"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life"

In this quote, Jack Kerouac is expressing the nomadic and daring spirit of the Beat Generation. The description of "battered suitcases" suggests the wear and tear of continuous travel and the concept that ownerships are not important on this journey. The expression "we had longer ways to go" acknowledges that the journey ahead might be hard, however it is an inescapable part of life. Nevertheless, Kerouac remains optimistic and asserts that "the road is life." This recommends that the journey itself is the essence of presence, which the experiences, relationships, and lessons found out on the roadway are what truly matter.