On Going A Journey

The personal essay is perhaps the most attractive of all literary genres. The writer takes for granted our friendship, and we are happy to let him, as he (or she) has no greater desier than to amuse us and himself. The essay is a monologue of conversational writing, but the speaker never forgets we are there, and he rarely tries our patience.

So says the opening note of Great English Essays: From Bacon to Chesterton. Since buying this book, which I must say was a surprising find on the summer reading table of a Barnes and Noble display, I have read several essays that have been both entertaining and insightful.

Since I am going a journey myself, I thought I would share a few quotes from William Hazlitt's essay on travelling.

One of the pleasantest things in the world is going a journey.

The soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do, just as one pleases.

I leave today for England; then it's on to France for 2 weeks. It has been 6 years since I've visited Europe. I have been planning this return trip for several years, and it is so hard to believe the departure time is actually here.

I plan to post from Europe if I have any opportunity. If I'm not able to, you can expect many pictures and posts shortly after my return in August.