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Around the Globe in 2 Book Events

This week culminated my last leg of my speaking tour for my book, Life as a Visitor.  Funny to say this, but this past year I was living life as a visitor, literally.  To think of the many book events that took place all other the States and all the new people I met!  And now that my publisher tells me that there are less than 50 copies of my book in their stores, I feel that it’s time to move on and buckle down on the writing of my second book.  (of course I will update you about this new exciting project in the weeks ahead).  But, I am glad that the closing of this chapter of my tour coincided with two very special book events.

Two hundred people attended the WIZO luncheon this past Wednesday at the Regency Club in West Los Angeles.  I was very honored to be the speaker for the day and the funds raised at the event would benefit shelters and day care centers for the women and children of Israel.  As I stood at the podium I could tell that the women gathered in the ballroom came from various backgrounds. So I took an informal pole and I was right.  There were women from S. Africa, Israel, Morocco, Algeria, Romania, Hungary, Germany, Poland, Iran, and other Latin American countries. I was thinking to myself that nowadays our own city has become even more diverse than it was 10 years ago.  What was most interesting is that many of these women approached me after lunch and talked about the similarity of their story with mine, which comes to show that the story of displacement and moving to another country is more universal than one would think.

Two days later, my good friend, Pune Ghebleh, held a magnificent book party at the Lons at Hermosa in Paradise Valley in Arizona.  This gracious host of mine had done such a beautiful job of welcoming me to her community.  Again, what I was struck by was the diversity of the guests–It was a gathering of women from Mexico, Syria, Serbia, Muslims, Christians, Bahais, and Jews.   What can I tell you, it was my kind of crowd.  The deep level of conversation and dialogue that took place was especially meaningful to me.  And, now I feel I have a link to another wonderful community in Phoenix.  (To see pictures of the book event, please visit

http://www.blacktie-arizona.com/photos/photoevent.cfm?id=366)

While I was boarding the plane back to Los Angeles that afternoon, I looked out to take a last look at the sweeping dessert landscape outside.  The red sunset and the shifting light reflected on the mountain range took my breath away.  There I was, waiting in line to board my flight and I had one thought in mind:  There is no greater adventure than life itself. These were the very words I had written in my book. And now, looking back on this year’s worth of adventure, I have to say it again and again and again.  How far I have come this year!  What an adventure it has been.

Thank you to all my friends, supporters, and readers. Thank you!