Stepping in her shoes...

Just like when Liz decided to take a year off her live to go find herself. I would do the same. But I think I would choose two different countries, and two different reasons. I would still stay with Italy, because that is where my passion for food would come from. The country I would choose to do my praying in would be Turkey, and finally my place for "love" would be France. I chose all this three countries for various reasons just like Liz did. When I chose Italy I was thinking of the great pasta they have, but not only that. Italy would be that choice for food, because when I see Italian food I also think of my roots. How my roots kind of relate to the Italian food because they use some of the similar ingredients, and came be traced back to come from the same place. Another reason why I'm stilling sticking with Italy has my food place is because of the simplicity the food has to it. I love the simplicity because that is the way I am simple, and I am also able to cook it when I leave Italy. Also I would chose Italy for my food and to be care-free because the food has a thing that says home cooking, and even though I will be far away it would still feel like I am close to home. Turkey to me seems like such a spiritual place to be at, and be one with God. Looking over the percentage of how much each European countries values religion Turkey had one of the highest ones. Even though the main religion is Islam and that is not my religion I would still pick it, because I am always open into learning about new things and I would love to learn about the Islamic religion. Looking over the pictures of the mosques in Turkey also makes you fall in love with, and I kind of receive a welcoming feeling just by looking at the pictures, and each of them calling me to come. One of the main places I would go to pray and mediate would be Istanbul, because it is home of some of the most wonderful, and beautiful Christian churches, and it holds so much history of the previous religions that once were big in Turkey. My last destination for that year would be France; everything about France is calling me. Not just because they say it’s the city to fall in love, but also because of its fashion, cuisine, historical sites, language, and beauty. When I decided to chose France I do not pick it because that is where I am hoping to my soul mate or anything like that. The main reason why I chose it was because when I started to take my French classes I did not expect to also fall in love with its culture, and that is what I want to be able to see in France and fall in love with it in person. France has some of the most beautiful historic sites that make your heart melt in one instant. Everything that I have learned about is why I would love to travel there, and get to know it better. Just like Liz did, I would love to travel to three countries fall in love with them, learn from them, but also learn more about me, and see what these three countries are able to shape me into. 

Spiritual success!

Success can mean different things to people. It can also have a different value to people depending on what you did to earn that success. But to me I think spiritual success, is as equal as or even more important to have reached than anything else. When I think about spiritual success I do not only think about having things well with God, and going to church, and donating. I think about being good with you inside, and mentally, and also with others. I think all these things are what bring success in your spiritual live. To me having success in your spiritual live then makes it bring success into the world and the things you do in it. But to achieve this spiritual success I think you have to you through different steps, just like Liz did. I think the first thing you have to have to achieve this spiritual success is inspiration. The inspiration I think should come from something that you want to accomplish not only in your spiritual life but something that will better the rest of your life. The inspiration you receive should be something like a message that makes your more aware of your surroundings. To achieve spiritual success you do not only have to have inspiration but also change your way of living.  Meditation is one thing that you should change in your life style. Just like when Liz did meditation it helped her become more focused and bring calmness to you. Another thing that these step shows have is slowing down in your life. Take everything calm, instead of rushing into things, and start enjoying life, just like Liz did in her yearlong travel. In reaching success you also have to focus in what is the purpose of life, or better yet your life. This we help you in realizing what you’re good at doing. By finding out what you are good at doing will able you to give back to others. Causing you to have reached your spiritual success, and bettering the life around you. Then when you achieve that spiritual success your have a better spiritual health. Because you learn how to be a forgiving person. That why you forgive someone you show that your the bigger person and that you also have control over the situation. Helping maintain your spirituality good. Another thing this does is allows you to be at peace with yourself. When you have peace with yourself it allows you to see things in a complete form, and you are able to know that God has things under control when you can not keep them in control, allowing you you to have a higher vision of hopefulness. Spiritual success is the most important hing to me because it lets me become a better person, and lets me see the right thing to me. And I know when I achieve I will have that calmness in me, and gratefulness I need to change things around me into positive things.  

How it relates to what is going on around the world...

