybe just burnt out from being on the road already?

Motivation is not an unlimited wellspring but a battery that needs to be kept charged. All too often, life gets in the way and hinders our plans or throws us off track. If we don’t pay attention, that battery becomes depleted and our travel goals fall to the wayside. All of a sudden, years have gone by and you’re still nowhere near reaching the travel goals you’ve dreamed about.

For example, my trip to Iceland had been years in the making. I always talked about it but it kept getting delayed because “stuff came up.”

It wasn’t until I finally said “enough” and booked my ticket right there that the trip became a reality.

And it’s not just the waiting to travel that requires motivation. You can burn out and get off track while on the road too. It’s something that happens to a lot of long-term travelers.

Years ago, I burnt out when I was on the road. To recover, I went to Cambodia to recharge my batteries. I stayed in one place, watched movies, read books. Alone. No wandering or sightseeing. Just rest. It was relaxing, and one day I woke up and said “I’m ready to go again.”

When you plan your trips, you don’t think about the long boring hours on a bus, the delays, the annoying airports, dealing with snorers in hostel dorms, fending off tours and scammers, and all the other things that will suck the energy and joy out of your experience.

Eventually, you need to stop and recharge your batteries. To is stay in one place, watch Netflix, and relax.

Whether you’re planning a trip or already on the road, it’s important to find ways to stay motivated. Today, I want to share seven tips on how to stay motivated to travel — whether you are planning your trip or feeling a little burnt out on the road:  

1. Hold yourself accountable

The best thing you can do to stay focused is to be held accountable. Being accountable to others will help make sure that you don’t fall off the wagon. They will help keep you focused on your goal, and the social pressure to stay on track will provide some extra motivation to follow through.

Whether that is betting money, having someone check in on you, keeping track of goals, or having someone help you plan, just being held accountable will force you to stay focused, even on those days you don’t feel like it!

Accountability ensures action and can force you to follow through when a lack of energy would otherwise hold you back.

Here are some other apps that might help you hold yourself accountable:

• Coach.me – Personal coaching to help you stay on track and build better habits.
• GoalsOnTrack – Goal-setting and personal-productivity app that guides you through the process of setting (and reaching) goals.
• How to Stop Making Excuses When it Comes to Travel
• 13 Non-Travel Books That Changed My Life
• How to Change the “I’m Too Poor to Travel” Mindset

2. Devote time

Stuff always seems to come up, doesn’t it? Sure, I was planning to visit Iceland in May and then suddenly, May was here and I was busy.

Or maybe you decide today’s the day you’re going to plan your trip but then you forget you have laundry to do. My solution? Pick a day and time you are normally not busy (i.e., on Facebook) and devote that time to planning your trip.

Make it a consistent part of your schedule and develop a habit so that it doesn’t feel like a task you “have” to do; it becomes just something you do automatically.

Set aside thirty minutes each day to focus on travel. Turn it into part of your everyday routine. This time can be used to do research or read books and blogs. This will help you stay inspired and interested while helping you plan your next adventure. Schedule it into your calendar so you never let the day get away from you. It’s in your calendar. You can’t skip it.  

3. Read travel blogs

Reading about other travelers’ adventures can show you that it is easier to travel than you thought, provide advice and tips on the art of travel, and teach you about places you’ve never heard of. One day you’ll get sick of living vicariously through others, and you’ll go out and create your own travel stories. They will show you that yes, travel is realistic, practical, and financially possible.

Here is a list of my current favorite travel blogs that can help you out.  

4. Read travel books

While reading travel blogs is great, travel books are even better because they cut deep into a destination and open it up in a way a short blog post can’t.

And in that same vein, be sure to read books about the destination you are visiting so you can get a deeper understanding of the place. You can’t understand the location’s present if you don’t understand its past.

Here are a few travel books to help get your inspiration flowing:

• Tracks , by Robyn Davidson
• The Caliph’s House: A Year in Casablanca , by Tahir Shah
• A Year of Living Danishly , by Helen Russell
• In A Sunburned Country , by Bill Bryson
• Looking for Transwonderland , by Noo Saro-Wiwa
• Ten Years a Nomad , by me!

5. Learn a language

Join a class and pick up a language you might use on the road. Once you’ve started learning the language, you’ll hate to waste your new skill. And the only way to use it is to travel to where they speak it! Here are some apps and resources to help you learn:

• Spanish and Go

And here are some blog posts from language experts I know to get you started:

• How to Learn the Basics of Any Language in Four Steps
• How to Master Life, Language, and Travel

6. Take a break

If you’ve been on the road for a while, you’ve probably burnt out a bit. Travel isn’t always rainbows and unicorns, and spending a lot of time on the road can lead to burnout . That’s going to sap your motivation and might even have you thinking about home.

It did for me once (I got burnt out on my first trip and went home early), and the second I got home I face-smacked myself and said, “What was I thinking!”

I learned my lesson and found that a much better way to get your mojo back is to take a break. Instead of moving on to your next destination, stay where you are for as long as you need.

Volunteer .

Work at your hostel.

Start a blog .

Sit by the beach every day.

Whatever relaxes you, do that.  

7. Meet other travelers

Sometimes it can be hard to stay motivated if the people around you aren’t supportive of your desire to travel. If you’re struggling, here are some suggestions:

• Connect with others on social media
• Use the “Hangouts” app and local events on Couchsurfing to meetup with locals and travelers near you
• Find like-minded travelers on Meetup.com

Additionally, tune out the naysayers who don’t believe long-term travel is possible because you’ll see from all these people encouraging you that it really is.

An encouraging environment is a better environment! And a community of travelers telling you aren’t crazy and this is possible will drown out all the naysayers in the world.

If you’re like me, you go through bouts of motivation. You get super excited about a trip and then your mind moves on to something else, or the challenge of planning saps some of your motivation and you put it off until later.

But there’s only today, so use these tips to help stay motivated about your next trip.

Because one day, you’ll run out of tomorrows.  

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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Travel Motivation

There is always a motive behind everything happens in this world. Always there is a motivation in doing any work or anything. There are mainly two factors in behind happening anything it may be pull factors or push factors. In tourism, behind the movement of tourist there are various motives, it may may be leisure, business, pilgrimage or any other.

As we know tourism is a people centric and one of the fastest growing industry. Assessing behavior and motivations of tourist is a critical task as travel decisions of tourist depends on it. Travel has been a nomadic urge in human earlier in quest of food. As humanity grows desire for shelter came into being and with the rises of civilization search of trade bundles with safety and security. The game changing moment for mass tourism comes with the rise of leisure time. Assessing motivations of tourist is a critical task as travel decisions of tourist depends on it.

Motivation is an intrinsic property of a human-being that arises from the inside or of psychological origin. A combination of internal and external forces that motivates to drive the tourism industry. To satisfy all the levels of needs such psychological, physiological, etc. humans travels. It tells of tourist attempt to satisfy their recognized need and strongly influence decisions made by tourist in every steps of decision. Various theories have been developed to reveal the most important question why people travel?

The answer to this question is influenced by the nature of the travel motives.

4.  Types of Motivation  

Motivation can be classified into categories:  

1.  Intrinsic Motivation:  

this type of motivation comes from the inside through the core of the heart and mind of the tourist to do any specific work. t is defined as the performing of an activity for its intrinsic motivation that emerges from an individual’s inherent satisfactions, enjoyment, challenge entailed, interest or the feeling of inner pleasure that drives from the task rather than for some external pressures, or rewards or any separable consequence.

2. Extrinsic Motivation:  

  All the external factors which tends and individual to do any specific work. Individuals performs certain activities in order to attain or receive something from the outcomes. It involves executing an action influenced by the outer stimuli, to attain an external reinforcements or rewards from others such as money, praise, status etc.

Travel Motivation Theories

The tourist selecting to travel for business, leisure, pilgrimage, adventure or for other reasons, depends on motivation to visit destination. There are some common factors influencing tourist travel decisions such as 

•      Availability free time

•      Disposable income

•      Age and status

•      Attractiveness of destinations

A. Gray’s Travel-Motivation Theory .

 Gray explains the motivation of individual and given two motives for travel:

Wanderlust:   

It describes the motive or the desire to go from a known to an unknown place. It is travelling from or leaving a familiar places to go and see different or unfamiliar places. It is about going to different destinations to experience monumental and socio-cultural heritage.

It is a type of travel to a destination that can provide the tourist with specific facilities or better amenities. It is travelling for particular purpose or facilities that are not available in place of residence of the tourist.

B. McIntosh and Goeldner Categorization of Travel Motivation 

McIntosh has stated that basic travel motivators may be grouped into four broad categories:  

1. Physical Motivators 

These types of motivation are concerned with the individual physical health and well-being involves physical relaxation and rest, sporting activities, medical care or treatment and specific remedial health management. It include physical motivators that are concern with health from recreation to attending yoga camp to medical treatment for upkeep of health. 

2.Interpersonal Motivators   

Human are social animal and always keen to make new friends, have a desire to visit and meet relatives and friends, or simply want to escape from the daily hassles of everyday life. These type of motivators are termed as interpersonal motivators.

3.Cultural Motivators

Cultural motivators are describe as curiosity that tourists have and want to experience different people’s cultures and lifestyle. These are related with tourists desire to travel to different destination, in order to know about other countries, people, their culture, tradition, life style, art, music etc.

4.Status and Prestige Motivators    

Tourists travel to secure respect among their friends or in family and recognition of education and knowledge or for pursuit of hobbies. These types of motivators are identified with the need for fame and status or of personal esteem and personal development. It also include travel for business or professional interests. 

C. Anomie and Ego Enhancement Motivation Theory

            Dann investigated two push factors and proposes that motivational factors can be grouped into anomie and ego enhancement. 

Anomie refers to the need and desire to rise above the feeling of loneliness and quarantine inherent in everyday life and to get away from daily hassles. It is associated with search for life’s meaning and interaction with family and friends and social communication. The anomic tourists are mainly young, married, male mostly repeat visitors. They are from urban and rural areas and are above-average socio-economic status.

2.Ego enhancement  

Ego-enhancement tourists are the opposite end of spectrum. It derived from desire and need for recognition. The individual’s desire and need for social recognition is mainly associated with it and is achieved through the status or ego enhance conferred by travel. Ego-enhancement tourists are likely to be female, married or single mostly first-time visitors. They are older than anomic tourists and typically from lower socio-economic group. 

Dann argues that push factors are logically, and often an antecedent to pull factors. The question that  ‘what makes tourists travel’  can only be recognized through the push factors. As the tourist to take two different difficult decisions at two diverse times i.e. “whether to go” and “where to go”. 

D. Push and Pull Theory

Crompton identified two different levels of socio-psychological motivation. The first level of motivation is the desire to travel, that drives the initial decision for a trip or a vacation. It subsequently facilitates individual’s decision for destination. The second level of motivation drives the decision of selection of destinations. After the initial decision for making a trip, various motivation factors comes into being that impact the selection of destination. Crompton proposes two groups of motives among pleasure vacationers, one that push for a trip or tour are socio-psychological motives, while another factors that pull are cultural motives. 

1.Push Factors.   

Push factors are those factors which motivate people to travel. Push factors are initiating travel desire of an individual to engage in recreational activities or tourism. .Push factors are the inner motives which tends tourists to seek activities for needs fulfillment. Some push factors of travelling are:

•      Exploration and evaluation of self.

•      Escape from a perceived mundane environment.

•      Relaxation.

•      Health and fitness.

•      Re-experiencing family.

•      Facilitation of social interaction.

•      Enhancement of kinship relationships.

•      Novelty.

•      Cultural experiences.

