How I love reading! It takes me to countries that I have never visited and it takes me to times before I was born.
Have you heard of Alma Karlin? Probably not, so I am attaching a short article about her:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alma_Karlin
She was born in 1889 in a town that is less then one hour driving from mine. She was the first woman to (with a typewriter) travel the globe. The most fascinating fact is that she didn't have any money, she earnt money by teaching languages.
I am now reading her book that was written in 1928, it is about her 8-year-travelling around the world that she started in 1919. The book was originally written in German language: Einsame Weltreise / it hasn't been translated to English as far as I know (Lonely/Alone Travelling around the World).
I just love her. Sometimes when reading her thoughts I think - those are my thoughts! And she was born almost 100 years before me.
I love the quote from her book:
“Alone and abandoned walks
through life he who thinks only of himself; but he who knows how to
lovingly adapt and turn everything for the better, who always knows
where to offer a helping hand and gives himself to others, his life is a
blossoming meadow, and traces of his work remain, even after he is
gone.”
She was childless, just like me. And yet, she left something very powerful behind.
I loved reading the article about where I found out that a German painter Thea Schreiber Gamelin loved the book "Einsame Weltreise" so much that she decided to write to Alma. They started exchanging letters, after a while Thea visited Alma and they became good friends.
This made me smile. I love when someone who reads my blog (and likes me) sends me a letter (well, an email :)
This way going through life isn't lonely any more.