Rolf Potts has been called “the Jack Kerouac of the Internet Age” and has traveled throughout the world, especially the Middle East (he traversed Israel by foot!) and Southeast Asia.  He has written for National Geographic, Condé Nast Traveler, and Salon.com. 

How did Vagabonding inspire Raychelle and I to travel the world and start the website Simply See The World? 

Keep reading after the list to find out!

1.     “Long term travel doesn’t require a massive ‘bundle of cash’; it requires only that we walk through the world in a more deliberate way.”  – Potts
2.     “Increase your personal options instead of your personal possessions.”  – Potts

“Vagabonding–n. (1) The act of leaving behind the orderly world to travel independently for an extended period of time.  (2) A privately meaningful manner of travel that emphasizes creativity, adventure, awareness, simplicity, discovery, independence, realism, self-reliance, and the growth of the spirit.  (3) A deliberate way of living that makes freedom to travel possible.” – Potts

3.     “Vagabonding starts now…it begins the moment you stop making excuses [and] start saving money.” – Potts
4.     “The freedom to go vagabonding has never been determined by income level; it’s found through simplicity – the conscious decision of how to use what income you have.” – Potts
5.     “Travel by its very nature demands simplicity.” – Potts
6.     “Don’t let…innocuous indulgences…dictate the course of your life by forcing you into ongoing cycles of production and consumption.  If you’re already in debt, work your way out of it – and stay out.” – Potts
7.     “Ultimately, you may well discover that vagabonding on the cheap becomes your favorite way to travel, even if given more expensive options.” – Potts
8.     “Simple courage is worth far more than detailed logistics, and a confident, positive, ready-to-learn attitude will make up for any travel savvy you lack at the outset.” – Potts
9.     “Life on the road, you’ll soon discover, is far less complicated than what you knew back home – yet intriguingly more complex.” – Potts
10. “SLOW…DOWN [and] move deliberately through the world.” – Potts
11. “Early on, of course, you’re bound to make travel mistakes.” – Potts
12. “[You will] look like a tourist dork from time to time.” – Potts
13. “Habitual avoidance of the ‘sights’ [popular tourist destinations] can be a cliché in itself.” – Potts
14. “Vagabonding is like a pilgrimage without a specific destination or goal – not a quest for answers so much as a celebration of the questions, and embrace of the ambiguous, and an openness to anything that comes your way.” – Potts

15. “If in doubt about what to do in a place, just start walking through your new environment.” – Potts

16. “The ability to laugh at yourself…[can help you]…endure strange new cultural situations.” – Potts
17. “[Adventure isn’t found] itemized in a glossy brochure [rather, it] finds you [when you] open yourself to unpredictability.” – Potts 
18. “[Allow for] getting sidetracked [and] follow your instincts instead of your plans.” – Potts
19. “Adventure is wherever you allow it to find you.” – Potts
20. “[Sickness and crime are] the most preventable misadventures on the vagabonding road.” – Potts
21. “In this way, ‘seeing’ as you travel is somewhat of a spiritual exercise: a process not of seeking interesting surroundings, but of being continually interested in whatever surrounds you.” – Potts
22. “You’ll probably outgrow your original travel motivations.” – Potts
23. “[It is difficult] striking the right balance between finding yourself and losing yourself on the road.” – Potts
24. “Always challenge yourself to try new things and keep learning.” – Potts
25. “Your decision to enrich your life with time and experience (instead of more ‘things’) will invariably pay spiritual dividends.” – Potts
26. “[Travel] compels you to discover your spiritual side by simple elimination.” – Potts
27. “[Upon returning home, many travelers] feel a strange sensation of homesickness…for the road.” – Potts
28. “Your vagabonding attitude is not something you can turn on and off when it’s convenient.  Rather, it’s an ongoing, organic process that can be applied even as you unpack your bags and readjust to home.” – Potts 
29. “Explore your hometown as if it were a foreign land, and take an interest in your neighbors as if they were exotic tribesmen.” – Potts
30. “Redeploy your simplicity, and make it pay out in free time…earn your freedom all over again.” -Potts

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Thank you for reading this collection of great quotes from Vagabonding by Rolf Potts.

For Raychelle and I, our goal here at Simply See The World is to arm readers with the tools they need to live their travel dreams, no matter what their goals.

We love to help first-time travelers obtain the information needed for rewarding, safe, and low-headache travel (a.k.a. preparedness).  Our blog is a perfect place to find the info you’re looking for.

In short, Vagabonding was very helpful to Raychelle and I and recommending travelers to read it is some of the best advice we can offer them.

 If you’re serious about traveling, or for that matter living an enriched life, do yourself a favor and buy this book. 

Order it.  Read it. Live it.

Click here to order Vagabonding. 

If you are interested in more information on this book and my thoughts on it, check out my book review of Vagabonding on our “Resources” page. 🙂