•      Education.

•      Prestige.

2.Pull Factors 

All the external factors that pulls or attracts and individual towards some specific things or any destination. Pull factors appear due to the attractiveness and the attributes associated with the destination. It is related to the external condition, cognitive aspects or choices available on a destination such as attractions, climate, culture etc. Everyone has unique taste and choices which attract or pull individuals experience the destination. Identifying a set of pull factors that can be applicable to all sites is possible as different destinations have different or unique set of pull factors. 

Pull factors were characterized by  facilities ,  core attractions  and  landscape features .

•      The  facilities factor  encompasses all tourism facilities of a destination including fooding, lodging, roads, hospitality and security. 

•      The  core attractions  factor includes all those activities and services available for tourism. It includes sports activities, night life, entertainment and amusement and shopping facilities. 

•      The  landscape features  pull factor strongly relates to the geographical and sociocultural features of destination i.e. natural and cultural environment of destination. 

E. Escaping and Seeking Motivation of Mannell and Iso-Ahola

Mannell and Iso-Ahola   defined the motivation in socio psychological perspective. A two-dimensional model of tourist motivation where both the forces simultaneously influence tourists’ behaviour. The theory consists of both personal and interpersonal escape & seeking motives together. An individual perceive that satisfaction can be feel from leisure related activities, for two major reasons 

Escaping  – the desire to get out from the monotonous environment of work.

Seeking  – the aspiration to get intrinsic psychological rewards from other or self through traveling 

Tourist are motivated for leisure or tourism related activities in order to get away from the personal and/or interpersonal problems of day to day hustle and bustle of life and get personal and/or interpersonal rewards from passive and active tourism activities.

Personal rewards  are more about individual satisfaction includes exploration and relaxation; learning, challenge, a sense of competence etc.

Interpersonal rewards  are arising from social interaction with family and friends or with other people in destination.

Intrinsic rewards  arise from the activity that provide certain feelings, such as a feeling of mastery and escape from the monotonous environment. 

F. Travel Career Ladder (TCL)

The travel career ladder approach was proposed by Pearce. The approach is based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory of motivation. 

Following Maslow theory, the proposed model sees the needs of travelers is organized into a hierarchy or ladder model. Biological needs including relaxation at the foundation level, followed by safety needs and relationships needs, and in line selfesteem and development needs, and fulfillment needs at the highest level.  

The model identified five steps of hierarchy affecting tourist behaviour. It suggests that a group of needs in the ladder steps or level can be dominant at a particular time but travel motivation of tourist may derive from the different level of ladder. It emphasizes all the motives for traveling of a tourist, rather than a single motive. TCL proposes that every individual or tourist headway upward through hierarchy levels with accumulated travel experience and psychologically maturity. 

This shows that travel motivation changes as tourist acquire experiences in tourism developmental and dynamic motivations process. An individual can descend or ascend on the ladder as the direction of the change in level may vary with the experience. Some individuals may undergo every steps or level on either side of the model or may ascend the ladder on one side of the schema. Each individual every time not seek the similar type of experience or fulfillment from travel.  For example: First time visitor may be more cautious of safety and security then repeat visitor due more knowledge and experience about the destination or of trip. 

G. Travel Career Pattern (TCP)

The TCP model is modification of the earlier Travel Career Ladder (TCL) approach. The TCP emphasis on motivations patterns of tourist over their life cycle because of different motivation and its impact on their travelling experience. Travel experience plays a driver role for changing travel motivations which has crucial part in

TCP model. Travel experience is the collective changes in an individual’s perspective about self and environment due to tourism activities and events that individual passes through in course of travelling. 

Pearce suggested three layers of travel motivation:

Layer 1-  It is the core of the TCP and includes common motives such as escape, relaxation, health and fitness, social interaction etc. 

Layer 2-  It comprises series of moderately important motivators that surround core layer of motivations. It related to self-actualization and interaction of guest with the host society and environment. 

Layer 3-  The outer layer of model embraces motives with lesser importance such as social status and nostalgia.

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Top 30 Desire Examples & Definition

Feb 25, 2024

Desire is a powerful force that drives much of human behavior, shaping our goals, dreams, and everyday decisions. It’s the feeling of wanting something, whether that’s a physical object, an experience, or a change in our life circumstances. Desires can range from the simple and fleeting, like craving a particular food, to the profound and enduring, such as aspiring for success in a chosen career. Understanding the spectrum of desires can provide valuable insights into human motivation and the diverse ways people seek fulfillment and happiness.

This article explores the top 30 examples of desires, offering a broad perspective on what people yearn for across different aspects of life. From the universal quest for love and connection to the pursuit of knowledge and personal growth, each example sheds light on the myriad ways desires manifest. By defining and examining these desires, we aim to paint a comprehensive picture of the motivations that propel us forward, drive our choices, and influence our interactions with the world around us.

Key Examples of Desire

1. Achievement Desire : The drive to excel and achieve in academics, career, sports, or any personal endeavor. This desire motivates individuals to set high goals, persist through challenges, and strive for excellence. It’s fueled by the satisfaction of accomplishing something significant and the recognition that comes with success. People with a strong desire for achievement are often self-motivated, resilient, and continuously seeking ways to improve.

2. Social Connection : Humans inherently crave connection, belonging, and love. This desire drives us to form friendships, seek romantic relationships, and build communities. It stems from our evolutionary need for cooperation and support within groups. Fulfilling this desire leads to emotional well-being, as social connections provide support, affection, and a sense of belonging.

3. Curiosity and Knowledge : The desire to learn, understand, and explore the world around us. This pursuit of knowledge can manifest in academic interests, travel, reading, or exploring new hobbies. It’s driven by the joy of discovery and the satisfaction of expanding one’s understanding. People who actively seek knowledge are often more open to new experiences and adaptable to change.

4. Financial Security : The desire for financial stability and independence. This encompasses earning enough to live comfortably, save for the future, and afford pleasures without undue stress. It’s rooted in the need for safety and security, allowing individuals to focus on personal growth and happiness without the constant worry of financial hardship.

5. Self-Improvement : The drive to better oneself, whether through personal development, health and fitness, or learning new skills. This desire is motivated by the aspiration to reach one’s full potential and live a fulfilling life. It involves setting personal goals, reflecting on one’s progress, and persistently working towards improvement.

6. Creative Expression : The need to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas creatively, whether through art, music, writing, or dance. This desire is driven by the urge to share one’s unique perspective and to connect with others on an emotional level. Creative expression is a powerful way to explore one’s identity and experiences.

7. Adventure and Exploration : The longing for new experiences, challenges, and the excitement of the unknown. This desire motivates people to travel, try new activities, and step out of their comfort zones. It’s fueled by the thrill of discovery and the personal growth that comes from facing and overcoming unfamiliar situations.

8. Recognition and Respect : The wish to be acknowledged and valued by others, whether in personal relationships or professional environments. This desire stems from the need for social validation and the feeling of being appreciated for one’s efforts and qualities. Achieving recognition and respect can boost self-esteem and motivate further achievements.

9. Health and Well-being : The desire to maintain physical, mental, and emotional health. This encompasses eating well, exercising, managing stress, and seeking medical care when needed. It’s motivated by the understanding that good health is the foundation for a fulfilling life, enabling individuals to pursue their other desires more effectively.

10. Spiritual Fulfillment : The search for meaning, purpose, and connection to something greater than oneself . This desire can manifest through religion, meditation, nature, or personal reflection. It’s driven by the quest to understand life’s mysteries and find peace within the larger universe. Fulfilling this desire provides a sense of inner calm, moral guidance, and a deeper connection to the world.

11. Intimacy and Vulnerability : The longing for close, authentic relationships where one can share their true self, emotions, and fears without judgment. This desire underpins the development of deep, meaningful connections and trust between individuals. It’s driven by the human need for closeness and emotional safety, leading to stronger, more fulfilling relationships.

12. Personal Autonomy : The need to make one’s own choices and control one’s own life. This desire is about independence and self-determination, whether in making small daily decisions or major life changes. It reflects the value placed on freedom and the ability to shape one’s own destiny, leading to a sense of empowerment and self-respect.

13. Legacy Building : The aspiration to leave a lasting impact on the world, whether through one’s work, philanthropy, or by raising a family. This desire is motivated by the idea of being remembered and making a difference that outlives one’s own existence. Fulfilling this desire gives a sense of purpose and contributes to the broader community or future generations.

14. Safety and Security : Beyond financial stability, this desire encompasses physical safety, health, and a stable environment. It’s a fundamental human need, driving us to seek safe living conditions, protect our loved ones, and support systems that ensure community well-being. Fulfilling this desire allows for peace of mind and the foundation upon which to pursue other desires.

15. Aesthetic Appreciation : The pleasure derived from beauty, whether in art, nature, or everyday life. This desire motivates people to create, preserve, and seek out beauty in various forms. It’s driven by the joy and inspiration beauty brings, enhancing our experience of the world and contributing to a sense of wonder and satisfaction.

16. Competence and Mastery : The drive to become skilled and proficient in an area of interest or profession. This desire is about the satisfaction that comes from expertise, understanding, and the ability to perform well. It motivates ongoing learning and practice, contributing to self-efficacy and confidence in one’s abilities.

17. Leisure and Relaxation : The desire for downtime, rest, and activities that rejuvenate the mind and body. This reflects the need for balance between work and play, allowing individuals to recharge and enjoy life’s simpler pleasures. Fulfilling this desire is essential for mental health, preventing burnout, and maintaining overall well-being.

18. Empathy and Compassion : The yearning to connect with others on an emotional level, to understand and share their feelings. This desire drives acts of kindness, support, and the building of empathetic relationships. It’s rooted in our social nature and the recognition of shared human experiences, fostering a sense of community and care.

19. Innovation and Progress : The urge to invent, improve, and push boundaries. This desire fuels technological advancements, scientific discoveries, and social reforms. It’s motivated by the belief in better solutions and the potential for positive change , driving societies forward and enhancing quality of life.

20. Equity and Justice : The aspiration for fairness, equality, and justice in society. This desire motivates advocacy, activism, and support for policies that protect human rights and promote social justice. It reflects a deep-seated belief in the dignity and worth of every individual, driving efforts to create a more equitable world.

21. Challenge and Growth : The drive to tackle obstacles, face new challenges, and grow from these experiences. This desire propels individuals out of their comfort zones, fostering personal development and resilience. It’s fueled by the satisfaction of overcoming difficulties and the personal growth that comes from navigating life’s ups and downs.

22. Playfulness and Joy : The pursuit of fun, laughter, and lightheartedness in daily life. This desire is about embracing moments of joy, cultivating a sense of humor, and appreciating the playful aspects of life. It enhances well-being, reduces stress, and brings a sense of balance to our lives.

23. Recognition of Beauty in Simplicity : The ability to find beauty and joy in simple, everyday moments. This desire encourages mindfulness and the appreciation of the present, leading to a more contented and appreciative outlook on life. It’s about valuing the little things and finding happiness in the ordinary.

24. Freedom of Expression : The need to voice opinions, beliefs, and personal identity freely. This desire is central to individuality and democracy, allowing for diversity of thought and creativity. It supports personal authenticity and societal progress, enabling individuals to contribute their unique perspectives to the wider world.

25. Peace and Tranquility : The yearning for calm, serenity, and a life free from turmoil and stress. This desire drives the pursuit of practices like meditation, spending time in nature, or engaging in activities that soothe the mind and body. It’s about finding inner peace and creating a harmonious environment.

