I LOVE this quote from Eat, Pray, Love. I think I need to hang it on my bathroom mirror as a reminder to be accepting of myself, no matter how my clothes look on any given day.
I know I’m late in jumping on the Eat, Pray, Love bandwagon, but I’m glad I finally got here. I just finished touring Italy, and I’m all packed and ready for India. If you’re not familiar with this title, it’s the memoir of a woman who isn’t happy, although she has the typical trappings of modern American life. She leaves on a year-long journey to find herself, by exploring corporeal pleasure in Italy, spiritual devotion in India, and the balance between the two in Bali.
What keeps me reading is author Elizabeth Gilbert’s well-written prose. Also, the fantasy, which has been criticized by some reviewers. While Elizabeth Gilbert had the luxury of tackling the huge challenges in her life while traveling extensively through exotic locales, most of us have to face ourselves from the (dis?)comfort of our own daily lives. Who wouldn’t want to run away from normalcy in order to find oneself? That just doesn’t happen for most of us. I think what we can learn from Gilbert’s story, though, is that self-knowledge does not depend on your location; it depends on your willingness to seek the answers within yourself and your ability to be open to the consequences, no matter where you are.
Happy traveling within -
Alison
EEK!! I gotta take my own advice!
ReplyDeleteThere's a little saying round abouts: "Everywhere I go, there I am." I always have to remember that...particularly with my lackadaisical ideas about settling down somewhere, having roots. I am a born runner, though not, admittedly, of the sneakers and sweating variety. Great summary! I ended up REALLY enjoying the book, after holding out with such skepticism for so long. Ah, contempt prior to investigation. It gets me sometimes.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm pretty well-rooted, but I can still relate to that quote. Sometimes I think about running away and starting fresh, but you can't outrun yourself. Knowing that usually keeps me from doing anything too rash. :) And I am enjoying the book, too!
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