Paul Theroux Quotes

I'd rather be in a tent than in a house.

I'm no Thoreau.

When a man cuts himself absolutely adrift from custom, what an astonishingly light spar floats him! How few his wants are, after all!

I enjoyed my life when I had nothing... and kinda like the idea of just being happy with me.

My experience of ships is that on them one makes an interesting discovery about the world. One finds one can do without it completely.

Far better to be the simplest pedestrian, with knapsack on back, stick in hand, and gun on shoulder, than an Indian prince travelling with all the ceremonial which his rank requires.

Real freedom is having nothing. I was freer when I didn't have a cent.

The real pleasure in writing this, for me, was discovering how little you need.

You don't need money to be free. You can just say if you don't need stuff, you're always free.

The mountains are calling and I must go.

I did a lot of hiking and I loved it.

When I was a student in the '60s, I dreamt of making a house 7 feet by 7 feet, as a dream of freedom, of self-moderation.

Tramping is too easy with all this money. My days were more exciting when I was penniless and had to forage around for my next meal... I've decided that I'm going to live this life for some time to come. The freedom and simple beauty of it is just too good to pass up.

If I don't get food in my mouth, I'm still happy. If my pants are round my ankles, as long as I don't get arrested for indecent exposure, I'm happy. I'm worried about keeping my hair, not how it's combed.

I've been doing a lot of hiking, which I love.

Those who are possessed by nothing possess everything.

I live and work alone and travel light, relying largely on my memory and making a point of letting intuition guide my way.

Astride a horse I am not, nor camel-like carry a load, Subjects I have none, nor follow any sultan's code; I worry not for what exists, nor fret for what is lost, I breathe with extreme ease, and live at very little cost.

I think there is a very powerful wish that we all have of being self-contained and having sort of opted out or choosing to remove ourselves from society and to have no ties and no obligations, and even no possessions. To be free in a particular way.

I'm a camper. I love being out in the wilderness.

I did everything I wanted to when I had nothing.

If I see a mountain, I just pick up and hike it.

I have my mountain man moments like hiking in the woods.

Gunther and I always shared the work. Each of us carried his own sleeping bag and tent, and porters carried the rest, until the highest camp, when we were on our own. Nobody helped us up there.

Simplicity in all things is the secret of the wilderness and one of its most valuable lessons. It is what we leave behind that is important. I think the matter of simplicity goes further than just food, equipment, and unnecessary gadgets; it goes into the matter of thoughts and objectives as well. When in the wilds, we must not carry our problems with us or the joy is lost.