Erin Reese is a one-of-a-kind travel writer-a spiritual seeker and solo backpacker who dropped out of a successful career in corporate America, hit the road, and never looked back.
A SPIRITUAL TRAVELER'S SASSY TALE
Packed with plenty of spicy curry, cows, and comedy, Bindi Girl takes us on one heck of a wild ride across India. From Dharamsala and the Dalai Lama to ashrams, yoga schools, and meditation melodramas, Bindi educates and entertains as she goes. We discover the Hindu deities, the tourist trap mafia, and the beach havens of the hippie trail. From "Guru Disney" to the holy hell of Varanasi, Bindi's got us clamoring for more masala chai all the way.
When Bindi meets an attractive young stranger who is more than her mental and physical match, her fiery spirit is put to the test. He whisks her off to the furthest reaches of India-the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. There, in an isolated jungle, they attempt to live out a Robinson Crusoe fantasy. Will it be the Garden of Eden or end up a natural disaster? Among the wild beauty and danger of the islands and the kooky madness of "typical India," Reese takes us deep into the heart of a country and her very self.
Bindi Girl is a gift to the traveler, the spiritual seeker, and the armchair tourist-anyone yearning for honest inspiration and a real kick to get out and truly live
PRAISE FOR THE ADVENTURES OF BINDI GIRL
"Lovely, lyrical, gentle, and informative. It made my world bigger."
James Fadiman, author of The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide and editor of Essential Sufism
"Erin Reese 'gets' the spirit of India. In reading her adventures, I could almost hear the crowds and smell the curry. But more than that, I felt blessed by the soulfulness of half-a-dozen millennia. Erin was born to be in India - and to write this book."
Victoria Moran, author of Creating a Charmed Life and Shelter for the Spirit
"'Milk-coming-out-of-your-nose' hilarious at times, and heartrending naked revelation at others, Reese takes us along on her unsentimental spiritual journey through India as she fearlessly follows her heart through worlds few travelers experience. Bindi Girl is a must-read for anyone who yearns to travel within and without, and who is not afraid to be transformed in the process."
Pamela Lund, author of Massively Networked
"Erin goes places, physically and metaphorically, few travelers dare to go. Her stories amuse, outrage, inspire and provoke. This isn't the tale of someone who received a book advance jetting off business class for a few weeks in an ashram. This is third class train, steerage class ship, with a dash of indulgence thrown in. Erin is a gifted, special writer, and she's the real deal as a traveler."
Lynn Braz, editor and travel writer featured in The Dallas Morning News
"It's like Eat, Pray, Love - with teeth."
Jessica Shepherd, author of A Love Alchemist's Notebook
"Reese reports on an India few outsiders get to witness - not the Goa parties or tourist sites or political turmoil, no. Instead she dives into the throbbing spiritual centre of India and tries to place her California soul amongst the gurus, mystics and visionaries that remain a constant of Indian religion. Yet Reese is no New Age tourist full of cosmic waffle. Her writing is both beautifully descriptive and very funny. She captures the sweaty heat of India, its madness and charm. Her own spiritual quest mixes with her lusts and frustrations to create a new kind of travel writing. If I ever return to India it will be with Bindi Girl as my guide."
Garth Cartwright, author of Princes Amongst Men: Journeys with Gypsy Musicians and More Miles than Money: Journeys through American Music