Eat, Pray, Love.

For the past couple of days I have been in a funk. That's the best way I can describe it. I haven't been sad, I haven't been stressed or overworked. I just haven't been happy. Even today I slept in, stayed in my pajamas for half the day feeling uninspired for the paper I had to write for Psychology and frustrated by the mediocrity of my day.
How foolish is that? Sitting in my apartment in Florence in the middle of the day frustrated with mediocrity. Suffice to say I realized just how ridiculous I was being, got myself off the couch and into the shower and went outside.
I walked out of my house, not sure where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do, and ended up in a bookstore. I browsed through the Italian books, pretending to know what I was looking at, and eventually found my way to the English section of the store. As soon as I saw the book I knew I had to buy it and I knew my day was about to get better.

Walking out of the store 10 euro poorer but a million times happier I went straight to my favorite café, bought chocolate gelato (which I'm surprised I hadn't tried yet) and went to Santa Maria Novella. Sitting on the damp grass in the humid day I polished off my gelato and cracked open Eat, Pray, Love.
I had been meaning to read this book for a while. I made a point to see the movie before I came to Italy for obvious reasons. She spends a year in Italy, India and Indonesia. I'm spending my entire year in Italy, and maybe not for the same reasons but anyone who lives abroad has similar hopes and expectations. I hope to find myself, I hope to grow, I hope to learn and love and enjoy life. And so far, I am. I may not be in love, I do not pray, but I sure as hell eat!
I've read the first 6 chapters of the book, no great feat as each chapter is only about 2 pages, but so far I love it. I love her humor and her blunt honesty. And I love her courage. Not only to throw herself into the unknown, but to share that personal and frightening experience with the world through her words.
I am no longer in a slump. I'm happy to be sitting at the kitchen table with my roommates. I'm excited to be going to Munich tonight for the weekend. I'm eager to cook myself dinner, something I did not do enough while I was living with my father.
I'm learning, I'm loving and enjoying life, and above all I am happy.