by Tara Dugan Kusumoto
Satisfying armchair travel not only transports you to another place, but it invites you as a companion on the journey: to witness the author’s excitement and curiosity, her embarrassing missteps and fears.
Readers continue to flock to bestseller “Eat , Pray, Love” to join Elizabeth Gilbert as she sheds her comfortable, yet unsatisfying, life in New York and increases her pant size, spirituality and capacity for relationships in Italy, India and Indonesia, respectively.
If you enjoy travelogues by the average-gal-turned-adventurer, add these to your list: “Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World“, by Rita Golden Gelman, and “Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan,” by Jamie Zeppa. With equal doses of cultural insight, inspiration and introspection, these gems were never bestsellers, but have found a loyal following through word of mouth.
In “Tales”, Rita writes of her nomadic life, which began, at the age of 48, when the children’s book author separated from her husband and left her material life in L.A. for serendipity. From simple adventures of hand-making misshapen, holey tortillas with women in a Zapotec village, to journeys of self-revelation, like discovering her true spiritual teacher in Prince Tu Aji in Bali, Rita meanders from Central America to Israel to Indonesia to Thailand, connecting with people through singing, dancing and cooking over fires.
“My spirit gets nourished in faraway places,” she writes. Her sincerity and vulnerability shine through as she participates in local customs and religious ceremonies, while still battling cultural expectations and her own physical challenges.
On the other end of the age spectrum, 23-year old Jamie Zeppa deferred grad school and marriage to teach English in Bhutan, a decision that spawned a new life, and a journey she recounts in “Beyond.” In this candid, witty self-portrait of innocent enthusiasm tempered by a growing Buddhist faith, she reveals her intimate relationship with the people and culture whose gross domestic “product” is happiness.
Shortly after her arrival in Bhutan, when she realizes that nobody will be carting away her carelessly accumulated trash, she separates the pile into what can be burned, composted or re-purposed. What would otherwise be thrown out in North America, such as empty tin cans, are treasured by the villagers as measuring cups or planters.
Considering how the development of society brings with it less individual responsibility, Jamie muses on “the consequences of our consumption.” She writes: “It occurs to me now that in Sharchhop, the same word is used for both thrown out and lost, and there is no distinction between to need and to desire. “
What’s so appealing about these three women – and their books – is their willingness to shun societal “should-do s” and follow their gut, replacing control with trust. With an open-mind and keen sense of place and self, each translates her love of travel and people into an honest, personal story that makes the reader crave the author’s next jaunt.
Tara is a writer and reader based in Breckenridge, Colo., where she relocated four years ago after finding courage and inspiration in “Tales of a Female Nomad.” She works part-time at an indie bookstore, loves to play in the mountain air and travels often
[...] travelogue recounting Rita’s first 15 years living as a nomad – Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World – has lured a devoted audience and is a word of mouth phenomenon that has changed lives. Mine [...]