A Pair of Panties and Boxers

The Lost Girls is told in the eyes of three New York City girls turned globe trekking adventurers. I found myself not only lost in their adventures of self-discovery and stories of reality but I also found myself lost in their individuality.

Each chapter is told in the perspective of one of the three girls but each girl lacked a distinctive voice. In the beginning it was hard for me to differentiate who was who and who’s story was being told. However, after a few chapters I realized that their stories completely overshadowed my confusion.

The Lost Girls is available for purchase but I will be giving away my copy. (It’s an uncorrected proof.) If you’d like to enter the giveaway contest, just leave a comment below. If you’re debating about whether or not you want to get the book, here are a few clips of my favorite parts of their journey.

I was touched by the kindness that was shown by an old Quechuan woman before the girls prepared for the Inca Trail in Peru. She persistently tried to return a money belt to Holly even though Holly tried to wave her away. When the old woman finally got Amanda’s attention, she refused to accept any monetary compensation.

I studied the woman’s sun-creased features and knew she probably made less money in an entire year than the amount Amanda had toted around her waist. I stood quietly watching as Amanda offered her a propina (tip), which the woman refused with a violent shake of her head. This must have been a real-life example of a concept called ayni I’d read about in a guidebook. It was the indigenous Quechuas’ version of karma that held if you help a neighbor, they’ll do the same for you someday. – Holly

At the end of the girl’s Inca Trail, the trekkers pooled together all the things they didn’t need to give to give to their sherpas.

Their enthusiasm over receiving unwashed clothing made my throat tighten. Far away from the glitz and gir to New York City, I thought that often the people who had the least in the way of material possesions seemed the happiest. The proters, who carried giant packs of other people’s belongings, didn’t appear to focus on what they lacked. Instead, they acted gratefyk for the small stuff that came their way – even used antibiotic ointment. And their eyes, though lined with creases and slightly weathered, looked to me to have more sparkle than any guy I’d seen walking down Wall Street in an Armani suit. – Holly

One of the events that really made me stop and think was the girls’ experience volunteering in Kiminini, Kenya at a boarding school for girls.

“But Miss Holly. I don’t undah-stand,” said Alice, who was dressed today in the same daffodil yellow taffeta dress that she’d worn since we’d arrive. “What is the word – Fay-voh-ritt?”

It hadn’t even occured to us that in order to have a favorite of anything, you had to have choices: what you wanted to eat, what to do, where to go. The world hadn’t been taught in their English casses, so we asked if they knew what the word “best” meant.

“For example, is red your best color or is blue?” explained Holly. “Red or green?”

The girls nodded to show they understood, so we took turns going around the circle.

“Okay, Nancy, what is your best activity?” Jenn asked the boarder who wore a pink calico smock dress, one o fthe girls in Calvin’s clique. “What do you like to do after school?”

“My best act-tee-vity is to…wash the plates.”

Jen smiled. “Oh, that’s good, but we mean…what do you like to do for fun time? Once you’re done with school, when you’re playing with your friends?”

“Yes, I see,” said Nancy, looking confused. “I like to…clean the silverware?”

I thought she didn’t understand the question, but almost every boarder gave a smiliar answer: Polish the silverware. Sweep the floor. Carry water. Feed the chickens. – Amanda

If you’d like to read more about The Lost Girls’ around the world experience, pick up their book at your local book store or leave a comment below to enter to give my copy of the book.

Update: Congratulations Savannah! You’re the winner of The Lost Girls Book giveaway.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

I received a free copy of The Lost Girls but this is not a sponsored post. These thoughts are strictly and subjectively my own. No compensation of any form is going toward my grad school tuition.