A Mysterious Journey Sparked by the Film Eat, Pray, Love — the Beginning of My True Life

This blog was written in 2019 originally and was rewritten.

During my working holiday in Australia, I spent four months attending a language school, studying both basic English and a speaking‑focused class.

Each week, we were given discussion and presentation topics that invited deep reflection:

• A turning point that changed your life

• A memorable film

• Cultural values and social norms of your home country

Through English, I naturally found myself looking back on my life, creating space to reconnect with who I truly was—a kind of spaciousness I rarely had during my years working as a nurse in Japan.

My life’s turning point began with a friend I met at a bar in Shimbashi.

Deciding to go to Australia in 2013 became a major shift.

And when I looked even further back, I realised that one film had quietly opened that door.

Eat, Pray, Love.

When I first watched it, a few years into my career, I was drawn into its mysterious pull.

A quiet ache in my chest whispered,

“Maybe I need a journey like this.”

A life where I could accept myself, remember who I truly am, and feel joy and fulfilment from within.

I loved being a nurse, yet a part of me longed for something more—a brighter, more vibrant way of living.

But reality felt heavy:

a long‑term relationship moving toward marriage,

the expected career path after five years as a nurse,

and the unspoken pressure to take over my grandparents’ home.

My mind was full of have to and must, while my true feelings were left behind.

“Is this all life is?”

That quiet despair stayed with me for a long time.

And then, at the end of 2012,

I made a choice that the old me would never have made.

I set aside all the labels—

eldest daughter, nurse, responsible, reliable, serious—

and decided to honour the voice of “just me.”

During that time, I watched Eat, Pray, Love over and over, as if the film were whispering,

“You’re not making a mistake.”

Later, I read the original book, which held even deeper insights into living freely and authentically.

It became a guide for my life.

Italy for self‑acceptance.

India for prayer and inner reflection.

Bali for reclaiming freedom and creativity.

Elizabeth’s journey mirrors the path many women walk when seeking a life aligned with their truth.

With both excitement and fear, I began my own journey.

Living in Australia allowed me to meet myself again—to feel, release, and rediscover.

Travel has a way of reminding us of the truths we once knew but forgot.

The Encounter with “The Heroine’s Journey”

From 2014 onward, I continued my inner journey—a deep, invisible process beneath the surface.

Self‑discovery can be painful.

We accept, release, and move forward.

We learn from both light and shadow.

In late 2018, through my mentor Tomoko Ono, I encountered The Heroine’s Journey.

It felt like everything clicked into place.

The four years of my journey had formed a circle.

The Heroine’s Journey is the path of feminine energy—the integration of our inner feminine and masculine.

It is not linear like the Hero’s Journey, but circular, spiral, and deeply emotional.

We may feel stuck or looping, yet each cycle lifts us higher, changing how we see the world.

Understanding this process brings relief, a sense of calm, and the ability to stay grounded through life’s shifts.

That is why I want to share this journey.

I believe it will support those who dream of travelling abroad, and those who long to live a life true to themselves.

From the next post, I will begin a series on The Heroine’s Journey.