26. Moral Integrity and Ethics : The aspiration to live according to one’s values, principles, and ethical standards. This desire is about aligning actions with beliefs, leading a life of honesty, and making decisions that reflect moral integrity. It fosters trust, respect, and a sense of fulfillment from living authentically.

27. Legacy of Kindness and Impact : The wish to be remembered for positive contributions, kindness, and making a difference in the lives of others. This desire motivates charitable actions, mentorship, and efforts to support and uplift those around us. It’s driven by the belief in leaving the world better than we found it, ensuring a lasting and meaningful legacy.

28. Pursuit of Harmony and Balance : The desire for equilibrium in personal, professional, and spiritual aspects of life. This aspiration drives individuals to seek a state where all facets of their existence coexist without conflict, leading to a sense of completeness and contentment. It’s about managing life’s complexities in a way that aligns with one’s core values and goals.

29. Adventure and Risk-Taking : The thrill of engaging in activities that push the boundaries of one’s comfort zone, whether through travel, extreme sports, or unconventional career paths. This desire is fueled by the adrenaline and growth that come from facing the unknown and the satisfaction of conquering fears.

30. Contributing to Community Well-being : The aspiration to make a positive impact on one’s community through volunteer work, activism, or simply acts of kindness. This desire stems from the recognition of one’s role within a larger social fabric and the fulfillment that comes from contributing to the common good.

What is Desire?

Desire is a strong feeling of wanting to achieve or possess something. It encompasses a wide range of emotional and cognitive states, from basic physical needs to complex personal ambitions. At its core, desire is the motivation behind much of human behavior, influencing our choices, actions, and goals. It can be directed towards tangible objects, experiences, relationships, or achievements, reflecting the diverse aspirations and needs of individuals. Understanding desire is crucial in various fields such as psychology, marketing, and personal development, as it plays a significant role in decision-making and human fulfillment.

Desire acts as a driving force that propels individuals towards their goals, often serving as a catalyst for growth, change, and achievement. It is both a psychological and physiological phenomenon, involving complex interactions between the brain, emotions, and bodily needs. Desires can be temporary, influenced by immediate surroundings and experiences, or long-lasting, deeply rooted in one’s values and aspirations. Recognizing and managing desires is essential for personal satisfaction and well-being, as it helps individuals make informed decisions that align with their true interests and goals. By understanding the nature of desire, people can better navigate their pursuits, overcoming obstacles and realizing their full potential .

In the realm of psychology, desire is often distinguished from needs and wants by its depth and intensity. While needs are essential for survival and wants are preferences or wishes, desires go a step further, embodying a deep-seated yearning that can drive individuals to extraordinary lengths to achieve fulfillment. This distinction highlights the powerful role of desire in shaping human experiences and the pursuit of meaning in life.

Moreover, the study of desire intersects with various disciplines, including philosophy, where it is analyzed in the context of human freedom, ethics, and the quest for happiness. In marketing and economics, understanding consumer desires is crucial for creating products, services, and campaigns that resonate with target audiences, driving demand and customer engagement.

Ultimately, desire is a fundamental aspect of the human condition, reflecting our capacity for imagination, aspiration, and striving for what we perceive as valuable or necessary for our happiness and satisfaction. It is the engine behind innovation, creativity, and the relentless pursuit of personal and collective goals. By examining and embracing our desires, we gain insights into our deepest motivations, guiding us towards more fulfilling and purposeful lives.

Desire as a Catalyst for Cultural Progress

Desire, a multifaceted and potent force, weaves through the fabric of every culture, shaping traditions, norms, and the very essence of human motivation. In its broadest sense, desire encompasses the entire spectrum of longing, from the basic human need for food and shelter to the complex yearnings for status, power, and intellectual fulfillment. This vast range of aspirations plays a pivotal role in the evolution of societies, acting as both a catalyst for progress and a source of conflict.

At the heart of cultural expression, desire manifests through art, literature, music, and fashion, offering a window into the collective psyche of a society. Through these mediums, cultures articulate their deepest aspirations, fears, and values. The Renaissance, for example, was not just a period of artistic flourishing but also a vivid illustration of humanity’s desire for knowledge, beauty, and a reconnection with the classical past. Similarly, the relentless pursuit of innovation in today’s digital age mirrors our insatiable desire for convenience, connectivity, and newness.

Moreover, desire drives economic engines, fueling consumerism and the quest for material wealth. The American Dream, with its promise of prosperity through hard work, encapsulates the powerful role of desire in shaping national identity and individual life paths. Yet, this pursuit of material success also reflects the complexities of desire, where aspirations for financial stability and social mobility can clash with the pursuit of happiness and personal fulfillment.

Cultural rituals and celebrations further illustrate how desire is ritualized and communalized, binding individuals together in shared experiences and expressions of longing. Festivals, ceremonies, and holidays not only provide a pause from the mundane but also allow communities to collectively express desires for fertility, prosperity, remembrance, and renewal. These events stand as testament to the enduring human need to manifest inner longings in outward, communal expressions.

However, the impact of desire on culture is not uniformly positive. It can foster division, dissatisfaction, and relentless competition, highlighting the dichotomy between personal desires and societal expectations . The pursuit of individual desires can lead to cultural conflicts when they challenge traditional norms and values, illustrating the delicate balance cultures must navigate between fostering individual fulfillment and maintaining social cohesion.

In navigating the terrain of desire, cultures develop norms and institutions designed to regulate and channel individual aspirations in ways that preserve social order while allowing for personal expression. Education systems, legal frameworks, and moral codes all play roles in shaping the direction and intensity of human desire, demonstrating the complex interplay between individual aspirations and collective values.

As societies evolve, so too do the objects and goals of desire, reflecting changes in values, technology, and global interconnectedness. The continuous interplay between desire and cultural expression underscores the dynamic nature of human societies, revealing that at the core of every cultural artifact, tradition, or innovation lies a deep-seated longing—a yearning not just for survival, but for meaning, connection, and transcendence.

In contemplating desire within culture, it becomes evident that this powerful force is both a reflection of our deepest human nature and a construct shaped by the societies we live in. It drives us toward the future, yet always with an eye on the past, in a perpetual dance of aspiration and fulfillment. Understanding this complex relationship offers insights into not only the mechanisms of cultural change but also the universal aspects of the human condition, reminding us of the shared dreams that bind us across time and space.

What is the Strongest Desire in Humans?

The concept of the “strongest desire” in humans can be quite complex and varies from person to person, shaped by individual experiences, cultural backgrounds, and personal values. However, if we were to generalize across the broad spectrum of human psychology and needs, a strong contender for this title would be the desire for connection and belonging.

Humans are inherently social creatures, and the need to connect with others, to feel part of a community, and to be loved and understood is deeply ingrained in our psyche. This desire stems from our evolutionary past where survival often depended on being part of a group. Today, this manifests in our need for friendships, romantic relationships, family bonds, and social interactions.

This longing for connection and belonging is closely related to the concept of love, which can be seen as a fundamental human desire . Love, in its many forms, drives much of human behavior and is central to our well-being and happiness. Whether it’s the love between family members, friends, or romantic partners, the desire to love and be loved is a powerful force that shapes our lives.

Moreover, psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs , a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper “A Theory of Human Motivation,” places belongingness and love needs in its third tier, just above basic physiological needs and safety needs. This highlights the importance of social connections and love as central to human motivation and happiness.

In summary, while it’s difficult to pinpoint a single “strongest” desire due to the complexity and diversity of human needs and aspirations, the need for connection, belonging, and love stands out as a fundamental and universal human drive.

Desire’s Role in Motivation and Behavior

Desire, an intrinsic part of the human experience, acts as the engine of our actions, steering us through the myriad paths of life. It is the silent whisper that nudges us towards the dawn, urging us to chase the light of our aspirations, no matter how elusive. This force, subtle yet powerful, lies at the heart of motivation and behavior, shaping our choices, dictating our efforts, and coloring our dreams.

At its core, desire is the deep-seated longing for something we perceive as lacking or necessary for our well-being or happiness. It can be as simple as the craving for food when we’re hungry or as complex as the yearning for recognition and achievement. But regardless of its form, desire is the precursor to motivation, the psychological trigger that propels us into action. It is the spark that ignites the fire of ambition, the force that drives us to overcome obstacles, and the compass that guides our decisions and behaviors.

Consider the student who spends night after night studying, driven by a desire for academic excellence and the promise of a successful career . Or the athlete who pushes through the pain barrier, motivated by the dream of standing on the podium. In each case, desire fuels their motivation, providing a clear objective and the determination to reach it. Without this desire, motivation would falter, and behavior would lack direction, rendering achievements and progress unattainable.

Moreover, desire shapes behavior not just in the pursuit of long-term goals but in everyday decisions and interactions. It influences our preferences, from the clothes we wear to the company we keep, and guides our actions in social situations. Even our engagement with technology, from the endless scroll through social media to the binge-watching of series, can be traced back to underlying desires for connection, entertainment, or escape.

Yet, the role of desire in motivation and behavior is a double-edged sword. While it can lead to remarkable achievements and personal growth, unbridled desire can also steer us towards destructive behaviors or endless dissatisfaction. The key, then, lies in understanding and managing our desires , aligning them with our values and long-term well-being. This requires self-awareness and the ability to distinguish between fleeting whims and genuine aspirations that contribute to our personal development and happiness.

In a world that constantly bombards us with messages about what we should want, the ability to navigate our desires becomes paramount. It involves recognizing the difference between being driven by external expectations and being guided by inner values. When our desires stem from a place of authenticity, they become powerful motivators that can lead to fulfilling and purposeful actions.

Desire’s role in motivation and behavior is, therefore, fundamental. It is the underlying current that shapes our journey through life, directing our efforts, influencing our choices, and determining our direction. By understanding and harnessing this force, we can unlock our potential, achieve our goals, and find satisfaction in the pursuit of what truly matters to us. In the end, desire is not just about what we want; it’s about who we are and who we aspire to be, driving us forward in the endless quest for fulfillment.

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“It belongs to the imperfection of everything human that man can only attain his desire by passing through its opposite.” – Søren Kierkegaard 

I n my last post, “ 16 Universal Desires & What Drives Your Behavior – Part One ,” we explored the first eight of 16 universal human desires, the ways in which those desires drive goal-oriented behaviors, and the intrinsic feelings associated with each desire. This theory of 16 basic desires is based upon the research of Dr. Steven Reiss and colleagues. The underlying idea is that we all share common human desires, but our individual differences lie in the way we behaviorally express those desires and the amount of importance or priority that we place on them.

Multifaceted theories of end motivation, or engaging in behaviors for their own sake, have been discussed by philosophers, scholars, and researchers throughout history. There has been a great deal of writing, discussion, and research on the significance of human behaviors. Instrumental motives involve behaviors that – no matter how significant or insignificant they may be – are actually intended to move one closer to their ultimate, or end goal. In order words, these behaviors are not  done “for their own sake,” but rather in pursuit of a more highly prioritized end goal.

For example, if your end goal is to become a powerful leader, your may perform a series of instrumentally motivated behaviors such as acquiring specialized skills/knowledge, seeking positions of prestige or respect, and so forth. Along the way, these instrumental behaviors may appear to be performed for their own sake, but once the end goal is accurately identified, it becomes more apparent what motivation has been the driving force along the journey.

As discussed previously, the point is not to judge any of the universal desires as “better” or “worse” than any other, but rather tho gain insight into why we act in the ways that we do and to appreciate the abundance of individual differences that exist within this shared set of universal human desires. Once we let go of judging others for having a more strongly expressed desire for something than we have, along comes a sense of greater peace and acceptance . We all have  these universal desires… we just don’t prioritize them or behaviorally express them in the same way.

