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eat, pray, lovin’ my way into the new year

I know I’m a little late getting to the this whole Eat, Pray, Love thing, but with colours like this, you’ll have to forgive me…

I still can’t believe that three people in my life gave me the book (that’s a first) and told me they thought I’d like it, and it took me over a year to finally give it a shot.

In fact, I actually saw the movie first and then read the book (that’s a first too!). But there were so many brilliant lines throughout the movie, I had to read the book to really soak them in (and my nearest and dearest were all right - I did love it).

I only wish they’d cast a lesser known star for the lead - sorry Julia.

But wow! Look at that poster behind her at the launch…gorgeous!

Of course the location settings of the movie were pretty spectacular… Rome (look at that beautiful fence)…

And how about the stunningly crumbling apartment her character rented there…

Then just when we start to get used to that, she’s off to India…

The ancient home of vivid colour…

A wonderful shock to the senses…

Then snap, we’re on to Bali…

Another ancient home, but this one, more subtle and serene…

Still lots and lots of pattern though…

And that exciting feeling of ‘the Bazaar’ where everything just seems to jumble together beautifully without a plan…

The story and it’s settings left me inspired.

As I guess it did with many. I had no idea there were Eat, Pray, Love fragrances on the market…

Or products being sold under the colourful umbrella of the E,P,L look…

Prayer beads are a hot fashion accessory…

As are bracelets of all kinds using E,L,P as a selling hook…

Event planners have used the story as inspiration for party themes…

And of course, corresponding party favours…

Fashion blogs have used it to build stories around…

And sell more bracelets…

Heck, even foodies have written about the colours of Eat, Pray, Love.

You know something has touched a nerve when people see it in all aspects of life - from fashion to fruit.

And so guess I’ve learned two lessons:
One - next time three people give me a book, I’ll read it.
Two - “in Bali before dawn the roosters for miles around announce how freaking cool it is to be roosters. “We are ROOSTERS!” they holler. “We are the only ones who get to be ROOSTERS!” Geez, I loved that darned book!

road trippin’

“School’s out - lets hit the road!” ~ what great words!!

I’m one of those crazy fools who loves road trips.

And I even loved them before Thelma & Louise - one of my favourite movies (and not because I look like Thelma).

Why do I (and thousands like me) love road trips?

Here are 8 good reasons….

1. There’s something about the preparation for a road trip I love. It brings out the Girl Scout in me. I love packing the car - making sure we have snacks, drinks, sunglasses, maps, tunes, pillows, and that feeling when we finally drive out of the driveway - “did you remember to shut the garage door?- Yeehah! Lets blow this Popsicle stand!”

2. Road trips are a wonderful excuse to do nothing. For hours. When else does a working mom get to sit on her ___ for hours? Strapped in no less!! Unable to do anything for anyone, short of handing out the odd piece of licorice or a Kleenex. Absolute heaven.

3. Speaking of which - Licorice. Licorice is another reason I love road trips.

4. And how about the ‘talk time’ - I guess we can’t exactly say ‘face time’ (that could be dangerous) - but ‘talk time’ with hubby or girlfriend or whomever I’m encapsulated with. It’s pretty nice to actually be able to have a conversation longer than a minute that isn’t interrupted by the phone, blackberry, kids or whatever. Sometimes I even save up topics that I want to talk to Bob about in the car. Is that pathetic? No, I think that’s just life in the fast lane.

5. Looking at maps. I seldom take the time to look at maps but I enjoy them when I do. My natural sense of geography is somewhat challenged and so my family is used to hearing me call out with utter shock and amazement “so that’s where that is!” - even with a map of Ontario on my lap. Of course Bob and I have our moments with ‘directions’, as any well-married couple has. In fact, we had the worst fight of our marriage on a road trip through Scotland. But that’s old news. The only reason we argue still is because he still doesn’t understand how incredibly great I am at navigation (hey - it’s my blog).

6. Time to think. Driving by other people’s lives and homes, gives me pause to think about my own. I enjoy the voyeurism of seeing how others live and imagining what it would be like to live in situations other than my own. I also love to see how others have lived in the past and wonder about the circumstances that made them move on.

7. There’s something romantic about road trips. Waiting in line at the airport just isn’t the same. Hittin’ the wide open road, without a care in the world, now that’s livin’ (ok, maybe I am sounding a bit like Thelma…). I guess we all remember the road trips we took as kids and how exciting they were - at least for the first half hour. We certainly do all seem to remember them!

8. Timmy stops. The more Timmy tea… the more Timmy stops… We have lots and lots of Timmy stops.

If you can’t get out on a road trip yourself this summer, at least watch one of the many great road trip movies.

Here’s a list of favourites:

Little Miss Sunshine

It Happened One Night

The Darjeeling Limited

Rain Man

Sideways

Into the Wild

The Motorcycle Diaries

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

And of course…