Eat Pray Love: The Beauty of Little Things

So I have already told you all about my travels abroad in the British Isles, but today I am going to back up a little bit. Going into college I knew studying abroad was something I wanted to do at some point… but the near future never occurred to me. It was always “someday” or “next year.” But then something changed my mind. I watched the movie Eat Pray Love and it changed my life. It instantly moved to the top of my favorite movies list and I knew I needed to stop putting things off, especially studying abroad.

I began looking for programs that fit my interests and I found an advertising course that looked like an amazing opportunity. When fall semester rolled around I applied to the program, going over my essays countless times to make sure they were flawless. Around mid-December I got the email- I was accepted to the ADV 399 program!! I was ecstatic to know in a few more months I would be exploring the British Isles.

Later during winter break I read the book Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert that the movie was based off of. It was even better than the movie (just like most books are), and I was even happier that I had applied to study abroad rather than waiting another year. Everyone is always waiting for that perfect moment to come around, when really that perfect moment might be out there waiting for you.

This is one of my favorite clips from the movie. In Italian, “il bel far niente” means the beauty of doing nothing. Sometimes we all just need to take a minute to relax and enjoy the moment. Along with making me realize that I needed to stop putting off studying abroad, Eat Pray Love also made me appreciate what I was seeing while I was there. Whether it’s a Friday night skate through London or the detail that goes into cutting the grass at Wimbledon, appreciating the little things is what makes life worthwhile.

Life is what you make of it. This world can get pretty ugly at times, but it can also be pretty great. How you look at it is up to you. Find something beautiful in life and your whole world could be changed forever.

“In a world full of disorder and disaster and fraud, sometimes only beauty can be trusted. Only artistic excellence is incorruptible. Pleasure cannot be bargained down. And sometimes the meal is the only currency that is real.“

-Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love

Little Matters,

Marissa