Acceptance of these individual differences can enable us to feel a deeper realization of our simultaneous interconnectedness and uniqueness. Seeing these desires as universal, yet distinctly manifested, has the potential to deepen compassion toward behaviors in others we misinterpret or judge. This is a step toward seeing ourselves in one another and feeling a deeper connection with humanity.

16 Universal Desires that Drive Behavior

A s you reflect on the remaining universal human desires, allow yourself to consciously adopt an open, accepting, and nonjudgmental attitude of mindfulness . Consider the ways in which you behaviorally express the following desires – however personally valued or not. If you read about a particular desire and notice yourself having a thought such as, “Well, that’s not something I care about at all,” pause for a moment and sit with that thought and any accompanying emotions. There is a natural tendency to deny desires that we label as “bad” or “wrong,” or that bring up emotional wounds from the past. Consider any reactions or responses that you have as useful information with the potential to widen the scope of your self-knowledge.

(9) Physical Activity

This motivational drive is considered to be fueled by the desire to exercise one’s muscles and gain strength . There is often a common underlying motivation involving some form of self-assertion behind the drive toward engaging in physical activity. As with each universal desire and motivation, they are considered to be shared by all humans, simply expressed with varying degrees of strength and valued with different levels of personal importance. For example, someone with a low desire for physical activity – while they still “have” the desire – may place a lower priority on the desire than someone with a high desire for physical activity. The associated intrinsic feeling is vitality , or a sense of highly developed physical (or mental) vigor, exuberance, and the power to live/grow.

A motive for power is driven by a desire to influence and for leadership . In animals, the motivation for power is demonstrated through behaviors such as eating more food, dominating/leading the group, acquiring the most desirable mates, and so forth. In humans, we have many complex ways of behaviorally expressing an underlying desire to influence and lead others. When this is done effectively, individuals may have certain characteristics that make them more likely to be perceived as leaders or they may be more cognizant of what practical steps/actions need to be taken in order to reach the end goal of achieving a position of power. People who are motivated by a drive for power tend to experience an associated intrinsic feeling of efficacy .

(11) Romance

Motivational drives for romance are based on  desires for beauty, sex, and courtship . Of course in animals, including humans, this motive is powerfully connected to reproduction of the species. It is worthwhile to notice how this – and all universal desires – manifests itself in your goal-driven behaviors. Interestingly, the intrinsic feeling connected to the motive of family is love, whereas romance is associated with an intrinsic feeling of lust . For some, a motivational drive for romance may provide the underlying foundation, impetus, and fuel toward an even more highly prioritized end goal of building a loving family. Notice ways in which many of these desires are intertwined and what connections between them you observe in your own life.

(12) Saving

This motive is driven by a desire to collect and based on the value of frugality . For animals, they may express this drive through behaviors such as collecting or hoarding supplies of food. In humans, this is a desire that, once again, can be taken to extremes in either direction.  Someone who becomes obsessed by a high priority on saving may exhibit unhealthy hoarding behaviors or miserly behaviors that have the potential to come across as a lack of generosity or a fear of letting go of possessions, whereas someone who places an extremely low priority on saving may spend frivolously/irresponsibly or they may exhibit such intense generosity that they are willing to give practically all they have to others. The intrinsic feeling connected to this desire is ownership .

(13) Social Contact

A motivation for social contact tends to be driven by a desire for peer companionship or play . As with all desires, once a desire has been satisfied, it is thought to return again at a later time with similar strength and importance. For example, a desire for peer companionship and play may be fully satisfied by spending a day socializing with friends and engaging in playful activities, thus satiating this desire for the time being. Depending upon the individual, desires tend to reassert themselves within hours, days, etc. As you begin to more fully understand the ways in which you prioritize your own motives and desires, notice how long it usually takes for a satisfied desire to reemerge with equal strength. This is a clue regarding the extent to which you prioritize that desire and how willing you are to engage in goal-oriented behaviors to reach the relevant end goal. A drive for social contact is associated with an intrinsic feeling of fun .

(14) Status

A motivation for status is thought to be driven by a desire for respect based on social standing and attention . Reiss (2004) comments on this motive by stating, “A person who is highly motivated to gain social status… may be observant of marks of social distinction, may think often about issues pertaining to wealth, may especially enjoy the feeling of self-importance, and may behave in ways associated with upper-class status” (p. 179). Seeing as these desires are considered to be universal, just differentially prioritized, someone not particularly interested in or motivated by social status may not display any of the aforementioned characteristics or behaviors, but instead may feel a more calm or quiet sense of security/ease in knowing that they are respected by social groups of importance to them, that they can sustain themselves, and that their behaviors are valued by the social groups to which they feel most connected. The associated intrinsic feeling is self-importance .

(15) Tranquility

The motive for tranquility is considered to be driven by a desire to be free from anxiety, pain, and fear . Depending upon the individual and how one conceptualizes “tranquility,” this desire may manifest itself in a variety of different behavioral expressions. For example, two people may have equally strong drives for tranquility, but one person may engage in behaviors such as self-medicating with substances to avoid anxiety, pain, or fear, whereas another person may choose to practice mindfulness meditation , yoga , or engage in self-care activities in behavioral attempts to reach the same end goal. The associated intrinsic feelings are safety and relaxation .

(16) Vengeance

When one is motivated by a drive for vengeance, the recognized underlying desire is get even or confront offenders (including desires to compete and win ). For some people this desire may be suppressed, or pushed down and away from conscious awareness . For others this desire may feel relatively unimportant – that is, when they experience offenses they respond to them through lack of assertiveness/fear of confrontation or through directing active forgiveness and compassion toward the offender. Still others may find their lives dominated by a desire to “get even,” even at the expense of discovering themselves , meeting personal goals, and allowing internal space for happiness . The connected intrinsic feeling is vindication .

N otice the priority that you place upon each desire while becoming aware of the distinction between placing a high priority on a desire and behaviorally expressing it with unhealthy extremity. For example, one may place high priority on a drive for power, while still recognizing that part of effectively manifesting that desire into reality involves mindfulness of moderation and avoidance of overly extreme behaviors. For some people who have a deep passion for life and fulfilling their dreams, it may be difficult to manage this behavioral balance – that is, to find ways to authentically and enthusiastically express passion for life, dreams, and desires without going to such behavioral extremes that the ultimate realization of those dreams becomes elusive.

What insight have you gained from reflecting on these 16 universal human desires and motives? Did you allow willingness to see some part of yourself – however small – someplace within each universal desire? Once there is conscious awareness of your authentic desires and motives, there is a naturally arising experience of freedom and responsibility that comes along with possessing of that information. What  actions  and  changes  are you willing to make in your daily life to turn those authentic desires into the manifestation of your true end goals?

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For more information: “ Reiss Motivation Profile  (RMP)”

Reiss, S. (2012, May 30).  Retrieved from  http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/who-we-are/201205/what-motivates-you

Reiss, S. (2004).  Multifaceted nature of intrinsic motivation: The theory of 16 basic desires .  Review of General Psychology, 8,  179-193.

Featured image: I am ONE by Seide Tripp / CC BY-SA 2.0

About Laura K. Schenck, Ph.D., LPC

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. Some of my academic interests include: Dialectical Behavior Therapy, mindfulness, stress reduction, work/life balance, mood disorders, identity development, supervision & training, and self-care.

another time thank you for these posts. I didn’t know Reiss’s theory and your clear and rich enough articles was truly helpful for me.

So, I assume after this reading, that Reiss did not talk about spirituality and the need to believe in an higher force. I am surprise not finding this in Ideal. There is some wonderings about “the world” and “meaning of life” in Curiosity but I really don’t think that this concept around “spirituality” can be reduce in another desire. Faith, in one God, multiple humanlike or natural divinities or even in the Absolute Truth of science is really universal.

I got myself near to take unique desire in as soul support .Thanks.

He does talk about spirituality and religion. He even wrote an entire book about it. I hope people don’t write his ideas off because they think he didn’t. It’s just beyond the scope of this introductory article.

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105 Best Travel Quotes To Inspire WANDERLUST with Photos

Last Updated March 15, 2024 William Tang

You are here: Home » Travel Inspiration » 105 Best Travel Quotes To Inspire WANDERLUST with Photos

Sometimes you just need that extra bit of motivation to push you out the door or a good reminder of what makes travel life-changing. Through the years, we’ve been collecting the best travel quotes that’ll truly inspire some serious wanderlust.

By combining these wanderlust quotes with photos to create the most fitting pictures, use the table of contents below to jump straight down to organized categories such as trip with friends quotes, short travel quotes, meaningful wanderlust quotes about life and discovery, and more!

What you’ll get from this article

• A list of our favourite travel quotes.
• Wanderlust quotes are categorized to make it easy to find something that you’re looking for.

In This Article

Top 10 travel quotes

Quotes about travel by authors, short travel quotes, quotes on going off the beaten path when travelling, quotes about travel by philosophers, trip with friends quotes, inspirational quotes about travel, meaningful wanderlust quotes about travel and life, travel quotes about adventure and discovery, happiness in travel, songs with travel in them, wanderlust quotes by famous people, movies that have great quotes about traveling, final thoughts, frequently asked questions, read more inspiring travel stories, how can you save money on travel, travel resources for your next trip, best travel quotes to inspire wanderlust.

“Best” is always subjective and yes there are many other great takes on quotes that can inspire one to travel or speak to why the idea of travel is so powerful and life-changing.

Below, we’re going to be listing the best travel quotes with the associated person that wrote or said them. We’ve created pin-able images for many of the quotes for you to use and share.

For organization, wanderlust inspired quotes are broken down into high level categories. Some may belong to multiple but I tried my best to segment them into appropriate buckets.

We’ve also dropped a few nuggets of wisdom and color commentary for a few that we really love.

As we mentioned, the selection of the “best” quotes is subjective. Every quote speaks to every individual differently because of where you are in your life, the experiences you’ve had, your mind space, where you want to be, and your aspirations.

These are the best in our eyes because they aren’t deep in meaning and haven’t been overused to death.

1. “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Passed on from generation to generation is the idea that we need to fit in our own box and follow the norms set for us. It can be societal, cultural, or anything. We’ve found joy in our lives not following that conventional path.

Starting Going Awesome Places and turning it into a full time job sounded crazy (still kind of is) but we carved our own way through it. Sure there are parallel paths but I’d like to think we’ve blazed our own trail.

2. “We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone.” – Katie Thurmes

I’ll be the first to admit that we take way too many photos when we travel but when we go back and look at the own albums (whether on our phones or photobooks we print), it really is a wonderful portal back in time to moments and time gone but not forgotten.

3. “This wasn’t a strange place; it was a new one.” – Paulo Coelho

Now that’s the incredible thing about travel. If you open your mind and your heart, anywhere new is a wonderful adventure of discovery and not strange of weird.

Take the incredible journey I had in our 9 day Ethiopia itinerary . Sure it was uncomfortable and challenging but I embraced it all.

4. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

You can make your dreams come true with a simple step. It might be the hardest step that you’ve ever had to take because you don’t know where the journey will take you but all it takes are the first baby steps.

Sometimes it can be literal when you take that step off the plane when we went skydiving in New Zealand .

5. “I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

Where we grow up in many ways define who we are and what we know. Like it or not, places like our favorite restaurants in North York , the Oxford County Cheese Trail , or local walks in the parks in Richmond Hill , are a core part of who you are.

It’s our own little bubble and when we are able to bust out of it to see what the world is like, it will challenge you to open your eyes, mind, and be a better person. In Mary’s words, you will never be the same again.

