Eat, Pray, Love Phenomenon Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir inspired a generation of women to travel and find themselves.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Twenty years after the publication of "Eat, Pray, Love," the impact of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir is still being felt. The book took on a life beyond its pages, inspiring legions of readers to embark on their own transformative journeys around the world. While the book provided a perfect happy ending for Gilbert, the real-life story was less simple, with the author later leaving her husband for her female best friend. Still, Gilbert's story continues to guide and inspire women who want to see more of the world and make more of themselves.

Why it matters

"Eat, Pray, Love" became a cultural phenomenon, giving a generation of women permission to travel solo and seek personal growth and fulfillment. The book tapped into a growing desire for women to have the freedom and opportunity to explore the world on their own terms, which was becoming more socially acceptable and safer thanks to globalization and technological advancements.

The details

When Elizabeth Gilbert went on tour to promote the paperback release of "Eat, Pray, Love," she was shocked to see huge crowds of people waiting to see her, a far cry from the small audiences of 10-20 people she had been speaking to earlier. The book took on a life of its own, with readers around the world embarking on their own journeys inspired by Gilbert's story. Women like Gloria Caseiro and Elizabeth Lahiff found the book reassuring and liberating, using it as a catalyst to travel solo and discover themselves.

  • "Eat, Pray, Love" was published 20 years ago this week.
  • In 2019, Gloria Caseiro, a 51-year-old New Jersey resident, set off on her first-ever solo holiday to Italy after finding inspiration in the book.

The players

Elizabeth Gilbert

The author of the memoir "Eat, Pray, Love" who found unexpected success and global impact with her personal story of self-discovery through travel.

Gloria Caseiro

A 51-year-old New Jersey resident who found inspiration in "Eat, Pray, Love" to embark on her first-ever solo holiday to Italy after getting divorced.

Elizabeth Lahiff

An American recent college graduate who was working in Mexico in the early 2000s when she discovered "Eat, Pray, Love" and was inspired to quit her job and move to the Marshall Islands, leading to a career in international development.

Sasha Astiadi

An Indonesian woman who witnessed the transformation of Bali as tens of thousands of tourists descended on the island seeking their own "Eat, Pray, Love" experiences, despite the realities of constant traffic, language barriers, and bureaucracy.

Merridith Ng

A Maryland native who, like Elizabeth Gilbert, found inspiration in "Eat, Pray, Love" to travel the world, eventually meeting her husband in New Zealand and starting a family there.

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What they’re saying

“I decided, 'You know what? I'm now going to go to all the places that I've never gone to.'”

— Gloria Caseiro (Instagram)

“Solo travel gives you so much in terms of what you feel you can accomplish. It also, I think, is the closest to freedom that one can ever feel because there's no expectations on you.”

— Elizabeth Lahiff (Instagram)

“I think Elizabeth Gilbert's story is really similar to mine.”

— Merridith Ng (Instagram)

What’s next

Gilbert says she was initially concerned that readers were trying to too closely recreate her journey, but she later realized that even if someone tries to follow in her footsteps, they will still end up on their own unique personal journey.

The takeaway

"Eat, Pray, Love" transcended its pages to become a cultural phenomenon that gave a generation of women permission to travel solo and seek personal growth, inspiring countless women to embark on their own transformative journeys around the world.