Good morning!
Last night Eric and I went out for Mexican food, stuffed ourselves silly on fajitas, and then headed to Chapters book store. Pretty much my dream night. I had gift cards to use and I bought Eat Pray Love and didn’t have to pay a dime.
My story with Eat Pray Love goes back a couple years. In 2008, I purchased the EPL audio book shortly after seeing Elizabeth Gilbert’s interview with Oprah.
I was going through a rough time in my life and this book really spoke to me. I felt like I knew Elizabeth and that I connected with her desire for self-discovery in some way. I thought having her voice in an audio book would comfort me during this tough time in my life and I planned on listening to the book during my commutes to and from work and school.
Ironically, not long after I downloaded the audio book onto my computer, my computer crashed and I lost everything, including the audio book. Life was busy and I just forgot about it assuming one day I would buy the book.
That day was yesterday!
I could not put this book down last night. Around midnight my eyes were drooping and I was literally falling asleep reading. I woke up with my head on Eric’s shoulder around 12:30am and I stumbled up to bed.
Sketchie also loves when I read because it means that I am actually in one spot more than 5 minutes at a time…
I love when he sleeps on me. :biggrin:
I also love how Elizabeth organized the book in terms of a short story representing each japa mala. I love how the book is divided up by the three countries that she visited, each for a different purpose along her journey. It is quite brilliant actually. The book just exudes symmetry.
I was excited when I woke up this morning for a few reasons:
1) I had a solid 8 hours of sleep
2) Today is my day off
3) I have a book to read
4) The weather is gorgeous and sunny
5) I have new music for my run today (‘Over’ by Drake is a new fav)
I used up the rest of my beet greens and some new spinach for Green Monster energy!
I also threw in some raspberries, Almond Milk, raw maca powder, 1 tbsp homemade almond butter, and 1 frozen banana.
I had another situation on my hands…
I had some Green Monster spillage as I juggled my GM and SLR camera while freaking out about walking through a HUGE cobweb. Story of my life.
It was good though.
I wanted to share with you a quote from Eat Pray Love that I think is really powerful:
“For years, I’d wished I could speak Italian- a language I find more beautiful than roses- but I could never make the practical justification for studying it…What was I going to do with Italian? It’s not like I was going to move there. It would be more practical to learn how to play the accordion.
But why must everything have a practical application? I’d been such a diligent soldier for years- working, producing, never missing a deadline, etc. Is this lifetime supposed to be only about duty?…It’s not like I was saying at age 32, ‘I want to become the principal ballerina for the NYC ballet.” Studying a language is something you can actually do. So I signed up for classes at one of those continuing education places. My friends thought this was hilarious…But I loved it.”
This got me thinking a lot about my life, Eric’s, and whether there were things that we wanted to do, but didn’t think there was a practical application for. Eric is currently struggling with some decisions in his own life (that I can’t get into, but probably will some day in the future) and I know there are many things that he wants right now, but he doesn’t think they are practical to actually do. This makes me very sad to think about. Why must we live our lives ‘by the book’ or doing what others expect of us? As Elizabeth mentioned in the quote above, why must everything have a practical purpose? Can’t we just listen to our hearts sometimes?
So I ask you today…What are the things you want to do but you aren’t sure they have a practical purpose?
One of the things that we desperately want to do at this stage in our lives is travel. We always said that our free time in our late twenties would be spent traveling together, but so far we have not found a practical purpose (or free time) to try to put this goal into action.
oh, i hope you can do some travel, Angela!
i am currently touring florida on my own for two weeks while my husband is away…and i’m loving it! i’ve never travelled alone, and it’s absolutely exhilarating! SO FUNNY that you should mention “eat pray love” – i’ve read the book and feel like i am having a mini-personal growth experiece with lots of “could i…” and “a-ha” moments. (florida is not as exotic as elizabeth gilbert’s destinations, but it’s a start!)
i’m visiting some of the places that you mentioned back in march when you did your florida tour – upcoming is sanibel island and miromar outlets!
keep reading!!! :)
That sounds exciting…a trip alone would be such a life changing experience
I haven’t read that book yet and have been meaning to for forever. I am going to put it on hold at my library’s website right NOW!
It’s true, the best things in life really are free! Glad you are enjoying the book. I had my first green monster today and I loved it – so great!!
Interesting timing. My husband and I traveled and lived overseas for 10 years, 7 of them with young children. We came home to the States and settled down onto a 5 acre mini-homestead. We love it. Now that the youngest child is in search of employment we started our “Greece in a Jar.” Everyday we throw whatever change we have into the jar. We’ll keep on doing that until we have enough to go to Greece for a couple of weeks to a month. In the meantime (it is a slow process only saving coins), we’ll be learning Greek.
I’ll have to see if the library has EPL. Sounds like a life-changing read.
I LOVE the Greece in a jar idea!
I loved that book. I am super excited to see the movie when it comes out!
I need to get my hands on that book. Sounds like it’s soo good. My mother is a librarian and read it a couple years ago. She told me to read it then, and I didn’t
Don’t worry– my green monsters almost always look like that. JK haha. A funny story- I just started working as a barista at a cafe, and the first time I made an Italian soda, I sprayed the seltzer all over myself and my coworker! HA
Things that I want to do that don’t necessarily have a practical purpose: Move to a big city, walk/bike everywhere, open a cafe, go to culinary school, get a degree in nutrition.