6. “Wanderlust: a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world”

We cheated a little here but we sometimes throw around the word wanderlust but what does it actually mean? With this fun travel quote, now you know!

Now who has that impulse to explore the world?

7. “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide

My mind immediately went to the new worlds we’ve seen while going to the best places to scuba diving in the world but this is one of the best quotes about travel because it encourages us to leave the comforts of home to make new discoveries.

You can take this from the perspective of us being land mammals or the fact that we naturally want to be close to the things that we feel at home with. Whether small or large, you won’t learn something new until you put yourself out there and venture to places unknown.

And no, it’s not just “man” but all the wonderful people of this earth!

8. “Jobs fill your pocket, but adventures fill your soul.” – Jamie Lyn Beatty

This is one of the best travel quotes because it is SO TRUE .

The experiences you gather while travelling are honestly worth more than all the money you can make.

9. “There’s a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them.” – Jo Walton

As a photographer, my favourite moments are during sunrise and sunset. Every time we compile a list of the best photography spots like this one in Prague , there’s at least one sunrise or sunset included.

There’s a calmness, stillness, and serenity to the start and end of the day and yes, they’re totally free.

10. “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you can control it. ” – John Steinbeck

As a married couple, there’s a deep honesty to this travel quote. As a couple, travel will test your relationship to the max and we always say that even more -so than moving in is to go on a trip together to see if you have partner in life.

In John Steinbeck ‘s travel quote, he talks about how you have to let travel flow the way it wants to go. You can try to bend it, mold it, and control it but you have to let it take you

Some of the best wanderlust sayings are by accomplished writers. They’re incredibly deep, thoughtful, and literary.

11. “Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

This is one of the most well-known wanderlust quotes that speaks to how the journey is more important than the destination. Many of us travel without that end point in mind and that’s totally okay!

12. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.” – Mark Twain

Travel is the greatest teacher of them all. It’s something that has truly opened my mind and is something that more of us need. I’d like to think that we don’t travel for travel’s sake but we do it with purpose – to open our minds, break barriers, and gain broader understanding of the world.

13. “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert

The more you travel the more you realize that what you know and take for granted is but just a tiny bubble on this great earth. While I don’t know if I’ll ever see it all but to travel is to expand your horizons.

14. “Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” – Anita Desai

Everything you encounter – people, food, culture, fortunes, and mishaps stay with you forever and you become better for it.

15. “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

I’ve been feeling a little empty ever since COVID-19 and our lockdown existence. It’s truly made me realize how important it is my life.

16. “I haven’t been everywhere but it’s on my list.” – Helen Sontag

Bucket-lists are such a topic of contention these days but I say there’s nothing wrong about dreaming and building your list of places you want to go, what you want to do, and things you want to experience. Just expect it to be a long list.

17. “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust

18. “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” – Ursula K. Le Guin

19. “We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” – Anais Nin

20. “People don’t take trips, trips take people.” – John Steinbeck

I’m pretty OCD when it comes to planning and I’m sure it comes through on the itineraries we publish but some of the best travel moments always come from the unexpected. In many ways, as much as I want to be in control, I feel that I am but a passenger.

21. “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

There’s a level of fulfilment when travelling and I love that I can expand my horizons and see our world in a new and different way.

Sometimes you just need something short and sweet to convey your love of travel.

Here are our favorite short travel quotes but there are also quotes that cross with other categories so make sure to browse through the entire list as there are definitely more short quotes than just these ones below.

22. “Oh the places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

You probably don’t know yet but you’ll be going to a ton of awesome places in your lifetime.

23. “Don’t quit your day dream.” – Anonymous

Always be dreaming and more than that, make it a reality.

24. “Where to next?” – Anonymous

This is more like the question that I get asked the most beyond “where’s your favorite place you’ve been to?”. This

If you’re a traveler, this is a question that you get almost every single time. It’s also a fantastic short travel quote because it’s almost rhetorical. There’s always somewhere you’re planning on going or want to go to.

It’s also a bit of a loaded question because I’m sure your list is quite long.

25. “Travel has a way of stretching the mind.” – Ralph Crawshaw

26. “I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” – Anonymous

27. “Live with no excuses and travel with no regrets.” – Oscar Wilde

Not just an amazing travel quote but great words to live by in all facets of your life.

28. “Don’t listen to what they say, go see.” – Chinese Proverb

In travel, it’s easy for someone to say that you can know everything you need to know by reading about it in the books or looking at photos but it’s something else entirely to see, experience, and feel it in person.

29. “I want to make memories all over the world.” – Anonymous

30. “Dare to live the life you’ve always wanted.” – Anonymous

We try to live without regret and this is a great short quote that we try to live life by.

31. “The journey, not the arrival matters.” – T.S. Eliot

32. “All you need to know is that it’s possible.” – Wolf, an Appalachian Trail Hiker

33. “He who would travel happily must travel light.” – Antoine de St. Exupery

I don’t always travel that light with our packing lists but this is a great short travel quote that’s always the forefront of my mind. I always ask myself, “do I really need this?”.

Here, I’m in the middle of Tokyo with the original Peak Design 5L Sling that makes a great light travel set up.

Sticking to the road less travelled can be the most rewarding. Here are a couple of quotes that push me to always incorporate something a little different on my trips.

34. “Whenever you find yourself on the side of majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.” – Mark Twain

It’s so easy to follow the crowd and be sucked into what everyone’s doing on Instagram or places that are the most popular. I’ve always found that the best trips are the ones that most people don’t know about.

35. “Those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it.” – Rick Watson

36. “Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by.” – Robert Frost

To some extent all great quotes come from a place of philosophical thought but to keep things organized, these are some of the most famous quotes by legendary philosophers that have stood the test of time.

37. “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

Wisdom, experiences, happiness, and wonder – it’s out there for you to explore.

38. “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius

39. “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta

If you’ve read about how Going Awesome Places came to be , you’ll know that I kind of stumbled upon it by accident. It’s through travel that I’ve become a better storyteller. Ibn Battuta was absolutely right.

40. “Travel brings power and love back into your life.” – Rumi Jalalud-Din

This quote speaks to the greatest reward of travel. Travel has given me so much on many levels. I’m gracious beyond words.

41. “The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” – G.K. Chesterton

42. “I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”  – Mark Twain

This has to ring so true right. The best test of a friendship is to travel and you quickly find out whether you can stand them or not.

43. “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill

44. “Life was meant for great adventures and close friends.” – Anonymous

45. “True friends never apart maybe in distance never in heart.” – Helen Keller

46. “We are all travelers in the wilderness of the world & the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

47. “The more I traveled, the more I realized fear makes strangers of people who should be friends.” – Shirley MacLaine

48. “As with any journey, whom you travel with is more important than the destination.” – Anonymous

49. “Life is about doing things that don’t suck with people who don’t suck.” – Anonymous

There’s enough suckage in life. Spend time with those that don’t suck.

50. “One of the great things about travel is that you find out how many good, kind people there are.”  – Edith Wharton

51. “Never go on trips with anyone you do not love.”  – Ernest Hemingway

52. “As soon as I saw you, I knew a grand adventure was about to happen.” – Winnie The Pooh

Sometimes you just know who’s going to make an awesome travel partner.

53. “You can pack for every occasion, but a good friend will always be the best thing you could bring!”  – Anonymous

54. “In life, it’s not where you go – it’s who you travel with.” – Charles M. Schulz

As much as I love solo travel, it just isn’t the same when you can’t share your travel experiences with someone else.

55. “No road is long with good company.”  – Turkish proverb

56. “Friends that travel together, stay together.” – Anonymous

57. “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill

58. “If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far go together.” – African Proverb

59. “Sharing adventures means enjoying them 100% more.” – Anonymous

We seek good wanderlust quotes because we’re looking to be inspired. In a simple sentence, you’ll feel that itch to book that ticket. These quotes speak to a way of life, and why you need to just go.

60. “Take only memories, leave only footprints.” – Chief Seattle

Sustainable travel is so important and its core principle can be said in this simple travel quote.

61. “Our happiest moment as tourists always seems to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else.” – Lawrence Block

62. “Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and think of what could go right.” – Anonymous

63. “Live your life by a compass, not a clock.” – Stephen Covey

64. “We travel for romance, we travel for architecture, and we travel to be lost.” – Ray Bradbury

65. “Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and think of what could go right.” – Anonymous

Travel is about taking that leap of faith. It could be a big investment in money. It could be a big risk quitting your job or taking a sabbatical. It could be scary doing it on your own. Whatever it is, think about how incredible the experiences will be to push you over that edge.

66. “Wanderlust isn’t about running away from it all.  It’s about experiencing the outside to discover the inside.” – Unknown

This is so true. Some might have the perspective that intrepid travellers are running away from something at home. The reality is that for many, travel is a way for us to learn more about ourselves and running towards truth.

Beyond inspiration, travel and wanderlust quotes tell us how we should think about life and what is important.

67. “We travel not to escape life, but for life to not escape us.” – Anonymous

Time moves faster than ever. There are only so many “I’ll do that later” you can use before you run out. Don’t let those opportunities slip on by.

68. “With age, comes wisdom. With travel, comes understanding.” – Sandra Lake

69. “To travel is to live.” – Hans Christian Andersen

This is one of my all-time favourites that can easily go into the short travel quotes section. It’s a motto in life that’s truly transformative.

70. “Travel far enough, you meet yourself.” – David Mitchell

71. “Once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to.” – Alan Keightley

72. “When overseas you learn more about your own country, than you do the place you’re visiting.” – Clint Borgen

73. “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West

You have one life to live. Make it count is what I say.

74. “Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe.” – Anotole France

Adventure is such a core part of our travel DNA and these quotes about travel should inspire you to launch your very own.

75. “To live will be an awfully big adventure.” – Peter Pan

76. “Adventure is worthwhile.” – Aesop

77. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neale Donald Walsch

When the adrenaline is pumping, and you don’t know what’s coming next is when I feel the most alive. That includes being terrified of heights and jumping out of a plane in the Abel Tasman .

78. “Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” – Anonymous

79. “Great things never came from comfort zones.” – Anonymous

80. “Travel doesn’t become adventure until you leave yourself behind.” – Anonymous

81. “It is not down in any map; true places never are.” – Herman Melville

82. “The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton

83. “Just go. Go see all the beauty in the world.” – Anonymous

There is truly so much beauty in the world. Everywhere I go, I’m constantly amazed.

Above all else, travel is what puts a smile on many people’s faces. This collection of wanderlust quotes should give you what people call “the travel feels” these days.

84. “Remember that happiness is a way of travel – not a destination.” – Roy M. Goodman

85. “The life you have led doesn’t need to be the only life you have.” – Anna Quindlen

86. “Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.” – Maya Angelou

There are so many ways to interpret this one but I think of it as always staying positive whether it’s someone feeling down or when shit happens when you travel.

87. “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”  – Anonymous

I have a couple of these songs on my road trip mixtape. Songs are such a great way to convey ideas and these are a few lyrics that make me want to travel even more.

88. “And I think to myself, what a wonderful world”. – Louis Armstrong, “It’s a Wonderful World”

This isn’t normally something you associate with travel but when you think about those skies of blue, clouds of white, trees of green, colors of the rainbow, and all the faces of people going by, I can’t help but think about all the things that make travel so amazing.

89. “Life is short; I wanna live it well. One life, one story to tell.” – Switchfoot, “Live It Well”

If you know me well, you’ll know that Switchfoot is my all-time favourite band. Their lyrics are what I love the most about them because they always have incredibly deep meaning. Life is precious, you’ve got one shot to make it count.