"Eat Pray Love" relates to many people around the world, but not only relates to the people but many people are going through the same things. I think many things that Liz went trough in her book, I have gone through. For example when Liz started talking about her relationship with God I felt like it was me. Because for a few years I was kind of confused of what to think about it. Then when something that happened in our lives changed our point of views I knew that talking to God brings a peacefulness and warming feeling it you. Even though like Liz said that talking to God may not fix the problem at that moment it does make you feel better and that is exactly what happened to me. Even though my problem was not the same as Liz it did had something to deal with my family, after praying to God and letting things go his way we all, but especially me understood that you can not change a person, they have to be willing to change for themselves. Another thing I think people might find relate-able to what happened in Liz life was going through a divorce and then falling in love again. Most people when they get married they think they are marrying the person that they are going to send the rest of their lives with, but sometimes that wrong.  Right now in America there is a 50% chance of a married couple to through a divorce. So just like Liz almost have of the married couples in the United States can relate to what she went through and how she felt. Even though their is not a certain number of how many people do fall in love again, I seen a lot of other people go through a divorce and get married again. Another way that the book relates to my live was when Liz decided to learn more about Italy and its culture. Because just like Liz I found the passion for a country and everything in it. Once I started to take French class, I knew I had found something new I loved. Everything about France I loved. Its language just like Liz loved Italian, learning a new language to me is something fascinating. But once I discovered it food, the literally rocked my world. Eating French food just like Liz intrigued me to learn more about. Now just like Liz all I want to do is go tour France in my near future, and actually get to live the experiences just like she did. The final thing I think that people can actually relate to the book, is going throughout life and finding yourself and what you really want. Some people go through their whole lives without knowing what they really should be doing and who they really should be with. But just like Liz some people actually do take the time to learn more about themselves and go after what they really want and deserve in their lives. And just like Liz most of the people that go out there and do what they need they need to end up finding themselves. To me this book has deep relations to the world and the people in it because it coming from some that actually wrote what was going on in life, and not just something fiction. 

What you might learn if you read it.

Almost every book that we take the time to read usually has a theme or various themes to it. Well this book was not the exception. "Eat Pray Love" had one big message in all, but every section in the book had its own theme. The big board theme the book had as whole was to find yourself, and also find what makes your life worth living for. I understood this theme by the various things that went on in her life, and how she explained it. The first part I understood that was the theme was when she decided to travel around the world. Every time she went to a new place she would learn something new about herself that she did not know before. For example in Italy Liz learned how to be a care free person. She did this by not letting her gaining of weight get to her. Another thing that made Liz find herself was when she got her divorce from her husband, when she got her divorce from her husband she was able to become the person she wanted to be and not live a fake life, and do things she did not want to. In India Liz discovered herself when she became a better praying person. When Liz managed to become a better prayer she also was able to connect more with-in herself. Last thing Liz did to find herself in my perspective was finding the love of her life in Indonesia. I think this helped Liz find herself because when you find your soul mate they help you discover more of yourself. In my opinion the second part of the theme as a whole book which is discover something that makes life worth living for came from Liz being able to write the book. I think this because, Liz managed to share her experiences with everyone who brought her happiness, and happiness always makes you want to keep on going. Now from each section in the book you might also learn a thing or two. One thing that I learned from Italy which was the part "eat" learning how to have fun, and healing from a hard past. I learned this from this part of the book by Liz taking the time to forget everything in her past, and also living day by day her life and not really caring. I also got this message by Liz trying new things and finding out she enjoyed them. In India the main theme was to learn discipline. I understood this when Liz was having a hard time with bettering her praying. Liz learned that when she had a talk with one of the other person staying there and taught her what she did. That she kinda had to let it come to her but that she had to be strong and not let it put her down when she was not getting it in her first tries. The last part of the book I think tells you to learn how to apply everything that you learn into your life. I think Liz did this when she went back to the medicine man and she continued to learn about herself. Another way Liz was able to do this was when she was strong enough to stand up to one of her friends and told her what to   do, not because it was going to be beneficial for her, but because she cared. And the last thing she applied this to was when she allowed herself to fall in love with someone. Even though you might read the book and not learn the same things that I learned its still worth a shot, because you just might learn something better, or something that will impact your life for good. 

Brilliant writing much...

