Dear Elizabeth Gilbert,

Two whole years - that’s like an eternity to someone in high school. I remember breaking out into fits of tears, thinking it would never get better. I wasn’t depressed or anything, I was just going through a really rough time. I knew other people had it much worse than I did, which made me feel even more terrible about myself. But that’s the first thing your memoir helped me with. It revealed to me how everyone goes through difficult issues - even those who appear entirely put together from the outside - and that someone is always, always going to have it worse than you, but that does not at all take away your right to your own hardships, regardless of their severity. I began to do everything I could to be as nice as possible to everyone because you never know how badly in need others may be of just a small act of kindness. You never know how much better you could make their day.

But, Eat Pray Love also taught me that prioritizing your own happiness is not selfish, sometimes it’s just necessary. In order to be truly happy, the very first step is learning to accept and love yourself first. I like to believe that my rough time was just a phase that everyone goes through at one point or another throughout their high school career, but I knew it was more than just that. I knew that I was stuck in an unhealthy relationship, but I didn’t allow myself to severe ties with the negative in my life. That’s exactly what was holding me back.

By the time I picked up your memoir, it had been a couple of months since I had officially ended things. I still held a mountain of mixed emotions to deal with. And then I read page sixty five. You wrote, “learn your way around loneliness . . . welcome to the human experience. But never again use another person’s body or emotions as a scratching post for your own unfulfilled yearnings.” I remember putting down the book to take out a highlighter immediately after reading this passage because I never wanted to forget it. It inspired me to depend more on myself than others like I sometimes tend to do (emotionally, anyway). I believe this quote is very relevant during one’s high school years. Everyone throws themselves into romantic relationships, even though most of us barely really know ourselves at all yet. And that’s why none of them are successful! Eat Pray Love is living proof that endings can be beautiful as well, as long as you open your eyes to the positive side. The issue with this is that nearly everyone is afraid of change.

As cliché as it is, every closing door really does just push you towards a different open one. Change shouldn’t scare people, but it does for some reason. Drastic changes strike fear into almost everyone because we, as people, become way too comfortable with what we already know, so we end up blocking out new opportunities that we have no clue exist. We don’t take the time to weigh out every single option. We just need to sit down and give ourselves the time to rationally think about it. If your life was the exact same in ten years, would you be happy? No? Then why are you afraid of change? That was a key lesson I took away from this memoir.

Not only did your memoir help to pull me up out of this slump I had been in, but it also brought a whole new side of myself to light. I am now filled with eagerness to travel the world and learn as much as I possibly can from every single person I encounter. Especially after reading the pray section, I’ve never been more excited for chances to explore. I am not a religious person - at all - so I found it extremely interesting to read all about your experience with this entirely foreign way of life. I had always craved the idea of travelling to see pretty sights and be able to say “hey, I’ve been there”. But now, I have a whole new perspective. I am dying to go out into the world and meet as many people as I possibly can and experience how each of them live. I want to be able to admire how crazy the differences are, yet how they all seem to work nearly perfectly together. I desperately want to see all that this world has to offer.

My eyes have been opened, my perspective has been enlightened, and I have been smacked awake to reality after reading Eat Pray Love.

Sincerely,

Amber Foote

Dear Elizabeth Gilbert,

Two whole years - that’s like the blink of an eye to someone in college. I remember when this journey of mine to find happiness began. Your memoir, Eat Pray Love, enabled me to create a solid foundation upon which to rebuild my life. I have learned the difficult way that happiness is not a destination, nor is it ever permanent. Unfortunately, happiness proves to be a fleeting sensation - one that serves as merely a simultaneous feeling that comes and goes throughout the journey. But luckily, that means the appreciation I experience for moments of pure bliss are absolutely unforgettable.

Over the past couple of years, since writing my initial letter, my own success, especially in regards to being happy, has depended heavily on my ability to help those around me succeed as well. I finally found a manner in which I am able to combine my desire for happiness with my wish to give the same opportunities to those around me.

The message of Eat Pray Love taught me how to recognize the countless possibilities for happiness during any day. Its words showed me how to not only accept, but value differences between those I encounter and myself. Coming to college has given me the perfect opportunity to practice these skills, which I am grateful for every day. So I would like to thank Elizabeth Gilbert, a complete stranger, who has completely changed my life for the better simply through her powerful words. Thank you for empowering me to turn my life around.

Sincerely,