90. “But hold me fast, hold me fast, cause I’m a hopeless wanderer.”  – Mumford & Sons, “Hopeless Wanderer”

91. “Gonna travel, gonna travel wild and free. I’m gonna pack my bags because this great big world is calling me.”  – Elvis Presley, “Harem Holiday”

92. “Tell everybody I’m on my way. New friends and new places to see. With blue skies ahead, yes I’m on my way.” – Phil Collins, “On My Way”

They might not be authors or philosophers but they equally have important things to say about the impact of travel and why it matters.

93. “If you’re twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them – wherever you go.” – Anthony Bourdain

The late Anthony Bourdain was someone that truly understood travel. He was such a great storyteller and this quote reminds me of my earlier days when I was backpacking around Europe and just not having a care in the world.

94. “Don’t count the days. Make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali

95. “The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” – Oprah Winfrey

96. “Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein

97. “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” – Anthony Bourdain

Travel does change you and always for the better. Anthony Bourdain goes a step further by also encourages us to leave the places we visit better off.

98. “To awaken alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark

99. “Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” – Dalai Lama

100. “Paris is always a good idea.” – Audrey Hepburn

There are a couple of wanderlust quotes from movies that stand out. Some are well-known and others you might not’ve heard of or watched.

101. “I’m shaking the dust of this crummy town off my feet and I’m gonna see the world!” – George Bailey from “It’s a Wonderful Life”

102. “The world is not in your books and maps, it’s out there.” – The Hobbit

Pictures tell a thousand words and videos many more but there’s nothing like being in these places that people talk about and taking it in with all of your senses.

103. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

104. “You only get one life. It’s actually your duty to live it as fully as possible.” – Me Before You

105. “I want adventure in the great wide somewhere.” – Beauty and the Beast

I’m not sure if we’ve ever done a list this long but we hope that you’ve been able to pull a few favorites of your own with the best quotes about travel.

Many of these have anchored but have also set me free when it comes to traveling the world. In one way or another, these quotes have driven me to take the leap, to continue to explore, and to get outside of my comfort zone.

Wanderlust is defined as “a strong desire to travel”.

Best quotes about travel are ones that are easy to understand, have deep analogies to life, and of course create strong feelings of wanderlust.

Not without specific permission but don’t be shy to ask .

Not without permission but just ask !

Yes, we’ve made it easy for these to be pinnable on Pinterest and other social media channels.

Yes, these are all of our own travel photos taken through the years.

We use Canva to create all of our wanderlust quotes.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller “I haven’t been everywhere but it’s on my list.” – Helen Sontag “Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and think of what could go right.” – Anonymous “We travel not to escape life, but for life to not escape us.” – Anonymous “I want adventure in the great wide somewhere.” – Beauty and the Beast

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson “Jobs fill your pocket, but adventures fill your soul.” – Jamie Lyn Beatty Thi “We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone.” – Katie Thurmes “Life is about doing things that don’t suck with people who don’t suck.” – Anonymous “To travel is to live.” – Hans Christian Andersen “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West

“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien “To travel is to live.” – Hans Christian Andersen “I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” – Anonymous “Oh the places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss “People don’t take trips, trips take people.” – John Steinbeck “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta “Take only memories, leave only footprints.” – Chief Seattle

“Oh the places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss “Don’t quit your day dream.” – Anonymous “Where to next?” – Anonymous “Travel has a way of stretching the mind.” – Ralph Crawshaw “I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.” – Anonymous “Don’t listen to what they say, go see.” – Chinese Proverb “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius “Take only memories, leave only footprints.” – Chief Seattle

If you reshare the content, you can as long as you link to this article or tag our account. If you’d like to print one of these, you can do so without altering the image.

Yes, you certainly can!

So what are your favorite travel quotes? Are there quotes that we’ve missed that you would’ve loved to have seen make the list? Drop a comment down below!

• How to travel Bora Bora on a budget
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• Crazy skydiving experience in New Zealand
• If this is your first time on Going Awesome Places, we love finding ways to make travel cheaper. I do this by taking advantage of car rental coupon codes , hotel codes for Hilton , Marriott , IHG , Best Western , Hyatt and Radisson , and lastly, making use of eSIM such as Airalo to make sure I don’t get dinged by roaming.

If you’re in the process of planning your trip and putting together your itinerary, these are genuinely the best resources that the Going Awesome Places team stands by 100% .

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Flights: Of all the booking search engines, Skyscanner is the most helpful and easy to use thanks to their Everywhere feature . Kayak is also another that’s we will often check as well.

Car Rental: If you’re looking to save money, these car rental coupon codes will be a true game-changer. Otherwise, DiscoverCars and RentalCars are great places to start.

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Data: We’ve been a huge fan of wifi hotspot devices like PokeFi (use code GAP24300) because their rates are so good and you can use it globally but recently, we’ve really loved using eSIMs. The best one is Airalo . Save money by getting region-specific eSIMs and use referral code WILLIA9500 to get $3 USD credit on your first purchase. Ubigi is another one that we’ve had success with where they uniquely offer 5G coverage. Use code AWESOME10 to save 10% on your first order.

Hotels: Our go-to is Booking.com because they have the best inventory of properties including hotels and B&Bs plus they have their Genius tier discounts . The exception is Asia where Agoda always has the best prices. TripAdvisor is also useful for reviews and bookings.

Vacation Rentals: Your first instinct will be to check Airbnb but we always recommend checking VRBO as well if you’re looking for a vacation rental.

Tours: When planning our trips, we always check both Viator and GetYourGuide to at least see what’s out there in the destination that we’re going to. They often have different offerings and prices so check both.

Travel Insurance: Learn how to buy the best travel insurance for you. This isn’t something you want to travel without.

• Insured Nomads – Popular insurance provider for frequent travelers and comes with great coverage and special perks.
• RATESDOTCA – Search engine Canadians looking for the cheapest insurance including multi-trip annual policies.
• SafetyWing – A perfect fit for long-term nomads.
• Medjet – Global air medical transportation.
• InsureMyTrip – Best for seniors, families, and those with pre-existing conditions.

If you need more help planning your trip, make sure to check out our Travel Toolbox where we highlight all of the gear, resources, and tools we use when traveling.

About William Tang

William Tang is the Chief of Awesome behind the award-winning Going Awesome Places which is focused on outdoor adventure, and experiential travel. His true passion lies in telling stories, inspiring photography and videos, and writing detailed itineraries and travel guides. He is a member of Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC), Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), and Travel Massive. He has also been featured in publications such as Reader's Digest, Entrepreneur, Men's Journal, and Haute Living. Make sure to learn more about William Tang to find out his story and how Going Awesome Places started.

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50 Character Goals (With Character Motivation!)

This post is basically a character goal generator. I wanted to create it because at work when we look at novel proposals at work, we’re always asking, “What’s the character goal? What’s the character motivation?” We want characters who aren’t just wandering through their lives…characters with wants and desires.

When a character has a goal and motivation, there is built-in tension and conflict. Will she get want she wants—or, in some cases, will she figure out that it’s not such a great goal, after all? If a heroine is running a very successful bakery, well, good for her, but there’s not much inherent drama there. In contrast, if she’s running a struggling bakery, and she’s a single mom with two kids to feed…well, then she has a clear goal (make the business work) and strong motivation. We’re more likely to root for her and to want to find out what happens next.

When characters have conflicting goals—or if they both want the same thing, maybe for different but very understandable reasons, and only one of them can get it—that makes things exciting. And when you have a team of characters working toward the same goal, they may each have a different motivation, which can lead to interesting clashes along the way.

That’s why I thought I’d do this “wants list” for characters. Each goal has two or three possible character motivations attached to it. Of course, I can’t create a complete list of possible desires…it would go on forever! But one of these character goal examples may spark a whole story or a help you flesh out a secondary character or a villain. (It’s important to know what your evil character wants, too.) Even more likely, reading through the list may give you new perspective on the character goals and character motivation in your story. As in real life, a character may have more than one motivation for a goal!

Any of these story lines can be used for a character of any gender, so I’m going to use the second person “you” to keep it open.

Be sure to pin or bookmark it for future reference!

1. Assassinate the king.

possible motivations:

Avoid the war the king is hell-bent on starting.

Get his successor—your friend, your secret lover, your daughter, or yourself—on the throne.

2. Get accepted into a prestigious college.

Make the bullies you went to school with jealous.

Finally win your father’s approval.

3. Get a new job.

Escape a mean boss or an unpleasant coworker.

Actually work in your chosen field.

4. Make a fortune.

Impress the person you’re in love with…who’s very high-class.

Have the means to exact revenge on your enemies.

Make sure your parents, siblings, or children never have to worry about money again.

5. Move to New York City or Paris.

Experience the glamorous, big-city life you’ve always dreamed of.

Create a new identity for yourself in a place where nobody knows you, so that you can escape the people who want you dead.

6. Journey to a faraway country…or planet.

Establish a new settlement away from a dying planet or an oppressive regime.

Become famous for your exploration…which will make you feel important.

Conduct research on behalf of your government and satisfy your own curiosity in the process.

Establish a new colony and expand your country’s empire, satisfying your nationalistic zeal in the process.

Satisfy your extreme and perhaps unfortunate desire for adventure and danger.

Get far away from the person who broke your heart.

6. Return to your own hometown.

Help out an ailing or aging relative.

Move in with a relative or friend because you’re down on your luck.

7. Adopt a dog.

Have some company because you’re lonely.

Have a guard dog because you don’t feel safe living on your own.

Keep the dog from being euthanized at the shelter.

8. Lose weight.

Look good for an upcoming wedding, vacation, or special event.

Lower your risk of heart disease.

9. Learn how to do yoga.

Deal with stress in a healthy way.

Feel younger and more nimble.

10. Get elected to public office.

Pass important legislation that would’ve helped one of your family members.

Use the position to make more money for your businesses.

11. Create something artistic, such as a painting or a screenplay.

Depict a real person, either to honor or disparage them.

Make people see the truth about a situation or issue.

Bring more joy to a specific person or group of people…or the world.

12. Figure out who the killer is.

Prove a wrongfully accused person (possibly a family member, romantic interest, or close friend) innocent.

Get justice because the victim was a family member, romantic interest, or close friend.

Give them a reward—the person they killed was a monster.

13. Get married.

Avoid living alone.

Start a family.

Find someone to help you take care of the children you already have.

(United States) Get on someone else’s insurance…or let them get on your insurance.

14. Start a small business.

Be able to work in your hometown, close to family.

Survive—no other company would hire them.

Do what you’ree best at and feel the most passionate about, every day.

15. Get a divorce.

Get away from physical or emotional abuse.

Marry a different person you’ve become infatuated with.

Spare your spouse from danger, because bad guys are after you.

16. Fix up an old house.

Sell it for a big profit.

Have a decent place for you and your family to live, even though you don’t have a lot of money.

Turn it into a bed and breakfast.

17. Kidnap a person.

Keep them from being kidnapped or killed by evil people.

Sell them into modern-day slavery.

Get them to use their unique talents or skills to perform a certain task or mission.

18. Throw a party.

Make friends because you’re new in town or at the college.

Have the opportunity to flirt with one or more of the people you invited.

Surprise someone you love.

Cheer up someone you love.

19. Recover from an illness or an injury.

Be able to attend an important event.

Return to your job or your sport.

20. Win a competition.

Win glory for your school, your city, your country, or your planet.

Feel proud and accomplished.

Win the prize money for someone who needs it.

Prove a racist or sexist wrong.

Demonstrate to your child that they can do anything they set their minds to.

21. Procure top-secret information for a foreign government.

Get revenge on your own country’s government for a past wrong or perceived wrong.

Feel important.

