An excerpt from the wonderful book The Happy Traveller: A Book for Poor Men from 1923.

“I saw mankind, in this weary old age of the world either enduring a sluggish existence amid the smoke and dust of cities, or if they breathed purer air, still lying down at night with no hope but to wear out tomorrow, and all the tomorrows which make up life, among the same dull scenes and in the same wretched toil that has darkened the sunshine of today. But there were some, full of primeval instinct, who preserved the freshness of youth to their latest years, by the continual excitement of new pursuits, new scenes and new associates, and cared little, though their birthplace might have been here in new England, if the grave should close over them in Central Asia.” – The seven Vagabonds.

All islanders love travelling, and it is the ambition of every young Englishman to go for a jaunt abroad, if only once in his life. Our nomad ancestry and our world-wide Empire alike lure us beyond the seas.
We are often held back from satisfying this inborn craving by thinking it too difficult or too costly a thing for us to attempt – misconceptions which I will try to dispel. In one of his essays, Cowley says that the getting out of doors is the hardest part of the journey, and it is a man’s own fault if he dies without seeing anything of the wonderful world in which he lives. Laziness and a tame surrender to the tyranny of circumstances hold back many of us who would be ideal travellers could we but take the first step.
But if your lot does not please you, you can, with determination, change it. Once aware of your bonds, you are on the high road to freedom and need not be dissuaded by those who tell you that you must know your own country first before venturing abroad. You will have time enough for that when you settle down.
Then there is the notion that travelling is only for the rich. But a wise man’s happiness costs very little wherever he is, and I shall have failed in my purpose if I do not convince you that a man can live as cheaply abroad as at home. So do not wait until you are rich, but set out while you are young and keen and poor. It is the common tragedy of mankind to spend life amassing money and then die before it can be enjoyed.