“In the end, I’ve come to believe in something I call “The Physics of the Quest.” A force in nature governed by laws as real as the laws of gravity. The rule of Quest Physics goes something like this: If you’re brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting, which can be anything from your house to bitter, old resentments, and set out on a truth-seeking journey, either externally or internally, and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher and if you are prepared, most of all, to face and forgive some very difficult realities about yourself, then the truth will not be withheld from you.”
–Eat, Pray, Love
I remember seeing Eat, Pray, Love with my friend Carly a few months after it was released. I was taken with the movie when I first saw the trailer. Julia Roberts did a great job portraying Elizabeth Gilbert’s journey travelling around the world for a year in a quest to eat, pray and love. She finds herself eating in Italy, praying in India and finally, finding love in Bali, Indonesia. Soon after watching the movie, I read Elizabeth’s memoir, upon which the movie was based. Like any goodnatured reader/bookworm, I was curious to read the memoir after having seen the film. Like most film adaptions of books, I’ve found there is so much more detail that simply cannot be captured in the film adaptation and I enjoyed the book far more.
I was also curious to read what others thought of the memoir. While there was an overwhelming positive reaction to her story, some questioned her intentions, deeming her journey as artificial and her storytelling strong, but at times, cheesy. Others felt that she was too self-centered and caught up herself throughout the story. I admire Elizabeth for her ability to leave her husband, her job, and her life behind to go on a journey of self-discovery, something what she felt was right in that moment in her life.
As I find myself daydreaming of places I’d love to travel to, I thought I’d share my journey to Eat, Pray, Love. I wouldn’t say it’s complete by any means, if anything, it’s a journey that continues on.
Eat
I wouldn’t say I’m a self-professed foodie, though friends of mine would be quick to label me as such. Let’s just say that I have an appreciation for good food. I take care in putting together meals for myself, even something as simple as a plate of fruit, cheese and crackers. My friends used to joke with me in high school about me eating slow. I’d like to think I’ve improved over the years. I think getting caught up in conversation is one of the reasons I find myself sitting at a table, the last to finish.
If I had to pick a few places where I’ve experienced the “eat” part of Eat, Pray, Love, I’d have to go with Italy and Mexico. Italy taught me that wine for Italians is water (seriously, it’s cheaper than water and pop!), the term al dente (the ideal firmness of pasta), the magic of risotto rice (which simply melts in your mouth) and being around those who really appreciate food. Seven years ago, my mum, brother, aunt and my cousin Nikita and I ventured off on a two week tour of Italy where we had the chance to savour all sorts of dishes. Such a wide variety for vegetarians which was lovely! I can safely say that I had my fair share of food on that trip and truly savoured each and every bite of food and every sip of wine.
Mexico is another place ideal for vegetarians, the variety of dishes, the freshness of the food and again, the flavour and the spices make it one of those places ideal to experience eat. From burritos to fresh corn tortillas and nachos, salsa, fresh guacamole amongst many other dishes, Mexico has got to be on everyone’s list!
Dream destination: Thailand (Thai food is delicious!)
Pray
My family is Hindu and I learned quite a bit about our religion and culture growing up, from attending prayer services by family, to going to the temple, as well as going to my cousins’ weddings (ALWAYS a fun time!). I believe in a God, a higher being and I do pray, never out of an expectation for something to happen, but as a practice that has become part of my life. I’ve experience what it is to pray in all of my travels and have had the opportunity to take part in others’ religious ways of life, from attending church with my homestay family in Tanzania, to attending my first ever Passover Seder this year with my boyfriend Sean. Praying for me involves closing my eyes and thinking of the things I am grateful for, even sitting on the beach or doing yoga by the sunrise is powerful.
Dream destination: Like Elizabeth in Eat, Pray, Love, I would love to go to India to experience what it is to pray. Most people are surprised when they’ve found out that I have never been to India, the assumption is made that I’ve been to India because I’m Indian. I hope to visit there soon, there is so much I want to see and learn and experience. Another place I’d love to pray is in Tibet.
Love
As many of my closest friends know, I’m a bit of a hopeless romantic. Doesn’t mean I’m the kind of girl who is all over rom-coms, though I have my guilty pleasures 😉 I’ve had my fair share of crushes, most of them being “unrequited love” which I soon grew tired and frustrated of, wondering when I would meet someone, wishing and hoping like most girls. It took some time for me to accept that love wasn’t going to just appear in my life and that I needed to be adventurous and really get out there. After having chased a few boys (not away, mind you haha), I decided that I wasn’t going to worry and that love would happen for me when the time was right. There have been a lot of changes in my life, I’ve had to grow up quickly and take on responsibilities, my academic and career path has changed drastically and throughout it all, I’ve felt lost at times. I’d also wondered what it’d be like to find that special someone that I could share my hopes, dreams, thoughts, life, myself with.
This year, there was “coffee boy” whom some of my friends know about. The guy I met at a party the weekend before I started classes at Sheridan, the one with whom I exchanged numbers and the one who never texted me back after making plans for a coffee date. Silly boy.
Then, the most unexpected thing happened this year. I met someone who took an interest in me first, something new to me. We started out as roommmates (after I moved into a house here in Oakville) and friends, then friendship grew into more and now, five months later, I’m so happy to have found someone like my roommate and boyfriend Sean. We clicked instantly and while I was hesitant at first (having been hurt in the past) and experienced the usual feeling of denial, I decided to take a crazy chance and just go with it. Five months later, I am so glad I did. What’s funny is that I didn’t even travel that far to experience love, only to another city!
There’s something special, from how it happened, to who we are as people and it happened at the right point in my life. At a point where I now have a better sense of what it is I want to do in life, where I feel like for once, my life is on course. So I can say with full confidence that I’ve been able to experience love this year and it is something magical and all sorts of wonderful.
Dream destination: If I had to pick somewhere to spend with someone I love, my answer would be anywhere. Reason being that I think you can be be anywhere with someone and never lose that feeling. But really, if I were to pick somewhere to really appreciate the love I have, to be able to enjoy my travels, I’d pick Italy, Paris (a bit cliche, I know), somewhere in South America, perhaps crossing something off my bucket list like ziplining in the rainforests and somewhere with a beach, where I can enjoy the sun and sand, the sweetness of the sunrise and the silence, the solace (I’m having too much fun with alliteration here) in being with that special someone.
Now let me ask all of you: where would you love to “eat, pray and love”?? Let me know by commenting below!
xoxo Avi
Tags: book, bucket list, eat, eat pray love, elizabeth gilbert, food, love, pray, reading, travel
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