Enjoy the thrill of danger.

22. Run a marathon.

Get in better shape.

Raise money for a cause.

Be able to brag about it.

23. Become a soldier.

Defend your country from invaders.

Get a steady paycheck.

(United States) Get a college education you can’t afford otherwise.

24. Have a baby.

Give a kid an ideal childhood.

Have someone to dress in cute little outfits.

Have someone to take care of you when you’re older.

Give your parents a grandchild.

Try to fix your troubled marriage or relationship.

25. Develop a vaccine.

Save countless lives.

Be celebrated as a scientific genius.

Beat your rival, who’s also working on a vaccine.

26. Kick an addiction.

Be able to hold down a job.

Feel more self-respect.

Gain more respect from your family.

Save a lot of money.

Enjoy life more.

27. Learn a foreign language.

Be prepared for an upcoming trip to a foreign country.

Further your career by adding it to your list of skills.

Read works by a particular writer—or a particular document—in its original language.

Communicate with a specific person in their own language.

28. Get someone falsely convicted of a crime.

Deflect suspicion from the real criminal.

Get revenge for what they did to you or your family.

29. Start dating someone.

Find someone to attend a wedding or another function with, because it feels awkward to go alone.

Get over an ex by going out with someone new, even if it’s not at all serious.

Take the first step toward finding a wife, husband, or partner.

30. Organize a successful festival.

Attract more tourist dollars and help local businesses.

Make happy memories for friends and neighbors.

31. Find a particular object.

Prove or disprove a scientific or historical theory.

Use the object’s magical powers for a specific purpose.

32. Destroy a particular object.

Hide the truth about history or about a crime.

Demonstrate your hatred of what the object represents.

Keep the powerful object from falling into the wrong hands.

33. Become immortal.

Always look young.

Get to travel the world and have countless adventures.

Get to be with the one you love forever, since they’re already immortal.

Avoid imminent death from a disease.

34. Track down a biological mother, father, or sibling you’ve never met before.

Satisfy your curiosity about the past.

Satisfy your curiosity about whether you have much in common with them.

Develop a close family relationship now.

35. Retire.

Spend more time on hobbies or passions.

Spend more time with grandkids or family.

Move to a place you like better.

36. Make contact with aliens.

Make new friends, since you seem to have trouble getting along with humans.

Learn about new technology from them.

Prove that your childhood encounter with them really happened.

37. Start a revolution.

Create a better world for your children.

Save those who are imprisoned, oppressed, or starving.

Bust a particular person out of jail.

Gain a lot of power for yourself in the new order.

38. Find a missing person.

Get them back into your life.

Make sure nothing terrible has happened to them.

Get key information from them.

Arrest them for their crimes.

39. Get a tattoo.

Mark a significant event or milestone.

Honor a loved one.

Feel like a badass.

Fit in with a group.

Rebel against a parent or partner.

40. Reconcile with someone you fought with.

Have them back in your life again, because you miss them.

Make sure they don’t retaliate against you or someone you love.

Ask them to join you in a new cause.

41. Set a building on fire.

Kill a particular person or group of people in the building.

Destroy damning evidence inside the building.

Collect insurance money.

42. Plant a garden.

Have fresh organic produce because it’s healthier.

Have fresh organic produce because you’re a chef and it tastes better in recipes.

Have a source of food in case society completely breaks down.

43. Become a church member.

Strengthen your faith.

Atone for past sins.

Make new friends.

Make a churchgoing relative happy.

Make new business connections.

Look like an upstanding citizen, because you’re about to run for mayor.

44. Go into hiding.

Avoid the authorities who want to imprison and/or execute you.

Avoid your unpleasant family.

Avoid paying a large amount of money you owe.

45. Save your marriage.

Return to the happiness you used to know with the person.

Avoid financial ruin.

Ensure a stable home life for your children.

Avoid feeling like you failed.

Avoid the judgement of your family or friends.

46. Travel to the other side of the world.

Attend a funeral and pay your last respects.

Get amazing photos for your Instagram.

Satisfy your hunger for grand adventures.

47. Become famous.

Become rich, which often comes with being famous.

Have a platform to talk about issues that matter most to you.

Get a huge ego boost.

48. Break up a couple.

Get your family member to marry someone of a higher status.

Get one of them to marry you instead.

Ruin the happiness of one of them, because you harbor a grudge.

49. Get two people to fall in love and get married.

Make your friend or family member happy.

Get them to pass down their supernatural powers…and give birth to an even more powerful child.

Get the grandchildren that you want.

Further your reputation as a talented matchmaker, because it makes you feel important.

50. Change a law.

Further your own business interests.

Bring about more equality for yourself.

Bring about more equality for others.

Be able to enjoy yourself more.

Do you have some other character goal examples, or ideas or advice to share about character motivation or goals? Let us know in the comments! And if you like character development and plotting lists, check out my book Master Lists for Writers —it includes lists of motives for murder and other plot-building ideas, and it’s a great reference to have on your bookshelf.

Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!

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28 thoughts on “ 50 character goals (with character motivation) ”.

Great list. Lots of good ideas. Seeing them out there in print really does help make them accessible, and fun to play with, imagining various combinations of motives. I didn’t see my favorite motivation in the list–save the world. 🙂 Earl

Earl, I can’t believe that I left off “save the world”—seriously! That’s one of my favorite motivations, too. Thanks for the kind words!

Thank you Bryn for this excellent list. You are a real supporter of writers everywhere!

Naomi, you are too kind! I’m so glad you liked the list!

I agree with that…two years later, but I still agree.

Fantastic list, Bryn! Thanks! 🙂

Aw thanks Felicia! Thanks for reading. I hope everything is going well with you!

Hi Bryn, great list! Two I’ll add are (1) Invent something and (2) Build a business empire with substantial influence, both of which are goals of characters in my story. I’ve been brainstorming other stories (outside of my spy novel/screenplay) and this list helps a lot. Thanks a bunch!

Chris, I love those as goals! They’re both really exciting. Thanks for reading—and for the nice words. I hope everything’s going well with you! I’m sure it’s busy as ever! 🙂

You are a genius. You just helped me figure out a plot issue and how to resolve it.

Thanks, Denise

Denise, whaaaat? Well, the solution must’ve already been on the tip of your mind. 🙂 That’s awesome!

Perhaps, but I needed the connection, the catalyst, to light the fire.

Great list, Byrn. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for reading, Lynnette!

This is so great. I just love your lists. They are always so helpful.

Aw thanks Erin! I probably spend too much time doing them, but I love doing them! 🙂 Hope everything’s going well with you!

Excellent advice Bryn. How soon does the motivation need to be evident in a story?

Hi, Jessie! Ah, that’s a great question. I do think it’s good to have a goal and motivation pretty well established within a chapter of introducing the character, because it makes the reader interested in seeing whether the characters succeeds!

Thank you so much, Bryn. I just started a new book. Your post put a red flag on just going through motions. I get to take a good look at goals and motivation. I think it will help me know my characters better.

Thank you so much for this list! It has sparked off some great ideas for my next book!

Great list Bryn , thank you

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Indeed, the title could be 51 because the number 6 is repeated. Thanks. Congratulations!

This was soooo helpful!! I always have trouble coming up with character goals, and this really sparked my imagination! I have something to build off of now. Thank you so much.

Hello Bryn, I am reading your book “Black page to Final draft” now. It’s very useful book so far and I like it. I appreciate your effort helping people like me. Reading English professional book is not easy for me as a second language but this is a perfect piece. Your blog makes it much better as well. I am going to find the best way to make a “PLOT” for my story and I have to try more. I just wondered if we need to put these kinds of motivations and goals in the plot or just having them in mind while writing the story. Thank you ?

Very informative!

You’re awesome! Thank you so much for such an excellent list!

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Examples of Great Travelogue Writing to Inspire Your Next Adventure

‍“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta.

Ah, the joy and thrill of travel! Discovering new places, meeting strangers, and immersing yourself in unfamiliar cultures. But what’s the point of all this if you can’t capture the essence of your expedition in words?  That’s where travelogue writing comes in. 

Have you ever read a post that made you feel like you are experiencing the adventure alongside the writer? Well, that’s the power of a well-written travelogue.

It can transport your readers to far-off lands and make them feel right there with you. Add vivid descriptions, engaging anecdotes, and personal reflections, and voila!  - You’ve got yourself some entertaining travel tales to share.

So, are you ready to unlock your inner travelogue writer? 

Craft captivating tales that will leave your readers wishing for more. Let’s get started and master the art of travel writing!

Discover the Art of Travelogue Writing

From ancient Greece to modern-day blogs, travelogue writing has existed for centuries. It is a form of creative non-fiction that combines memories and factual data. But it’s not just about facts and statistics - a journey of self-expression, storytelling, and adventure. 

Remember - it is your travel tale, not a guidebook!

Travelogue writing captures a location’s essence in conveying its beauty and complexity. The key is to immerse yourself in the culture and environment of the places you visit.

Tips for Crafting Engaging Travel Narratives

Once you’ve gathered your thoughts and experiences, it’s time to craft them into compelling narratives. Here are a few tips with examples to help you get started:

Start With a Strong Hook

A vivid description, intriguing anecdote, or thought-provoking question can do the trick. For instance, the following example firmly sets the scene for the travelogue.

“Ever wondered what it’s like to explore Tokyo’s bustling streets? To taste fresh sushi, see neon lights, and immerse yourself in tradition and innovation? That’s what I did on my recent trip to Japan.” 

Create a Sense of Place 

Use descriptive language to create a vivid image for your readers. The following passage skillfully portrays the same.

“The narrow streets of Marrakech were alive with color and sound. The scent of spices and grilled meats filled the air, and vibrant textiles hung from every stall. As I made my way through the bustling souk, I couldn’t help but feel swept up in the city’s energy.”

Show, Don’t Tell

Suppose you visited a beach and want to write a travelogue about it. Don’t write, “The beach was beautiful.” Instead, convey as shown in the given example.

“During sunset, the sun casts a warm glow over the white sand. The sound of waves filled the air as I dug my toes into the sand and breathed in the sea breeze.”

Now you know the difference. Use dialogue and sensory details to immerse your readers in your destination.

Include Personal Reflections

Share your thoughts and feelings. Connect your experiences to broader themes and ideas. For example, 

“Standing atop the fort’s ancient ruins, I was amazed by the stunning views and intricate stonework. But as I gazed over, I reflected on the fragility of human achievement”.

Be Vulnerable

“Doubt crept in as I stood at the peak’s base. Could I make it to the top? But I pushed on and conquered my fear. The sight from the top was nothing short of spectacular”.

In the passage, the writer shares their fears and triumphs in a concise and relatable way.

Use Dialogue

Check out the following example. Here the writer uses dialogue to bring the woman to life and let her speak for herself. It adds depth and personality to your travelogue.

“An old lady chuckled as I haggled with a vendor over a silk scarf in Istanbul. She said, ‘You drive a hard bargain, but everything’s negotiable.’ We chatted about her travel stories as a young trader. ‘Those were the days,’ she sighed. ‘Now, I leave the traveling to the young ones like you.’”

Inspiring Travel Journal Entries to Ignite Your Wanderlust

Reading inspiring travel journals and memoirs is perfect for igniting your wanderlust. Here are a few examples to inspire your travelogue writing.

“Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert: A memoir of the author’s journey through Italy, India, and Indonesia in search of balance and purpose. Vivid descriptions and inspiring encounters.

“A Year in Provence” by Peter Mayle: A memoir of the author’s first year in a French village. Witty observations and charming anecdotes transport you to the countryside.

