Finding Yourself in Italy

So, while I realize that many have an almost visceral reaction to Elizabeth Gilbert and her travel/memoir Eat, Pray, Love, I must admit that I sort of enjoyed the book.  I also enjoyed the beautiful visuals from the film.  There is something weightless and wondrous about taking off and seeing the world.  I am slightly more skeptical of that pursuit as a way to "find oneself," but, hey, it seemed to work for Elizabeth Gilbert. Having been to both India and Italy, I am definitely dying to go to Bali after reading the book. It looks like paradise...

I also wouldn't mind going back to Italy since I went as a broke student and remember my boyfriend and I sitting eating loaves of bread and drinking cheap red wine most of the time we were there.  It would be fun to go back and not stay in M&J Place Hostel in Rome, for instance.  I still shudder when I think about the shower drain in their bathroom...

If you have not been, Cinque Terre, Italy is one of my absolute favorite places on this earth still to date.  When we were there we stayed in a rented flat high on a hill that you had to weave through numerous cobblestone alleys to find and we also took an entire day hiking the trail through the five fishing villages.  The trail not only overlooked the incredible coastal views but wove through the sights and smells from the lemon trees and olive trees growing along the path.  Along the way, we climbed over jutting rock cliffs and crossed our fingers on more narrow parts of the trail breathing in fresh Italian air and the smell of adventure.
Ahh...travel is so seductive, no?