I don't think that if I had spent the time that I was in, say, Belgrade, writing about my time in Trieste, which is where I had just been, that would have been productive. I told myself: take extensive notes while you're there, do the research part of it, and then pray, pray, the muses will be available when the actual 'ready' happens.

I have a really good life and I really like it.

I knew my motivations for going to each place and what I was looking for. If I don't do that then I generally don't write about my travels.

I wish other people would write about loneliness more. It's hard to remember that it's not personal. We live in a world that is built to make people lonely... It's difficult to remember that your loneliness is not really about you and everyone has it.

I don't think that I can be settled and I don't think that I would ever want to be.

There's this resistance to actually talking to people who are smarter than you about things and I don't know why that is.

I don't think you can write an experience as you're having it without being an idiot.