“On The Road” by Jack Kerouac: A classic novel of freedom and self-discovery, chronicling the adventures of two friends on a cross-country road trip.

“In A Sunburned Country” by Bill Bryson: A witty and informative travelogue about the author’s adventures in the land down under.

In ‘The Great Railway Bazaar,’ Paul Theroux invites us on a captivating train journey from London to Tokyo. Along the way, he explores the rich cultures and stunning landscapes.

Final Thoughts

Travelogue writing is a beautiful way to connect with your destinations on a deeper level and encourage others. 

• Take inspiration and learn from given epic travelogue writing examples.
• Use your own words – dont copy from examples or websites.
• Inject your feelings and make your stories conversational.

Unleash the beauty of your travel experiences through vivid descriptions and captivating storytelling. Make  Text Mercato your partner in this expedition and become a master of the travelogues.

1. What travelogue writers can I look to for inspiration?

There are several great writers you can look for motivation. Here are some personal favourites:

• Bill Bryson is a prolific travel writer with excellent humour and wit. His book, “A Walk in the Woods,” is a perfect engaging travelogue.
• Paul Theroux is known for his deep cultural and historical insights.
• Pico Iyer is known for introspective cultural pieces. For instance, his contemplative travelogue - “The Art of Stillness.”
• Jan Morris writes beautifully descriptive travelogues with her lyrical and evocative style.

2. What are some common themes in engaging travelogue writing?

• Cultural exploration: Write engaging travelogues by exploring the unique cultures of a place.
• Adventure: Discover and write about exotic locations or thrilling activities.
• Food and drink: Review local cuisine, which can be a cornerstone of local culture.
• Personal growth: Focus on self-discovery as you travel to new destinations.

3. How can I apply the techniques of great travelogue writing to my work?

• Have a keen  eye for detail and a strong sense of narrative.
• Take the time to  observe the people, architecture, and landscapes around you.
• Tell a  compelling story and  evoke emotions in your readers.
• Use persuasive language to paint pictures and challenge conventional thinking. 
• Use humor - add some fun to your writing to engage the reader.

Give your readers a  sense of closure .

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Identifying Your Secret Desires

Using them to make plans for 2020..

Posted December 7, 2019 | Reviewed by Kaja Perina

We may have desires that we won’t even let ourselves think about, let alone try to achieve. Does one of your unspoken desires appear on this list?

To be respected. Whether the respect is as an expert who is sought-after at work, for your integrity by the community, or respected overall by your romantic partner, even many quite worthy people wish they got more respect.

To fit in. Some people go through life feeling like an outsider and would welcome just feeling normal.

To be special. Many people feel ordinary and wish they were special in a way more substantive than tats, piercings, and purple hair.

To look different. Many people desire to be thinner, stronger, taller, shorter, sexier, less noticeable, or to have better hair (or just more hair).

To be healthy. Most people with a serious illness or who are in pain would love to be healthy and pain-free.

To be wealthy. Yes, so you can afford more, live more easily and carefree, or maybe so you can choose work without worrying whether you get paid.

To be wise . Intelligence is key to negotiating life and to doing well on most jobs.

To be charismatic . Many want to be that person whom everyone likes and tends to agree with, even if their ideas are no better than yours.

To not procrastinate . Some of my clients have to work hard to get even life’s basics done, let alone to achieve all they wish they could.

To crave. Many people walk the earth in neutral. They wish they had passion for a person, a career goal, or material possession.

To be craved. Some people wish they were enduringly craved by one or more romantic partners.

To perform. Some people long to do an artistic or athletic performance in front of an audience. Maybe the fantasy even includes a standing ovation.

To say what you really think. It seems that people are ever more reluctant to say what they think, especially about politics and about issues of race, gender , and immigration.

To be the boss. Some people would love more control over their work-life and their workplace.

To have a different lifestyle. Some people fantasize about living in the country, growing apples, and raising children and chickens. Others fantasize about living in a big-city penthouse. Others dream of the white-picket-fence suburban life. Still others romanticize the artist’s life in Greenwich Village, Provincetown, or Laguna Beach.

To be free of substance abuse ’s shackles. Some people are sick and tired of being sick and tired, but can’t seem to make themselves stop.

To be left alone. Because they’re introverts or because they’ve too often had bad experiences with people, some wish they could spend more time by themselves.

To be content. The desire isn't to be giggly all the time but to go through life content.

The takeaway

The items on that list may or may not evoke realistic goals for you, but does reviewing them awaken a goal to try for in 2020?

I read this on YouTube.

Marty Nemko, Ph.D ., is a career and personal coach based in Oakland, California, and the author of 10 books.

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How to Manifest What You Really Want in Your Life

Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

Dr. Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and a professor at Yeshiva University’s clinical psychology doctoral program.

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How Does Manifestation Work?

How to manifest what you want in life, how to manifest what you want correctly.

• Next in The End of the Resolution Guide How to Use a Vision Board to Achieve Your Goals

To manifest something means to make your dreams, goals , and aspirations a reality by believing you can achieve them.

The idea is that by believing you can do something and focusing your thoughts and energy in that direction, you can actually make it happen.

For instance, instead of thinking “This is my dream house but I’ll never be able to afford it,” changing your thought process to “This is my dream house and I will work hard so I can live in it someday,” can help you turn that dream into a reality.

Strongly believing that you can achieve your goals can help you focus your energy and actions toward them.

You can apply this to any area of your life, whether it’s your career, family, friendships, relationships, finances, skills, travel, health, or home.

Manifestation is based on the power of positive thinking and the law of attraction .

Power of Positive Thinking

Our thoughts are incredibly powerful and can play a major role in determining the course of our lives. Having a positive attitude can help you overcome your worries and fears, so you can reach for what you want.

Strongly believing that you can achieve your goals can help you focus your energy and actions toward them. This belief can help you work toward your goals and overcome any fears or self-doubt that may hold you back, or worse, keep you from even trying.

Although there are no guarantees, you have a much greater chance at success if you believe you can do something and set your mind to accomplishing it.

Law of Attraction

The law of attraction states that what you focus on is what you will attract into your life.  

For instance, if you‘re genuinely interested in something, you will probably read or learn more about it. You may even join groups or societies related to it. People with similar interests will recognize your enthusiasm for it. You will build a network of connections around it.

Therefore, if there are any opportunities to be had in this space, you are more likely to discover them than someone who has no knowledge or interest in this space. You will be better positioned to take advantage of these opportunities. People may even reach out to offer you opportunities.

Therefore, your focus and interest in something—whether it is work-related, or simply a hobby—can help you develop expertise, build networks, and in turn, attract opportunities that will help you meet your goals.

These are six manifestation techniques that can help you achieve what you want in life.

Practice Visualization

Research shows us that picturing your goals helps you achieve them. Spend a little time every day visualizing your goals and how you’re going to achieve them. 

You can do this every morning when you wake up—knowing you’re working toward your goals can help motivate you to get through the day. Or, you can do it before you go to bed at night and reflect upon what you did that day to help you get closer to your goals.

Create a Vision Board

You can create a vision board where you pin up images and notes about your goal. It can be physical or digital. For example, if you’re working toward your dream home, you can start pinning up ideas for the location, rooms, decor, and landscaping.

Pinning things to your vision board can help make the goal feel more tangible. It can be a visual reminder of your goals, which can motivate you.

Maintain a Future Box

Also known as a vision box, wish box, manifestation box, or intention box, a future box is a place where you can store materials related to your goal. You can take an empty box, decorate it if you like, and start collecting things there.

For example, if you’re saving up for your dream holiday, you can buy small items that you would carry on your trip and store them in the box. Or, if you’re trying to conceive a child, you can write a letter to your future child and keep it in the box.

Try the 3-6-9 Method

The 3-6-9 method involves repeating or writing down your goals :

• 3 times in the morning
• 6 times in the afternoon
• 9 times in the evening

Repeating your goals multiple times a day can help you stay focused on them.

Practice the 777 Method

The 777 method involves writing down what you would like to manifest seven times in the morning and seven times at night, for seven days in a row.

Like the 3-6-9 method, this method also helps you focus on your goals every day. It may be more useful for short-term goals that you can achieve in a week or so, such as an assignment for work or a household project.

Make a 10-10-10 Worksheet

Take a piece of paper and list out:

• 10 things you desire
• 10 things you’re grateful for
• 10 things you enjoy doing

Making this worksheet can help you create a big picture view of your goals, assests, and interests. It can improve your self-awareness , help you understand how all the different pieces of your life interact, and promote positive thinking.

Keep a Journal

You can maintain a journal where you write down your dreams and goals. If you’re anxious about them, writing down your fears can help you identify your anxiety triggers so you can work on finding solutions. Update your journal regularly with notes of your progress.

These are some strategies that can help you manifest your goals effectively:

Be Clear About What You Want

It’s important that you’re clear about what your goals are in order to manifest them. Articulating them clearly can help crystallize them.

Make Positive Statements

Make positive statements while you’re manifesting what you want. These are some examples of what you could say:

• I am capable of this job and deserving of this promotion.
• I trust that the universe is bringing a worthy partner into my life.
• I am grateful for the abundance of success I have already achieved in my business and hope to accomplish much more.
• I am confident that I will live in my dream home within five years.
• I am excited to experience parenthood and all the positive changes it will bring to my life.
• I will take care of my health and my body will support me on my journey through life.
• I am open to receiving happiness in new and unexpected ways.

Work Toward Your Goal

As you visualize your goal, start taking steps toward achieving it. You can allocate a little time every day or every week to work toward it. For example, if your goal is to find a new job, you can aim to do at least one job application every week. 

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Achieving your dreams often requires you to get out of your comfort zone . This can be scary, but you can start by taking small steps at a time. For example, if your goal is to be a singer, you can start by performing for your family, then work your way up to bigger performances, like a friend’s wedding or the office holiday party.

Build Your Confidence

It’s important to maintain your confidence during this process. You can start the day with affirmations like “You are strong and capable, you can do this!” to boost your confidence.

Practice Gratitude

While you plan for what you want, be thankful for what you have. An attitude of gratitude can help create a positive mindset.

Seek Support

The process of achieving your dreams may not be easy and you may face disappointments or setbacks. Share your goals and struggles with trusted loved ones.

If you need additional support, you can visit a mental healthcare provider. They can help you cope with disappointments and shore up your motivation.

Frequently Asked Questions

There is no right or wrong way to manifest something as long as you maintain a strong belief in your dreams, have a confident and positive attitude, and keep working toward your goals.

It’s important not to let anxiety, fear, self-doubt, or negativity get in your way while you’re manifesting. 

Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations. For example, instead of thinking “I’ll never be a good enough dancer to win the competition,” tell yourself “I am a graceful and talented dancer, and I deserve to win the competition.”

Malinowska-Cieślik M, Mazur J, Nałęcz H, Małkowska-Szkutnik A. Social and behavioral predictors of adolescents' positive attitude towards life and self . Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2019;16(22):4404. doi:10.3390/ijerph16224404

Eagleson C, Hayes S, Mathews A, Perman G, Hirsch CR. The power of positive thinking: Pathological worry is reduced by thought replacement in generalized anxiety disorder . Behav Res Ther . 2016;78:13-18. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2015.12.017

Izakson L, Zeevi Y, Levy DJ. Attraction to similar options: The Gestalt law of proximity is related to the attraction effect . PLoS One . 2020;15(10):e0240937. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0240937

Blankert T, Hamstra MR. Imagining success: multiple achievement goals and the effectiveness of imagery . Basic Appl Soc Psych . 2017;39(1):60-67. doi:10.1080/01973533.2016.1255947

By Sanjana Gupta Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.