Read, Review, Travel: Tales of a Female Nomad
I belong to a few travel related groups on Facebook. One day, someone asked for recommendations on good books to read. Several people recommended Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman, so I decided to give it a chance. I am SO happy I discovered this book! THIS is the travel book I have been waiting for and wanting to read!
Rita writes about how she became a nomad in the late 1980’s after going through a divorce in her late 40’s. She writes how she had to learn how to become independent and learn that it’s okay to be alone. This journey of self-discovery leads her all around the world as she makes friends with basically everyone she meets! Rita is extremely trusting of others and also brave. Luckily, everything seems to work out for her in terms of finding friends, lodging, and adventures.
She writes about her travels which hardly ever take her to hotels. Instead, she finds lodging in strangers’ homes who then become family. Rita exchanged her knowledge of English with the individuals she met, often teaching the children English in exchange for lodging and/or food. It is quite amazing how she is able to find strangers who become friends and then become family. I am curious how she feels about traveling nowadays when everyone seems to be skeptical about everyone else. (This book was published in 2001.) But seriously — she’ll run into strangers who then offer her a place to stay or just so happen to know someone else who has a place to stay. It’s quite surprising how strangers just open up their homes to her! Perhaps it’s a cultural thing, or a thing of the past. I’m not sure I’d be willing to offer someone my guest bedroom — have you heard of those horrible cases of squatter rights?? I think there’s even a Lifetime movie about them (I know my husband is going to groan about the reference to Lifetime movies…they can be outlandish, but sometimes, you just need to veg and watch bad TV!) Back to Rita’s book — her traveling is exciting to read about, but I wonder about the validity of all of these serendipitous lodging situations.
Some of the countries she travels to and lives in include Indonesia, Mexico, and New Zealand. The way she portrays these countries makes you want to visit them yourself! She elegantly describes the customs, food, and clothing of each of these places. With a degree in anthropology, Rita also explains the differences of the cultures she meets without judgement, which I really appreciate! At the end of the book, she is 62 years old and full of wisdom and amazing stories.
You definitely need to read this book! Her writing is fluid, detailed, and a must read for anyone who loves traveling or for anyone who wants to become a nomad. I highly recommend you read Rita’s book!
