Author: Gregory V. Diehl
Publisher: Identity Publications, 2016
Genre: nonfiction
Pages: 142
Obtained: from author in return for an honest review
Summary: The author explains the process of stepping away from your culture and routines of daily life, and putting your world view, personal history, and beliefs aside, to find your true self through travel.
Thoughts: What made this book so interesting to me was that the author and I have such different lifestyles. The author is someone who lives a nomadic life, experiencing many different cultures and people. I am a mom that has lived in the same small town for 18 years among the same people only experiencing this one culture. The author has been on a journey, not only physically traveling the world, but an intentional journey to find his true self by continuously immersing himself into new cultures. Each time he travels to a new place, he puts aside the barriers of cultures and people that he has experienced in the past and experiences a new self. In this way he can see what makes him who he really is- what is really inside him, not what the outside world is making him.
This book really gave me food for thought. The author's ideas were new to me and it really made me think. Also, I have been contemplating the author's lifestyle and the courage it must have taken him to begin this journey. To me, the idea of immersing myself into a new culture is terrifying, but I can see how it would force someone to grow.
Although the author was describing new ideas to me, it was easy to understand because of his clear writing style. He explained a complex idea and process step by step, giving personal examples along the way. Also, the book was not long and drawn out. It was just enough to get his point across.
This would be a terrific book for anyone on an intentional journey to find their true selves, someone that likes to travel, or anyone interested in some new ideas related to self. It would also be a fantastic book for a book discussion. I can see some heated debates about the ideas in this book. It is not for someone looking for a detailed travel book or memoir.
Tea: Bright Eyed
Obtained: gift
I received a 4 ounce bag of Bright Eyed tea for Christmas. It was handcrafted by Art of Tea, which is an organic tea importer and wholesaler based in Los Angeles, California. The tea is a blend of organic cinnamon, organic ginger, turmeric, sarsaparilla, and organic black peppercorn. The package states that it "draws from Ayurvedic principles to energize and awaken your mind and body, all without caffeine".
The tea came in a good quality resealable bag (seen in the picture). It was a pretty blend of spices in oranges, yellows, and browns. It had a wonderful strong, spicy scent. I put two teaspoons of tea into my teapot and poured sixteen ounces of water that had been boiled over the leaves. I let this brew for five minutes. The bright yellow liquid had a spicy, peppery taste with a sarsaparilla aftertaste that stuck around for a long time.
I really liked this tea. I love that it was a blend containing turmeric. I have tried adding turmeric to drinks for the health benefits and, every time, all I could think about was pickles. It was not so with this blend. It didn't remind of pickles at all. In a way, it was reminiscent of chai tea, which I love, but with a different spice combination. It definitely has that very strong spicy, peppery taste. If you are looking for health benefits and like spicy, this is a must try.
No comments:
Post a Comment