Afresh Dawns The Morn Of Life

One of the
gladdest moments
in human life,
methinks is
the departure upon
a distant journey
to unknown lands.
Shaking off
with one mighty effort
the fetters of Habit,
the leaden weight
of Routine,
the cloak of
many Cares
and the Slavery
of Home,
man feels
once more happy.
The blood flows
with the fast circulation
of childhood.
Afresh dawns
the morn of life.

--Richard Francis Burton
journal entry, December 12, 1856