#16 On the Road

Eat, Pray, Love surprisingly is able to relate to the things we have been talking about in class, specifically the novel The Motorcycle Diaries. Both books tell the stories of people on the road learning about the places that surround them. In both novels the main characters not only learn about other places but also about themselves. I believe that both journeys tell the stories of how these two people changed their lives forever.
Though they are at different times and in different places it is important to note that to find out who you are and what you are capable of you need to take time to explore. This exploration does not have to be across the globe yet can be found through reflection of oneself.
It is also able to connect to class with the recent theme that we wrote about Che and who he wanted to become/impact. I think that in the novel Eat, Pray, Love, the main character Liz is doing just that. After a period during her life of dissatisfaction Gilbert takes this journey to figure out what she wants out of life and who she wants to become because she will no longer be a suburban wife. I feel that a theme like this could easily be written with the ideas of Liz Gilbert’s new prospects in life.
These things combined show the impact that a journey abroad or in neighboring countries can have on an individual and how they are able to relate to one another.


If you want to hear some answers to frequently asked questions about Liz Gilbets travels specifically check out this website. It offers a great insight into the places she visited and how she changed after going to them:

http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/writing.htm

#18 Eat, Pray, Love

As the author states herself Eat, Pray, Love follows one woman’s search for everything across Italy, India and Indonesia. Gilbert chose this simple yet effective title because of the activities she focused on in each country. In Italy she indulged herself in the prime cuisine of Italy gaining 23 pounds during her four months in the country. Next she traveled to India where she stayed in an Ashram and spent hours of her days praying though she found this a challenging task for herself. Finally she made her way to Indonesia where she restored her faith in love, which previously had been destroyed after a brutal divorce. She opened her heart again to a man not worried to be broken again. All these unique countries mold together to form the important change that occurred in author Liz Gilberts life. I do not think that I would title this book anything else due to the impact of each country and the things that she focused on while in each. These were all important factors into the woman Liz Gilbert became after her journey’s.

#13 Choices

Some of the most interesting choices made by Liz Gilbert throughout her journey never seemed to faze me. I was ready to expect the unexpected from this free spirit who early on was known for her unique spirit. After deciding to go on the trip she arrived at many of these places with little information or knowledge of what she would do upon getting there. Most of the time she did have the basics, like where she would stay, but after this nothing was off limits. She came with a list of contacts that she would use when she wanted a familiar face or just someone to show her around. This carefree attitude was very risky yet it provided Liz with a great sense of adventure and unknown.
By leaving the possibilities endless she allowed for choices that were made spur of the moment creating unique opportunities such as traveling to foreign cities, meeting influenctial people, and even trying new foods. I think that any advice I would give would be to keep it up. I found that throughout the novel the most intriguing stories she told where ones of spontaneity keeping the book exciting to the ready and most likely to Liz herself.

#9 Her Style

Liz Gilbert has an engaging style which captivates the reader. Her sarcasm can be found throughout the book, even in the most emotional and serious situations. . She incorporates phrases of the Italian language while translating them providing you with a glimpse of the language that she was in love with. This style is very effective due to the fact that she is very personable and makes you feel like she is talking to you, welcoming you into a year of her life that changed her. Overall I think that it adds to the book and makes it a more charming story. While creating moments of intensity she is quickly one to lighten the mood with sarcastic remarks which leave you laughing out loud. This book really has a style that is unique to the author and is one that kept me interested throughout the book.

If you want to learn more and hear first hand from the author, check out this video below.

#4 It is Hard to Pray

As the title states "It is hard to pray." For some of us it comes easier to others but this is NOT the case for Liz Gilbert. She decided to spend four of her year long journey in an Ashram in India after she had heard a Guru speak in New York City. She was fascinated by the work and teachings and quickly found herself in the foreign country where she struggled to "fit in." Everyone around her seemed to effortlessly praying and meditating during the hour’s long sessions, clearing their minds.
What was so surprising to me was how open she was about her struggle with the activity. Most people would not want to be so forward about a concept which in theory sounds so simple. After weeks and weeks of questioning her capabilities and practicing, she finally was able to become successful at something that had become her life.
I feel like it is extremely difficult for one to admit their faults but Liz Gilbert seems to do so both eagerly and sarcastically. This surprising attitude provides the reader with an insight and a way to relate that is hard to come by.

If you want to learn more about praying/meditation which is what Gilbert does at the Ashram I found this website helpful in understanding the history and purpose of this ancient art.
http://www.how-to-meditate.org/why-learn-to-meditate.htm/

#17 Location, Location, Location

The book takes place in three different settings consisting of Italy, India and Indonesia. These are key elements to the progression of the author, Liz Gilbert's, life. First, in Italy, she retains residence in the city where she is accessible to a majority of different aspects of the Italian culture. She does this by taking classes of the language, eating all around the city, and taking in the sights of local and far destinations all across the country. She gained pounds of joy and happiness which she had lost over the past three years due to divorce. Next she moves to India to stay in an Ashram where she seeks the guidance of prayer to restore her faith. The time she spends here provides a period of reflection that she needed to help heal completely. Finally she arrives in Indonesia where she learns to love others again. This year dedicated to self exploration which takes place in three distinct locations, proves that you just need to take the time to figure out who you are and what you want in order to have an appreciation for the world around you.

