relaxation

So today was even more relaxing than I had anticipated it being. I woke up at 10, took a nice long shower, then walked down to the deli for a very late breakfast. The deli is maybe a little more than half a mile down the road, probably, so it's a nice stroll that I know I'll be making a lot in the next few weeks. I walked down with just my cell phone and the copy of Eat, Pray, Love that has barely left my hands for the last day and a half--more on that later though. So I went down to the deli, ate my breakfast wrap, talked to Katherine then my mom on the phone, and hung out and read for a little bit. Then I came back up to Bryan & Jo's house and read all afternoon. They've moved into a new house since I was here last and their new house has a deck, so I sat on the deck for a good part of the afternoon just reading. What was not spent reading on the deck was spent napping on the couch inside. I seriously had the laziest day, but I think it was something I deserved. I've really not had a break since school got out in May, because I headed straight into summer school then work for a week, and every weekend has been jam packed. Needless to say, today was great.

So, back to Eat, Pray, Love--I feel a need to thank Elizabeth Gilbert for writing this memoir. I don't think reading this could've come at a better time in my life. The whole premise of the "story" (which is really her memoir) is that Liz has a horrible divorce, so she decides to leave EVERYTHING behind in the US to spend a year traveling the world. She spends about 3 months in Italy (Eating), 4 months in India (Praying), and 4 months in Bali, Indonesia (Loving). I've determined that the three words in the title metaphorically represent the three major steps she makes in her grieving process--first she eats her heart out, then she focuses on her spiritual self, and finally she can return to finding love once more. I am in love with this memoir, and I really think that I could read it again and not be bored. To me, that trademarks an excellent book.

With all I've experienced in the last three months with a major break up and then a couple potential relationships that never really made it to the point of fruition, I think that this memoir really solidifies the fact that this is not a quick grieving process. I really do believe that I need to spend some good, solid time on my own doing a bit of self discovery. In India, Liz spends her entire stay at an Ashram where she practices meditation--something I've never really practiced before--but I find the concept interesting, especially for the fact that she truly comes to peace with her own life. I'd really like to see what would become of instating this practice in my own life. Nonetheless, I strongly recommend this memoir to ANYONE and EVERYONE. I really think that it has a place for each person, no matter where he or she is at that point of life. I think this story has the ability to touch everyone in a very captivating, challenging, and stimulating way.

So, with that said, I'm going to end tonight with one of many wonderful quotes from this memoir. This line spoke to me in a particularly strong way because I am pretty damn good at holding a grudge, and it is something for which I probably should not pride myself. I think this message is one I should particularly try to take to heart.

"As smoking is bad for the lungs, so is resentment to the soul; even one puff of it is bad for you. I mean, what kind of prayer is this to imbibe--'Give us this day our daily grudge'? You might just as well hang it up and kiss God good-bye if you really need to keep blaming somebody else for your own life's limitations."
- Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love