• Home
  • About us
    • Get Updates from Women Travel
    • WomenTravelBlog.com meets WomenTravel.info
  • Tours for women
    • Stories of Tours
  • Accommodation
    • Accommodation Stories
  • Retreats
    • Retreat Stories
  • Local Guides
    • Local Tour Guide Stories
  • Tour Companies
    • Tour company Stories
  • Cheap Travel Insurance
    • OnLine Booking

Women Travel The World

Women Travel - stories and news for women travellers, solo travelers

womentravelannimated banner

  • Story Map
  • Destination Stories
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Asia
    • Australasia and the Pacific
    • Africa/Middle East
    • Central/South America
  • Niche Stories
    • Women Travel India
    • Women Travel New Zealand
    • Adventure Tourism
    • Budget Travel
    • Business Travel
    • Cycling Women
    • Eco/Sustainable Tourism
    • Food and Wine
    • Girlfriend getaways
    • Lesbian Travel
    • Packing Tips
    • Photography
    • Travel Resources
    • Volunteering
  • Links
    • Women Travel Links – our pick of the best
    • Rosemary’s Pick of Links For Volunteer Links and Work Exchange Travel
  • For WT Business
    • About Women Travel
    • Advertise Women Travel Businesses
    • Women’s Travel Business – Join us
    • WTW Promotional Items
    • Updates from Women Travel
    • Link to Women Travel
    • Login NOW
  • Travel Writing
    • Guest Bloggers Welcome
    • Women’s Travel Writing

The key to rediscovery isn’t exotic travel…

March 17, 2008 by Rosemary

eat-pray-love-150This excellent post by Renee A. James is about the ‘EPL backlash’ – the growing backlash in reaction to the phenomen “EAT, PRAY, LOVE” – the book Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Renee writes ” From what I’ve read about Elizabeth, she is engaging, smart and curious. But, this chronicle of her year spent ”searching for everything” felt so indulgent. I’m just so weary of this entire genre of books. I’m tired of privileged, market-savvy women enjoining me to reinvent my life, go look for answers, seek my inner goddess, and ”attract” only the good so that without fail, I’ll become a better person.

I can’t check out of my life just like that. I find my inner goddess on my pillow at the end of the day and reinvent myself by drinking unsweetened iced tea instead of diet coke at lunch. And by the way, most women — and men — who endure a painful divorce or another difficult life change do not emerge from that experience with a book deal.

I’m not opposed to learning from someone who is wiser and willing to share her insight. But for me, it doesn’t take a new, exotic setting every four months to do that, or a story about how someone lived on her boat for a year while she rediscovered herself, or how someone escaped to Colorado to find a new life. (These last two examples are summaries of two other recent books by women telling the rest of us how to ”rediscover ourselves.”)

I prefer the simple lessons, gently offered, in Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s ”Gift from the Sea,” published more than 50 years ago. Lindbergh’s thoughts are perhaps not dissimilar to those of Gilbert et al, but the vital difference to me is her approachability. She discusses what I think of as ”achievable self-discovery” in order to live ”in grace.”

I am with you Renee – thanks for putting it into words! 

Filed Under: women travellers Tagged With: Eat love pray, Elizabeth Gilbert

Keep in Touch with Women Travel

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
email list sign up

WTW Quick Links

  • Accommodation for Women Travelers
  • Womens Tour Calendar
  • Womens Tour Business
  • Women Local Guides
  • Retreats for Women

More Stories here

Local Websites

wtnz Women Travel India

Great Packing Advice

whattowear

Women Travel NZ Blog

Rosemary Neave PO Box 17727 Sumner Christchurch 8840 New Zealand Phone +64 27 289 0383 Email Rosemary

Women Travel the World

Accommodation and Tours for Women in New Zealand around the World

Women Travel the World Blog

Stories from Women Travelers

Web2Blog:

Would you like a website like this? You can have one! Contact Rosemary

Rosemary on Trip Advisor

Follow Rosemary's travel and reviews around the world

Tags

Adventure Women Bali Indonesia Bushwise Women Camino de Santiago de Compostela ceridwyn parr Cooking classes Cruises cycling holidays cycling women Food and wine India Ireland Italy Kenya Kerala keralablogexpress Ladies trekking Club Lyn Taylor Morocco New Zealand Paris Tour pilgrimage Portugal Rensina van den Heuvel retreat for women Safari sailing shopping skiing solo traveler Solo Women travel Spain Sustainable Tourism Thailand tours for women Tuscany VakanShe Venus Adventures volunteer travel Walking Tours what to pack Wild Women Expeditions womens travel blog women travel women trekking
Olivia Jones Uluru Photo
Olivia Jones Uluru Photo Uluru base ride
Olivia Jones Uluru Photo
Blue Walk Walking Vacations - mindful walking
Global heart journeys
Wild women expeditions

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in