First published 2004
Rita Golden Gelman faces a crossroads at forty-eight. Her marriage crumbles and her comfortable Los Angeles existence feels hollow. She makes a radical choice in 1986: she sells everything she owns and becomes a nomad. Rita travels without itineraries, letting intuition guide her path. She lives among the Zapotec people in Mexican villages and sleeps beside sea lions in the Galapagos. Her homes range from simple thatched huts to ornate palaces. She watches orangutans move through Borneo's rain forests and seeks out trance healers who practice ancient magic. Women across continents welcome her into their kitchens, where she learns to cook over open flames. Rita discovers that trusting strangers opens unexpected doors and creates meaningful connections. Her journey proves that middle age can mark a beginning rather than a compromise, showing how buried dreams can resurface to transform ordinary lives into adventures.
Genres: travel, adventure, autobiography, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Borneo, Galapagos, Mexico, Zapotec
Period: 1986
Mass Market Paperback · Bantam