In her early forties, Chandi Wyant’s world implodes in the wake of a divorce and traumatic illness. Resolving to find a healthy way to heal, Chandi decides to walk forty days on Italy’s pilgrimage route, with a goal of arriving in Rome, rejuvenated in mind, body, and spirit.
Weakened by her recent illness and impeded by the onset of plantar fasciitis only days into her walk, Chandi’s finds her cherished goal is in jeopardy. Determined to persevere, she walks over the Apennines, through the valleys of Tuscany, and beside busy highways, learning to let her heart lead and finding sustenance from surprising sources.
As the walk progresses, Chandi’s emotional life heals even as the pain in her body escalates. But will the strength of her mind be enough to deliver herself on foot to Rome?
Return to Glow transports readers to a lesser-known Italy, and inspires with its profoundly spiritual and ruggedly adventuresome journey. Anyone who has longed to leave fixed expectations behind and follow their heart will find courage in Chandi's story.
"Chandi's search for herself is both ubiquitous and yet singular; her unique voice and honest self-examination speak to our shared humanity as we question our mistakes and seek to find passion, love and fulfillment on our Hero's Journey through life."
"Her thoughtful reflection on her short-comings reveals a strength of mind and heart, which really drew me in to her experience. Her internal struggles are very relatable, and she gracefully avoids becoming a victim of her circumstances. I love this book and the lessons it contains.
"Her writing style drew me in immediately, placing me beside her, as if I were there. I was affected deeply by her determination and courage to continue."
"If you loved Cheryl Strayed's Wild you will love this book. Perhaps more. If you have dreamed of adventure and transformation read this and be inspired."
A world traveler, photographer, writer and historian, Chandi Wyant has lived in Qatar, India, Italy, Switzerland and England, and has been returning to Italy with unremitting passion since she first lived there at age twenty. She holds a Masters degree in Florentine Renaissance history and is the former head of Sogni Italiani, an events planning firm specializing in weddings, vow renewals, and honeymoons in Italy. The manuscript of her memoir, Return to Glow (2017), won third place in the 2015 National Association of Memoir contest. She recently made a permanent move to Italy and you can learn more about her life there on her website, Paradise of Exiles.