I want to quit my toxic 9 to 5 and spend time with my retired husband playing. We can afford it, but I just can’t seem to make the jump…
I have alway wanted to study nutrition. But, when I decided to go beck to school, I found the salary of a seasoned registered dietician to be the same as the starting slaryof a nurse. So, I went the safe route with nursing. Even now, I could do a “nutritionist” certification but then “what would I do with it?” I ask myself. I won’t make enough money to use is as a career until I get out of school since there are SO many others with nutrition coaching certifications.
thanks for the reminder that i still need to read this book. i got it for my book club back when i was working and then of course was TOO BUSY to read it. boo. i too dropped out of an incredibly stressful job like you did.
i am not sure of a lot of my endeavors having a practical purpose. i have altered my life so i do things that: make me happy or help get me well (which is practical I suppose). something i’ve wanted to do is get more training in being a raw chef, although i may never make a career out of it. impractical yet fun training!
I just finished EPL and how perfect of timing could it be for me in my life with ending a long term relationship where it just wasn’t healthy for me….and taking this time to find me, and the happiness and peace within instead of defining it by others. Love love loved this book….too often we go by what is “the norm” instead of just what we want to do….sometimes it is those moments of the heart that lead us into expereince and knowledge could no other way have obtained!
I also really loved the book Eat, Pray, Love – its message can definitely speak to so many of us.
And I also have the problem with only doing something that’s practical – which is stupid. Sometimes you should just do something because it feels right and you like to do it, and not second guess it because it’s not practical. The funny thing is that’s usually what successful people say when giving interviews – that they did what their gut said to even though it didn’t make sense!
I agree…nothing made sense about me quitting except my gut said to do it. I can relate to that a lot.
Fantastic memoir! I read it one weekend and felt so motivated and inspired after completing it. Her lectures/talks are equally uplifting. Have a great Sunday. :)
i have to agree about the traveling thing. there are so many places that i want to see/visit—i think traveling and seeing other places and cultures and just a new environment in general helps you grow and opens your eyes. i wanted to travel, like you and eric, in my late 20s. i’ve now just hit 30 and still feel like i haven’t accomplished that. i use my vacation time to visit my bff–therapy for the soul. but that usually means visiting her in irvine, and that’s all i’ve seen for 3 or 4 years. that seemed more practical. hahaha. now we’re trying to meet up in other places so we both get vacations and spend time together :)
i feel the same way about italian and french…for so many years i studied spanish because i was told i would use it, but i just wish i’d studied the languages i really wanted to! that plus culinary school…it doesn’t make sense to people, but i would love to be able to do that!
That was a great book and one that I feel I need to read again. I have wanted to travel since I was 18 and now in my late 20’s I have still yet to make it happen. Last year my husband and I decided to take the plung and just quit our jobs and backpack, road trip and rock climb our way around the US. However a month before we were going to quit I got injured and was barely able to walk for the past 8 months. Now traveling looks out of the picture for a year and kids are likely to happen before then. I just look at what my in-laws did, taking the kids for 2 weeks to a month every summer to somewhere new and traveling. It made me realize that you make due and find ways to travel even if it was not your ideal situation. However if I could travel now I would do it in a heart beat!
Just another thought, I have often regretted many “things” I have purchased but I have never regretted a penny I spent on travel the memories last forever.
I have read EPL several times, and am excited you are enjoying it! I often think about “smiling in my liver” when I’m down and it gives me a little giggle. :-)
I did take a leap a few years back and went to graduate school to become an elementary school counselor. After two and a half years of working full-time and going to grad school full-time the local school systems aren’t hiring due to budget constraints. In the meantime I continue to work in my marketing position, and just have to hope that the schools start hiring again!
my boyfriend and i took an AMAZING trip two summers ago…we did a Habitat for Humanity trip to El Salvador…it was an incredible way to travel, feel productive, DO something for someone else (who really needs it) and meet some of the most amazing people i’ve ever met. it was such a great experience…it got so many amazing photographs and stories and memories…i can’t wait to do another trip…it does cost money, but you can fundraise for a lot of the cost (donations to your trip can be tax deductible) and we just went on their website and picked a trip that fit with our schedules…we didn’t know who we’d be with, but we couldn’t have asked for more amazing people…from all over, all ages…just incredible. i couldn’t possibly recommend it more if you’re looking for a good way to travel and feel really good about it too!!! there are lots of organizations that do service trips if you’re not into habitat, so you should definitely check it out!
Its funny you mentioned this because I was actually looking into these types of charity trips a couple months ago. Do you happen to have a link that would help guide me or should I just google the habitat for humanity website?
Thanks :)
http://www.habitat.org/cd/gv/schedule.aspx?sort=date
this is the link to the global village program – this is exactly what we did – we found this page (my mom suggested it…she does habitat locally on a weekly basis) and just chose a trip that we thought would be interesting that happened to be on a date that worked for us. email me if you start seriously considering it…i’ll even torture you with my endless photos of our trip :)
I’ve volunteered for habitat for humanity all over the US and a global village trip as well. It’s such a great organization and a good way to travel plus you really get to experience the people of another country, working with them so closely.
I have been meaning to read this book for a while now :)
My main things that I would think are impractical but that I would really love to do and learn are as follows:
-Makeup Certification course for costumes
-Learning chainmaille techniques
-Learning Japanese
-Learning ASL
One of my main hobbies is making costumes (And dressing up in them while running around like a nut). I’m currently doing a 10,000 hour challenge with my costumes and am working on improving my skills. I don’t know if I’ll ever do anything with them but this is what I’m learning and working on right now that people would think is impractical. I’m hoping to work through the above list as I go on with this challenge…
I think I need to pick up that book, I’ve heard a lot about it, but never actually grabbed it.