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Rita Golden
Gelman: Author/Female Nomad
 Rita Golden Gelman, 64, is a self-styled nomad
with no permanent address and virtually no possessions. She has traveled the world for 15
years, settling down for months and years at a time in communities as varied as Mexico,
Indonesia and Thailand. She will explore the US over the next year.
Rita decided to "do life differently" after a divorce in 1986. With her two
children grown, she decided to pursue her lifelong dream of going to distant lands to
learn about other cultures. Her study of
anthropology helped nurture her passion to discover new places and live with new people. This passion has fueled many of her books, her
most recent of which is Tales of a Female Nomad: Living At Large in the World. It describes some of her travels and lets readers
share her encounters. She is the author of
more than 70 children's books, including award-winning Inside Nicaragua, and More
Spaghetti, I say!, a staple in many first grade classrooms.
Rita is one of the
presenters for the AARP Creativity After 50 workshops taking place around the country with
the traveling Grandma Moses exhibit.
Q: How did you
come to the decision to sell your home and most of your belongings?
A: My children were 22
and 23 and living away from home when I found myself unexpectedly facing divorce. I
thought, “What am I going to do with the rest of my life?” I remembered
the dream I'd had when I was a young woman: I used to imagine myself in a canoe, paddling
up the Amazon and stopping in tribal villages. I had buried the dream when I became
an adult and started a family. But when I suddenly found myself free and able
to make decisions without asking permission, I realized that what I really wanted to do
was take off on a journey that would bring me into other cultures where I could learn
about different ways of living life.
Q: Most people would dismiss the idea of traveling around the world because they feel
they can't afford it. How do you do it?
A: Well, for starters, when I live in other countries, I live like the natives. I've
stayed away from developed countries where the standard of living is high. In the
developing world, a visitor can live very comfortably on $10,000 a year, which is my
budget. When you think that a government worker in Bali (where I lived for eight
years) earns $50.00 a month; it puts things into perspective. I almost never stay in
hotels. I like to stay in one place long
enough to become a part of a community. And I will stay for as long as it feels right.
But I don't want to own a house or lock myself into a place forever. If I am not settled into a community and
living with a family, I stay in hostels or home stays.
I have some income from my children's books, the old ones and the new ones,
and I continue to write while I'm traveling.
Q: Did you think
you would do this for so long?
A: I never thought about how long my journey would be. I just began. The truth is, I
try not to think too far ahead. Too much planning can stop you from doing what
you really want to do. I have no idea what I'll be doing a year from now.
There's always the possibility that I'll want to spend time with my grandchildren (still
to come) or I might become ill. At the moment, I'm 64 and loving my life. I take it
a day at a time.
Q: How has your
family reacted to your lifestyle choice?
A: My kids get frustrated when they can't get in touch with me. And sometimes they
think it would be nice if I were just a traditional mom who is at the other end of a phone
when they need me. In the early years I missed not having a telephone. It was hard
to be out of touch and almost unreachable. I would write letters and send them off
into space; and they would arrive, if they arrived, two or three weeks later. Then the
answer would take another two weeks. E-mail changed my life. Today, except in
really remote places, I can "talk" to my family and friends as often as I want. They know that I'm happy in the life I've chosen
and they're pleased about that. So am I.
Q: You continue to write children's books. Has your subject matter been affected
by your experiences?
A: The subject matter
of my books has certainly been influenced by my travels. When I was in Guatemala, I was
struck by how colorful the landscape and surroundings were. After spending time there, I
wrote STOP THOSE PAINTERS! About two men who can't stop painting the world. When I
was in Nicaragua, I wrote about young people in Nicaragua and how they made a revolution
and lived in a country in chaos. DAWN TO DUSK IN THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS is about the
animals in the Galapagos, and RICE IS LIFE is about how rice grows in Bali. When I
was in New Zealand, I wrote a book about sheep.
Q: Your book, TALES OF A FEMALE NOMAD, is about your 15 years of living with people
around the world. What do you hope to accomplish by sharing your story?
A: When I wrote it, I just wanted to share my stories. But now that it is out there,
I'm getting enormously positive response. The book is striking a chord in the readers and
motivating them to reach out and expand their lives, to think creatively about the
possibilities of life, to revisit dreams that they had buried. I have received more
than 500 e-mails (I give my address in the book) from people who say that reading my book
has touched something deep inside them. I'm thrilled. The main message I'm getting
from my readers is, "You have given me permission to do what I've always wanted to
do. As I read about your adventures, I thought, if Rita can live her dreams, why can't
I?"
Q: Why were
you attracted to AARP’s creativity workshops?
A: As soon as I heard that the goal was to encourage people to be creative in their lives,
to view age as a liberating experience in which we can revisit our dreams and explore ways
to expand our joy, I jumped in enthusiastically.
Q: For others out there who have a dream of living a more fulfilling life but are
doubtful about taking the big step, do you have any advice?
A: I admit that my way is extreme, but anyone can take small steps toward living a more
open and enriching life that embraces otherness. Talk to people who are different
from you; invite foreign families to dinner; call a nearby university and see if there are
foreign students who would like a home-cooked meal. When traveling, stay with
families (check out Servas, www.usservas.org,
Friendship Force, Elder Hostel), go to a language school that places students with
families. Connect, connect, connect. In light of the recent horrific events, we are
tragically reminded how important it is to have cultural interaction. Ignorance is
the nightmare of our world. With interaction, we are reminded how much we are alike.
There is joy in opening up to the world and in reaffirming the oneness of humanity. And
age frees us from many daily responsibilities; we have no excuses to put off pursuing our
dreams.
Getting
Started
Buy Rita's book here: Tales
of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World (Crown 2001)
Read more of Rita's
writing: http://www.ritagoldengelman.com/more.html
Visit Rita’s
website for more information about her books and upcoming U.S. tour: http://www.ritagoldengelman.com/home.html
AARP Creativity After
50 workshops are taking place around the country with the traveling Grandma Moses exhibit:
May 11 - July 28, 2002: Columbus Museum of Art in Columbus, Ohio (Rita workshops
scheduled)
August 17 - December
1, 2002: Portland Art Museum in Portland, Ore. Attendance
is free, but registration is required. Call
toll-free 877-926-8300 or visit www.aarp.org/creativity.
www.usservas.org
"Servas is an organization of
travelers and hosts throughout the world. It’s a peace organization that was born in
Denmark at the end of WW II in the hope that people connecting across cultures would
prevent future wars. But there’s very little ideology. Mostly it’s good, caring
people connecting with good, caring people, who happen to be from different
countries."
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