Before I began reading this book, I did not know what my reviews would be towards it. I was not sure, but after reading this book I knew it was an excellent memoir of a world traveler. Liz managed to engage me in the way she wrote. The way Liz described everything that was going on in her life made it seem relate-able, and also so beautiful. To me it do not seem like a memoir but instead like a journal that I was reading from a close friend, the book had a funny sense to it some what hard to understand but at the same time it was serious because of the things she was going through.  Even though I enjoyed all the parts I have to admit my favorite part was Italy.The way Liz talked about Italy was such with such a passion, and love. Italy to me was the best thing she wrote about even though one of the main themes in the book was god and her guru. I loved that Liz chose Italy because first of all I want to go there, and second of all Liz talked about food. When Liz started to talk about the Italian food, it kinda made me feel like I was there since I'm such a big Italian food eater. I loved the way Liz took the time to describe the food, she was trying at every new city she went to. When Liz talked about how much weight she gained from the food, it made me feel relate-able to her, but to me it was brilliant that she wrote about that because not every writer would feel comfortable talking about gaining weight, and feeling good about. Knowing that she felt comfortable about it told me that she was willing to open up mind and expend into new things. Also even though only concentrated on herself and healing herself Liz manages to engage people into it, even though you are not the one living the experience one on one you feel like you are. Even though the book started depressing it turned into an interesting thing. Turning into such an interesting thing that kind of makes you envy her that you are not that one traveling the word, because who would not like to do that? Forget their problems and just enjoy life  that is what the book said. Would I recommend this book, yes but only to certain people that enjoy something that kind of stops time around you and makes you feel one with the book. Trust me this is one of those books that once you start reading you feel like you do not want to put down, it feels like you are the one living the great life that Liz did. My final thoughts of the book are that I would not change any single thing she wrote about, and that everyone should take a chance to read this book because you never know what you might learn from it, and hands down I give this book a big TEN. Finally I loved the book, and the way she wrote it made me feel like every lesson she learned I also learned, and not only did she find herself, but it made me feel like I found myself. 

What a book can have you thinking?

After reading "Eat Pray Love" I felt like I had learned so much. Reading this book showed my some of the main things that need to be prioritized in life. For example when she talked about leaving her husband even though she was not sure if it was going to be the right thing or not, I learned that you have to let go of things and by letting go you become a stronger person. When Liz did this she became a stronger person, but not just that she was also able to find herself. Now I know that I do not have to worry how much something hurts, because it will take me somewhere that will lead me to finding how I truly am.When Liz began talking about God, I felt like I had a big connection with her. Just like her I was unsure of what to think or how to pray to God. I had to go through something’s to know that there was someone above looking over me and willing to guide me in the right direction. Reading her part in India reminded me of when I did my Holy Communion, unsure and kind of scared, but as the time progressed you learn the ideas behind it, and you feel a closeness to God, even though you cannot see him you know you can talk to him and he will be able to listen to you; when he listens to you he will reply your prayers even though it might take awhile. In India I felt like Liz let go of herself, and became the person that she wanted to be, and that is the message I got. That through an experience with God you realize who you are. I had this feeling because when Liz was frustrated when she could not get her praying right, she managed to talk to God, and he guided her towards the path of hope. Another thing that this book taught was that you never start learning no matter how much you think you already think you know. Reading the book showed me show of the true means of what I taught I already knew, and it did not only did that but it expanded my mind to other beliefs and cultures and what they are really about. Reading the book it made me think of the many things in life that we have but that do not make us happy. It made me think because of everything Liz had at the beginning and was not happy, she taught she had the perfect family, life, and everything that you might need or want, but that still was not enough. It showed me that sometimes you have to think through of want you have, and ask yourself does it make you happy. If your answer is NO, then you have to change your life, and that usually with leaving everything behind will lead you to your TRUE HAPPINESS, and become a better person inside and out. 

Indoneisa:36 Tales About the Pursuit of Balance"

