Two Things Thursday #18

1. New Construction is a photo I snapped of the most recent sister construction to my apartment community. The building I call home has 1, 2, and 3 bedrooms. The one just behind my building has 1 & 2 bedrooms. This new construction is going to have 1 bedroom and Studio apartments.

I think having a trio in our community is wise, especially with more 1 bedroom apartments. Studios are also wise to have on-site.

I do not know when this construction will be completed but they’ve made a ton of progress since I’ve been here. My move-in date was August 24, 2023. Judging by how quickly they managed to do this, I would venture to say, that the project should be done by the end of this year or early next year.

I will keep you guys updated. I can’t wait to see the finished product!

---

2. The Last American Man is a novel by Elizabeth Gilbert. Gilbert is the author of the iconized book, Eat, Pray, Love, which was made into a movie. I own and read the book and I’ve seen the movie. I love them both.

However, I did not think I would read The Last American Man by Gilbert, but I am glad she wrote it. Her masterful way of thoughtfully placing paragraphs succinctly and using layman’s terms with a variety of flair has always lured me in. I now own four of Gilbert’s books, and I can truly say she’s fast becoming one of my favorite writers.

Here is a brief synopsis of The Last American Man:

In this rousing examination of contemporary American male identity, acclaimed author and journalist Elizabeth Gilbert explores the fascinating true story of Eustace Conway. In 1977, at the age of seventeen, Conway left his family’s comfortable suburban home to move to the Appalachian Mountains. For more than two decades he has lived there, making fire with sticks, wearing skins from animals he has trapped, and trying to convince Americans to give up their materialistic lifestyles and return with him back to nature. To Gilbert, Conway’s mythical character challenges all our assumptions about what it is to be a modern man in America; he is a symbol of much we feel how our men should be, but rarely are.

Her way of sharing Conway’s story without simply rehashing his past life and merging it into his present is stellar. She not only lets the reader into the life of Eustace Conway, but she sets a path before us to feel as though we’re walking it with him. From the abuse (both verbal and physical) he endured from his father, to the pain of being the eldest and namesake and not feeling adequate enough, to his travels all over the world, etc, Gilbert weaves a tale that doesn’t feel real, but it is.

If you’re looking for your next book, I recommend this one! It’ll give you more to think about concerning our surroundings, environment, and our way of life and have you questioning all that we have come to know in this day and age.