Eat Pray Love

The Movie

I first began reading this book because I saw the trailer to the movie months ago,

and it looked like a wonderlust travel movie that would speak to my soul,

besides who could go wrong with Julia Roberts. But as Melissa, at Reverie Daydream Blog

(we read at the same time)

pointed out to me, Elizabeth seemed so self-obsorbed in the first half,

which made it hard for me to finish because I got frustrated with the whining.

I did finish, and it got better.

I think I just had to be patient and understand that when difficult things occur in life... things take time.

It did with Elizabeth, and it also did with me.

Elizabeth is unhappy and realizes she doesn't want to be married,

and decides to spend a year abroad to find herself and spirtuality.

The second half of the book got better,

as Elizabeth's wounds healed with time, self-discovery, 

self-sufficiency, spirituality, and balance...

which later leads to love.

I think the reason this movie and story is so popular is because

this is so common and

 everyone can relate at one point or another in their own lives...

and we all wish for a little escapism sometimes.

The above image speaks wonders to me, because I also went through a difficult period earlier this year.

Having time off in beautiful South Carolina, riding my old beach cruiser through the marshy land helped wonders. It's funny how something so simple as the wind blowing on your face from a leisurely bikeride can be so therapuetic. Not to mention the comfort of food, in Elizabeth's case authentic Italian cuisine... in my case, Southern crab soup and fried green tomatos.

On the last night of my own vacation,

was very much like one of Elizabeth's unsuccessful meditation attempts

when she couldn't get her mind to relax.

"What am I going to do with my life? What am I going to do?"

Unfortuately, I was only given a week off... not a year.

Oh, the desperation and insomnia that the peacefulness of a blissful vacation would all come to an end, and I would still have no answer about what to do.

But then... with balance, hope, and patience, prayers are answered...

and that's when the little smirk comes, when you know everything,

as Bob Marley would put it, is going to be alright.

Did you see it, or read it?