Eat, Pray, Love - thats an interesting way to live life
One of my best friends promised me that I would like the "Eat, Pray, Love" book so here I was on Saturday- book in hand in sunny Seattle (Huh??) lounging out in my backyard. Let me start off by saying I had very conflicting feelings about this book and I went from " Are you kidding me?" to " Aww! Thats so nicely written - I can actually "see" it ". Overall though, I think what one can take away from the book is a better understanding of what you are as a person - what moves you, how would you react to those circumstances, how you feel about religion and God and maybe. where would you be willing to travel to "find yourself".
Since I had been to Italy recently, Elizabeth's detailed description of food and the lifestyle in Rome made me really nostalgic. The pasta, the pizza, the people and the history - the parts of Rome that make it what it is. In fact, I can see myself doing exactly what Elizabeth does (eat, loll around, eat some more and then gape at the Pantheon) with the only difference being I couldnt do it alone and 4 months is a bit too much. I think I would go crazy with that much time on my hands (or is that the point?).
I didnt quite appreciate her reactions to the breakdown of her marriage (the long conversations with self and Loneliness and Depression or was it Sadness and Pain, I forget) partly coz I was too upbeat that day (did I mention sunny Seattle?) and partly coz I am a "dust yourself off and just move on" kind of person and thirdly, I didnt think it was fair to the other person that she got to write a book to present her side and he didnt :-) Coming from India, I do take spirituality for granted so I was a little surprised by how desperate some folks are to get in touch with their inner self. I do think traveling gives you the time and the insight for true reflection. Well for me, true reflection will have to wait till Seattle gets gloomy again :)
The book definitely sparked off a bunch of thoughts in my head - "If I had a year, where would I go?".
Here are my top 5:
· India: Only this time, I would really travel all over and see her through the eyes of someone who has recently realized just how beautiful she truly is.
· Egypt: Those pyramids just have this magical quality to them so I have to see them up close.
· Singapore: Exotic, clean and amazing – that’s what I have heard.
· Mexico: Anywhere with sandy beaches, that’s where I wanna be.
· Home Sweet Home: This surprised me too but really, this is where I truly find myself every day with the company of family and friends. Since this list is about spending time finding yourself if you had a year, it’s on the list.
Where would you go if you had a year?
