Published about 5 years before [b:Eat, Pray, Love|19501|Eat, Pray, Love|Elizabeth Gilbert|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1269870432s/19501.jpg|3352398], this is (in my opinion) a far more engaging story of a lone female traveler finder herself by exploring the world. Rita Goldman Gelman’s travels show a remarkable “jump and the net will appear” philosophy combined with an honest interest in the people she meets that I find admirable. If only I could travel with that much openness and faith!

Inspiring,engaging writing.

2.5 stars. Interesting story of one woman's post-divorce journey. I understand that this book is one woman's reflection of her OWN personal journey moving from country to country and living in different cultures BUT I could not relate with the author because I saw her as quite self-centered (shows up with no warning in villages in countries she travels to and expects to live there - I think that is a pompous and disrespectful way to travel on purpose, her story of flying into a random village in West Papua Indonesian for a few days and then chartering a flight to get out was ridiculous) and I was annoyed by the writing style - so many paragraphs start with "I" so it often reads like a list - I did this, then I did this, then I thought this, then I ate this - rather than an engaging story.

A fun read and chance to find out what happens when a 40-something woman runs off and starts over, all over the world, creating new lives for herself.

I loved this book. When the author’s marriage breaks apart, she realizes that it’s not just the marriage that doesn’t fit her. Her whole life is slightly off, and what’s missing is freedom, adventure, risk and surprises. And so she sets out to bring these things into her life.

It was wonderful to go along on this ride with her, going to distant places and trying new things. Some of the places she visited were familiar to me, others not, but I was completely engaged in every page. And I admired her courage, her willingness to live nowhere and everywhere.

I found this to be a really inconsistent book -- not enough description in some places, transporting in some sections (how I'd love to visit Bali now), and tedious detail about visits from family in other parts. In the end, I am glad for this vicarious journey of a woman so different from me, and for all the things I learned about other cultures, particularly the Balinese ceremonies around death.

I listened to the author reading her book and loved it. She took me to worlds I have dreamt about (the Sumatran rainforest) and made me wonder, could I do this? She makes it sound so easy! I loved how she is so open to whomever she meets, what she sees, and what she is offered to eat. Would I be able to go with the flow, trust my instincts and other people, and have the guts to attend sacred ceremonies and even sample unfamiliar foods? I know that sounds silly, but c'mon...when your travel has mainly involved places that serve gourmet meals, plenty of good wine, and well-traveled tourist paths (plus the promises of a soft bed and a hot shower), RGG's kind of nomadic travel is a challenging concept. But I also absolutely loved the worlds and experiences, the stories and the pictures she painted with this travel memoir. I come away from this book very inspired to try new things, to let it all go (my pre-conceived notions) and to venture out into the world to truly embrace different cultures, food, music, traditions, dress, customs and languages. I really admire Rita for doing this with her life--a life that sounds so rich and full that I can't really even imagine living it, which makes this such a touchstone book for me. What an inspiring book! Now I have to track down some of her others because I love having her "voice" in my head.

Arrogant and self-righteous, Gelman spends so much time talking about how much better she is than all her "friends" back home (and you, the reader) that she forgets to actually experience real life around the world. Totally missed the mark, here. Perhaps she should stick to kids books...

I think this woman is very brave and I love her story.