December: Tales Of A Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman

"I move throughout the world without a plan, guided by instinct, connecting through trust, and constantly watching for serendipitous opportunities."

This is the story of Rita Golden Gelman, an ordinary woman who is living an extraordinary existence all over the world. At the age of forty-eight, on the verge of a divorce, Rita Golden Gelman left an elegant life in L.A. to follow her dream of travelling the world, connecting with people in cultures all over the globe.

In 1986, Rita sold her possessions and became a nomad, living in a Zapotec village in Mexico, sleeping with sea lions on the Galapagos Islands, and residing everywhere from thatched huts to regal palaces. She has observed orangutans in the rain forest of Borneo, visited trance healers and dens of black magic, and cooked with women on fires all over the world. Rita’s example encourages us all to dust off our dreams and rediscover the joy, the exuberance, and the hidden spirit that so many of us bury when we become adults.

Fuel For Thought Questions:

1. What were some of the obstacles Rita had to overcome once she began traveling on her own?

2. Why is it different for a woman to travel on her own as opposed to a man, and how did she overcome this obstacle?

3. What lessons did Rita learn about politics and freedom when she was in Nicaragua?

4. What did she learn about spiritualism throughout the book?

5. What part of Rita's travels was most inspirational to you? What did you learn or was your biggest takeaway from her journey?