The usual channels of university studies or secretarial work did not appeal to me. I cherished difficult dreams through confidence in myself. – Ella Maillart
I gained direct knowledge of the life of the poor in big towns: I have lived the narrowing mechanism of its conditioning and feared it. – Ella Maillart
One travels to run away from routine, that dreadful routine that kills all imagination and all our capacity for enthusiasm. – Ella Maillart
Not only does travel give us a new system of reckoning, it also brings to the fore unknown aspects of our own self. Our consciousness being broadened and enriched, we shall judge ourselves more correctly. – Ella Maillart