From literature to film, the magic of traveling is portrayed in a dozen different ways. Whether it's the freedom of speeding down the highway on a road trip with the top down or a chance encounter with an interesting stranger in a foreign city, there's a certain expectation of awe. 

But what if you've finally reached the stage in your life where you're finally going on that long-awaited trip, but the magic just escapes you? These short travel quotes are some of our favorites and will surely awaken that feeling deep within you.

• "Not all those who wander are lost."

For a lot of us, this J.R.R Tolkien quote from Lord of the Rings was our first encounter with the idea of traveling to find yourself. And no matter how much it may have inspired you as a child, it hits differently as an adult. 

So, if you're feeling stressed in your work life or stuck in your personal life, take a moment to reflect on those soft childhood memories. Try taking a trip to recenter yourself and prioritize your life. All your problems will still be there when you get back.

• "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."

There's nothing quite like Mark Twain Travel Quotes. The internet has changed a lot about how we view the world. It's broken down many of the barriers that used to exist. But no matter what, you cannot get the same experience online as you would by venturing into the world. Approach every trip and not just a vacation but an opportunity for growth and learning.

• "Travel far enough; you meet yourself."

David Mitchell said it best in Cloud Atlas. By remaining in the same cities, same communities, same jobs our entire lives, we let our minds fall into this state of perpetual vegetation. And eventually, everything becomes ordinary, till we lose ourselves in the routine. If you genuinely want to pursue a journey of self-discovery, you need to get out of the house and see the world. Because no matter how much you try, you won't find it in self-help books.

• "The world is a book, and those who don't travel only read one page."

This quote by Saint Augustine is deceptively simple for how moving it truly is. We spend our entire lives struggling to understand the world and our place in it, not realizing that we are stuck because of our lack of experiences. 

No matter what your ultimate goal in life is, if you do not venture out into the world, you are limiting the scope of your knowledge and understanding. After all, you could read a dozen books on the Mona Lisa, but none of it compares to standing on the other side of that glass barrier and seeing it for yourself.

• "Travel is glamorous only in retrospect."

And if you are going on a journey, then you need to remember this quote by Paul Theroux. Nothing is as glamorous as in the movies, not even traveling. The skill of writers like Kerouac is in distilling their experiences into a form that gives words to feelings. For most people, travel doesn't involve 5-star hotels, luxury cuisine, and yachts. If you go on a trip chasing an idea of what you think you should experience, you're going to come back with nothing but disappointment.

• "So shut up, live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry."

As Kerouac said, take a leap and stop trying to control every experience. When you leave your house, it holds that some things will go your way and others will not. So roll with the punches and enjoy the experiences for what they are - an adventure. The trick is to prepare beforehand and not worry about things that are out of your control. Get travel insurance before you leave, but if you get a flat tire in the middle of your road trip, don't let it ruin your adventure.