As Liz arrives to Bali she remembers how she never has really had a plan in her life, how she does things without thinking about them. But then it hit her that she arrived to Bali without even knowing if the medicine man that she had met almost two years ago would even remember her or would be alive. Liz decides to stay at a hotel where she meets a guy that she quickly becomes friend's with. The guy's name is Mario(well his nickname), her and Mario are quickly compatible because he also shares a passion for Italian just like Liz does, and he also happens to know of the medicine man that Liz wants to go visit. After finding this out Mario and Liz go to the medicine's man house. On her way there she had  mix emotions and did not know what she was going to tell him. Once they arrived there Liz big fear came true, the medicine man did not remember her. It took him awhile to remember her until she said she was a writer that's when his light bulb clicked and he invited her to stay again. Liz will learn from him, and she will teach him English. Liz decided to buy a bike so that she can travel every day to the medicine's man house. Liz there sees how he is able to diagnose everyone that comes inside that house, and how everyone trust him with what he says. The first lesson he teaches Liz is a mediation he tells her to sit in silence and smile, because yoga is too hard and serious, he tells her a smile will bring good energy. The medicine man tells Liz how he came to be a medicine man how at first he wanted to be a painter but after one night he got burned in the arm and his uncle told him how to heal it and it did. After seeing this he knew in the direction he had to go in. While being there the medicine man explains why some people become "sick" on their birthday. He tells her that some people are born in the wrong month or sing and end up becoming bad people or evil. But he also tells her that you can turn your life around by offering something or sacrficing and it will bring your life back to balance. To win the medicine's man wife, Liz makes photocopies of his books to keep them preserve by seeing that Liz did this she is able to see past Liz and see who she really is. One important thing the medicine man lets Liz know is about the Four Brothers.The four brothers symbolize siblings that are with us since the womb. They are their to protect us, and also symbloize the four things we need for happiness; which are inteligence, friendship, strength and poetry. He also lets her know that they are there whenever you need them, and they will escort till your death. Ironic the next day Liz is hit by a bus, and the medicine man recommends her to see a doctor and not him. After going through this, Liz decides to go in search of happiness. She talks to the medicine man about this and he tells her that he knows meditations, one is to go to heaven and one to hell, even though they do not believe in this they do believe in karma, and expalins about the universe and that during the journey you have to be happy. At a brazlian party, Liz meets two guys one named Felipe and the other Ian. The next day Liz starts to imagine a romance with Ian, but this only reminded her about David and what could have been, and her final taughts were Felipe. Liz has dinner with Felipe for entire whole week, and starts to develop feelings towards him. She talks about the great qualities he has. After sleeping with Felipe, Liz decides to look at Bali in an "American" way, with her deported friend. After returning back, she decides to stay with Felipe. When July came it was time to celebrate her birthday, but her firends decided to throw her a traditional Bali party. The clothing she was wearing was beautiful, but like Liz said very mummifying. Even though the party was nothing like she expected it to be it was still the best party she has ever had. Felipe ends up confessing to Liz that he loves her, but does not ask  anything in return of it the only thing he is worried about is how she may react to what he said, and what kind of life he is going to be able to offer her. Liz undecided of what to do, decides based on a dream she has where her guru appeared to her and told her it was time to go out in life and be happy, and enjoy it. After reflecting about her two past years Liz feels good about everything, because everything she went through made her become who she is, and with Felipe on her side they plan to divide their time into business and pleasure. Bringing an ending to her travel around the three "I" countries.

India:36 Tales About the Pursuit of Devotion

As this part of her life begins she starts by remembering how when she was little she was raised in a chicken farm, and every time a chicken died her dad would sneak in a chicken to replace the chicken. So when the other chickens would wake up they would think it had always been there. She compared this to when she arrived in India. She arrived in the middle of the night. As she arrived to the Ashram (the temple) she was not noticed because everyone was occupied in their praying sections. As the days when on she found it hard to concentrate in the praying sections specially since she had not prayed in the last four months. She kept on remembering what one time one of her yoga teacher's had asked her why did she practice yoga? She found the answer she knew she practiced it because was able to experience her divinity and be able to hold that experience forever. She then goes on to explain why it’s important to have your own guru; how without one you really do not reach what the doctrine really wants you to reach. A guru as she explains it is able to pass their enlightenment to others. What they are actually passing on is mantravirya. Liz also talks about some of the Indian beliefs how they think there are three main factors that indicate when the soul of a person has been blessed. When Liz arrived there it was close to the New Year's, on New Year's Eve it is traditional for everyone to stay up and chant songs. At first the songs began in a slow beat, but as the night progresses and it gets closer to the New Years the beat goes up beat. Even though Liz was surrounded by people she didn't know, she felt like she was welcomed, and never alone. As her time grew in India it was still hard for her to pray. She felt like she had to concentrate for it, and it just would not come to her. While being there Liz mets Richard someone that becomes close to her, he is even able to help her with her meditation telling her that its not her that its her ego thats not letting her acomplish what she wants to do. Later on Liz discovered that she is also having trouble with the daily morning chant. The chant comes the old holy script of yoga.Liz also talks about faith and how it relates. She talks about how most of us pray to God when we are in need or in hopes of reciving something. But just like we are not one hundred percent sure we are going to recieve we still keep on doing it, and we do it jsut cause that what we want, and we have faith that we will recieve it.She later learns that she has to relate prayer and destiny.s She learns that when she prays that thats the only thing she should worry at that time, and responde better do the things that happen in life and maintain a positive look into it. As the time passes in the Ashram her meditations goes from being a big whirl to turning into being a big peaceful time. She also discovered her own “GOD" in her meditations because she still was not sure what religion she was. But she did find "GOD" in herself, and when she did this she discovered that to find peace she had to return to herself. As her time in India comes to an end she described it as something beautiful, honest, and self discovering.