“I waited as Penelope waited for Ulysses, as Romeo waited for Juliet, as Beatrice waited for Dante.
The empty steppes were full of memories of you, of the times we had spent together, of the countries we had visited, of our joys and our battles.
Then I looked back at the trail left by my footprints and I couldn’t see you. “I suffered greatly.
I realized that I had set off on a path of no return and that when one does that, one can only go forward.”

“Always keep Ithaca in your mind. To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all. It is better to let it last for many years; and to anchor at the island when you are old, rich with all you have gained on the way, not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches. Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would never have set out on the road. She has nothing more to give you.
And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you. Wise as you have become, with so much experience, you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.

The Zahir