#14 Quote

"Never forget that once upon a time, in an unguarded moment, you recognized yourself as a friend."
Liz Gilbert constantly remembers the time she found herself in a deep place of depression. This constant reminder that you always have a friend with you provides the author with someone she is able to rely on whenever she needs a friend. After her divorce and the end of another relationship she battles depression which is a tough fight. After getting the help she needed she embarks on a trip of self exploration. During times throughout the trip, but specifically in the beginning she was reminded of dark days. This was due to the fact that she was in a foreign country that spoke a different language and was there by herself. This is important to the story because throughout the novel she is able to relate back to this specific moment when she came to this realization. At these times he thought back to the time where she was able to pick herself up and call on herself to be a friend. I think that this is something that everyone is able to relate to. Even if it was just once in a person’s life he or she needed to rely on themselves. It is very important, as Gilbert points out, that we recognize ourselves as a friend that is there through the good times and the bad.

#12 Divorce

Author Liz Gilbert explains in detail the demise of her relationship with her husband. After countless nights of trying to pick herself of the cold bathroom floor she finally finds the strength she needed to end the unhappy relationship. This occurred in her early thirties when her friends were all settling down and having families. Gilbert realized that she did not want the big house in the suburbs that surrounded her or young children in her life. In an interview with Liz Gilbert she states that

"When modern American women make the deliberate choice not to have children they are still called upon to defend that choice, in a culture where motherhood is still regarded as the natural evolution of a woman’s life.Reality has taught us that no woman can build an honest life without sacrificing something along the way. Deciding what will be sacrificed is not easy. But the good news is this: increasingly, that decision is ours."
(http://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm?author_number=1405)

This is a great response that represents her view point on the matter and helps define the reasons for it. Coming to this realization after a major period of extreme self exploration is something that she is all too happy to discuss in the book. She feels that it is vital in understanding one reason that is a purpose for her journey.
Although she is none too shy to discuss the ending of her marriage she states that she will not discuss the exact events or reasons for it. For one reason I think that she does this because it is something that is extremely personal that can only be fully understood between two people. Also I believe she does not share it because maybe there was not just one specific event or conversation that occurred that sparked the end of their marriage. For whatever reason I believe that this loss of information is not important to the full understanding of the story making it not extremely relevant to the stories progress.

#10 Live It

In this Chapter the author is talking about a box of books that she had shipped to herself from the United States to Italy. Over two months had passed since she sent the box and without receiving anything she makes an attempt at locating them with little success. She loaded books such as The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and other various books on Italy, thinking that she would read these to understand the city in which she was now living. She comes to the realization that maybe it was better off not receiving the books and that to really learn about something is to experience it. This chapter I could really relate to. I always have believed that to understand and appreciate something, you must live it. I find that for me specifically I am able to better understand something when I am immersed into it. For example, when I went abroad recently to England I took tours of historic places which I had heard and read about prior to going. After attending the places I had learned countless facts about I obtained a greater appreciation for them. Hearing personally stories from people who worked there and seeing things first hand I was able to relate to things that were hundreds of years older than me. What was ironic to me about the chapter was that she planned on reading the books about Italy, while in Italy. By just opening her front door and taking in the sights and sounds of the country she was able to obtain a greater understanding of Italy.

Thesis

Che did not know what he wanted to become but in fact became the person that he did through different experiences and hardships that occurred in his life.

Do Now

Che describes the process in which he and Alberto got things from people whether it be food or shelter. Do you have your own version of this technique for certain purposes? Does it always seem to work just like it does for Che and Alberto?

I chose to ask about this do now because I was surprised at how they had comprised their own little way of doing things, almost as if it were a script. I wanted to know if anyone else also had any similar ways of doing things and when they use it.

#8. The meaning of “I”

Italy, India, and Indonesia. What do these distinct and unique countries have in common, more than you might think. They may not be the first three countries that you clump together, but isn't that the point. Author Elizabeth Gilbert embarks on a journey of self to these three destinations all fittingly starting with the all important "I".
First it is important to know that before leaving, Gilbert had just ended a time and money consuming divorce. She had spent years unhappy always knowing that where she was in life was not where she wanted to be. She finally ended it and in doing so found out that she needed to do some self discovery, not only for her future relationships but the relationship with herself. And so she embarked on a worldwide tour with none other than that person.
It may be odd to someone else why she chose these places yet to her the decision was clear. She would enjoy the art of pleasures of Italy, the art of devotion in India, and the balancing of both in Indonesia. These three “I”s would team up to form a whole, refreshed, and better Gilbert. Never doubt the power of “I”.

essential question: che

I think that Che knew early on that he wanted to have a true impact on the world around him but more specifically the communities he was involved with. He saw the things around him that he liked and disliked and wanted to change the things he saw as wrong for the better. You can see in his writings when he speaks of not being able to help the sick woman that he wishes he would have been able to do more for her even though he was unable. He wanted to become someone that the people could rely on to make a change having their best interests at heart, but did he accomplish this, one must decide for themselves. He went from country to country early on seeing the world around him molding the future beliefs that we saw so prominent to him in the documentry.

The Assignment

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert is a story that surprisingly relates to that of Che Guevara's in the Motorcycle Diaries. Though they may deal with different events and present opposite ideas they both tell the stories of people embarking on a journey to new lands. Throughout the next couple of weeks you will see, amidst my other posts, responses to different questions about my independent reading book, Eat, Pray, Love. Hopefully I will be able to connect my findings to The Motorcycle Diaries resulting in a appreciation and understanding for stories written "on the road." So watch out for these posts and try to follow along as I embark on my own little journey.

chile

By right or might, land undefined.