Friends

The author seems to make many friends during her trip. In Italy, in particular, she mentions a number of people that she calls "friends." Almost all of these friends are people who are also passing through the places she visits. This befriending of various people seems to be something that a younger person would do on a trip through Europe, for example. Do you think that the author's ability to make friends with so many people is one of the reasons that her book is so interesting? Do you think that this ability to make friends is one of the reasons her trip is manageable for her? She does not seem to get lonely. When she gets to India, her "social" nature seems to be more of a problem for her. When you are reading that portion of the book, contrast it with her experience in Italy.