There is a certain magic for me about the beginning of a journey. Once I can leave behind the stress of packing and the anxiety that I may forget something crucial (Do I have the tickets? Wallet? Passport? Did I leave the stove on?), the excitement about the travel ahead is allowed free reign. I look forward to the new and varied experiences. Seeing new sights, or revisiting old sights with eyes that have changed. Hearing the sounds, smelling the smells, tasting the foods. I love the process of travel itself, that physical sense of forward motion.
The anticipation that I’m going to get somewhere feels a lot like hope.
To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive.
–Robert Louis Stevenson
Having come across this quote while poking around for inspiration for this week’s Photo Hunt theme of “hope,” I thought to offer up a photo that suggests the hopefulness of a journey’s beginning.
The train station photo above is another one that I took on our 2007 trip to Europe. Shown is our luggage on the platform of the train station in Saarbrücken, Germany, as we waited for the train to Paris.
collecting tokens 
What beautiful sentiments and the luggage does say – I hope I’ll have a good time!
If you have time stop by and see my photo hunt.
http://moderatesuburbanchick.blogspot.com/
Excellent choice! Did you know that wait/hope/expect are all the same word in Spanish?
“Did I leave the stove on?”
Arrgh, that is so me as well.
JyLnC-
Yes, there is certainly the hope of a good time, too!
az-
Funny you should mention that. They are also the same in Portuguese. I was even considering working that into the post somewhere, too, but I opted for a shorter version. But who knows. Maybe I’ll do a separate post.
A great choice for hope. I can certainly understand that feeling of hope at the beginning of a trip. Interesting quote from Stevenson. Not sure I totally agree with him, tho. Our destinations usually are places filled with family, friends, and joy so they’re as great as the travel.
Happy New Year!
I love traveling and we have exactly the same sentiments! Oh to travel to Europe again and by train to Paris from Germany? That sounds really exciting!
Hi Alejna —
As you know, I love to travel. I love the anticipation of travel but also travelling itself. So what I personally hope is that 2009 will allow me to travel some more still! :)
oh.. today I HOPED my luggage would arrive without being torn up (like on the first leg of this journey…) and i got to HOPE for TWO HOURS as I sat in baggage claim waiting for my luggage.
grrrrrr…….
Every time I pack for a trip and pull out the pile of luggage, I smile at my big red backpack, the backpack that got me through three months of training through Europe, summer of 2003.