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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
The author traveled to so many places that I want to visit. She left her "normal" life at the age of 47 and traveled the world. Who doesn't dream about doing that? I have so many countries that I want to visit but responsibilities to my family seem to get in the way every time. I liked hearing that she took off to travel the world. I liked that she made an effort to participate in the everyday life of each place she lived in. She didn't stay in hotels and remain a tourist. However, she also pushed herself into people's lives and justified it by saying they are kind and wanted to feed and house her and she repaid them by teaching them English and giving them a children's book that she wrote. She makes a big point (continuously) about not wanting to eat alone, which really surprised me, considering she was traveling alone. She makes a big point of mentioning that every place she travels to has a family who considers her to be a part of the community and to be part of their family. She repeats this as a mantra. It is almost like she is convincing herself or trying to convince the reader that she is loved everywhere. I didn't like the portions of the book that tried to convince us that she is an amazing person. I did enjoy hearing about the travels and the food. She was able to pull this off because she was already a children's book author, so she could continue this work and still make an income. She was able to live a life she really wanted which was amazing.
Rita Goldman Gelman, an accomplished children's book writer and the wife and mother of two grown children, decides that she does not want the privileged life she has. For the next fifteen years she travels the world, learning Spanish in Mexico to living in a royal palace in Bali. She has the most amazing adventures. I felt so connected to the author that I felt like I was there during her adventures and mis-adventures. Not every escapade that Rita went through was positive and that is what I loved about the travelogue, it was real. I have traveled alone as a woman, and I know how difficult it can be. I recommend this book to any woman who have a desire to travel the world.
Great book for the nomad in all of us... even if it's only a nomad of the mind.
Great book for the nomad in all of us... even if it's only a nomad of the mind.
4.5 stars. Definitely got me excited to get traveling again.
Inspiring and terrifying--a recently divorced middle-aged woman tells her true story of giving up everything to travel around the world for years, living on the kindness of others (and royalties from her writing). Inspiring, because she shows that you don't have to be rich or athletic or a man or have the top-of-the-line backpacking equipment to enjoy the best places on earth. Terrifying, because as my study abroad program did a few years before this, it made me unsatisfied with life-as-usual, to want to just pick up and go, leaving everything behind. This book made me terribly jealous.
This was a really fun read about starting over and LIVING your life as a participant. Live your life as a HUMAN and not an American. Smile more, say YES to trying everything life has to offer. A great reminder that you can't take it with you and that you don't need a big house full of stuff. We need so little to live a full rewarding life that can impact others and sometimes make a difference in many peoples lives. From my University President, Minor Myers, Jr.: “Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.”
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
It was really interesting and amazing to read of her travels. I don't think I could do what she did and travel to all those remote areas by myself, but it definitely was interesting.
I thoroughly enjoyed this books and it makes me want to head out on adventure. Not that I am brave enough (yet) to adventure as Rita does.....but a girl can dream.