Eat. Pray. Love.

Yesterday I went to the opening premiere of Eat Pray Love.  I had been following the commercials for the past couple months and was VERY excited for this movie to come out.  I often referred to it as the "movie made for my soul".
I have traveled a great deal throughout my lifetime and have a great passion for experiencing life to its fullest.  So naturally, the movie seemed very appealing.  As most people like to read the book first and watch the movie after...I am the exact opposite - because in most cases the book is better than the movie, I find more disappointment when I read the book first. So I choose to watch the movie first, that way in the end I am impressed with them both.  I also chose to go to the movie by myself, some might think that is a bit strange for a 19 year old girl, but I really wanted to be able to soak it in and reflect on my life without the distractions; I happened to also be the youngest person in the theatre which was a bit of a shock to me.
Now onto the movie itself...I fell in love.  To start off with, the scenery was absolutely gorgeous and just itself gave so much life to the movie.  The story line was great, you have Elizabeth Gilbert (played by Julia Roberts - who happens to be one of my favorite actresses and did a phenomenal job in this movie), who is a middle aged woman with a good job and husband, who is missing something in her life and wants to feel alive again.  I think this is something we can all relate to; how often do we get so swamped in our lives that we forget about the beauty of it and what really matters?  But she does what most of us don't have the courage (or stupidity, take it how you please), to quit or jobs, leave our husbands/companions (this is in no way encouraging divorce) and set out on a quest around the world to find ourselves.
I found myself in ways very much like Liz, and also in ways the complete opposite - I, like her, am very ambitious and driven, I have a hunger and appetite for life.  But unlike her, I haven't been with/or breaking up with a guy since I was 15.  I've been a very independent woman, which ultimately has enabled me to find myself at an earlier age.
I got two main lessons out of this movie, life and relationships:
When it comes to relationships, it's very very important to find yourself, know who you are and what you want out of life before you can expect to find "your champion".  Liz was a woman who easily fell in love with many men, I have been absolutely terrified of the idea of love for years - I used to think that allowing myself to be in a serious/loving relationship somehow would mean that I was weak and vulnerable, but now after some dating under my belt and watching the movie, I realized that allowing yourself to love someone and be loved does not make you weak at all...love can be very scary at first and takes a lot of courage, it takes a very strong person to love someone completely, all the while not loving themselves any less.
Life, such a simple word with great meaning - a word that lets each individual define it.  From my experiences, and the inspiring message of the movie, I want to remind everyone of the beauty and opportunities that surround us everyday.  What is the purpose of life you may ask? - Whatever you want it to be!  Don't ever lose that hunger or appetite.  Constantly strive for more, but don't forget to relax and enjoy the simple pleasures.  Put passion into all that you do! PASSION...it makes life so much more enjoyable.  See something majestic and marvel at it.  Witness and experience life to it's fullest.
"You were given life; it's your duty (and also your entitlement as a human being) to find something beautiful within life, no matter how slight." - Elizabeth Gilbert
Live Your Life Inspired