Jun Q’Anil is an autobiographical accountof
one woman’s quest for inner peace and for a resolution for
the demons within. Jessica Nagler surrendered life as she knew
it by halting her career, breaking off her engagement, and shedding
her worldly goods to go on a retreat in Central America to find
herself. I was immediately thrown by Jessica deciding to do this
and after reading the first two pages, I must admit that I thought
she was having a nervous breakdown. People would kill for her
situation with a home, a successful career, and a pending marriage.
I wondered what could make this woman give all of that up to travel
across the world but it wasn’t until I continued reading
the story that I, like Jessica, knew that this was a trip that
she had to make.
Ms. Nagler begins the story by explaining the incidents that led
up to her decision to make this journey. As I read her description
of the throbbing pain in her head and her travel from doctor to
doctor and medicine to medicine with the pain still lingering,
I could feel her anxiety grow into a need to get away and explore
her inner self. The catalyst for her inner journey was her meeting
Sanda, who was to play a pivotal role in guiding Jessica towards
Central America and her ultimate destination, Guatemala.
The book’s rich descriptions of the lands and the people
she encountered along the way, allow the reader to picture the
areas and the different characters as one is reading along. Sanda
reassures Jess about her decision to make the trip and the knowledge
that though they will be hundreds of miles apart, they will never
lose touch with one another. If, for whatever reason Jess cannot
get in touch with Sanda, it was revealed that this must be a lesson
she must learn for herself. Sanda gave Jess the foundation she
needed to put her life in modern society on hold and to go and
uncover the magic and mysteries in Central America.
Her journey began in Costa Rico where she was to meditate and
bring into use everything Sanda had taught her. As with most of
her journey, Jessica continuously questioned and badgered herself
about her actions and her surroundings. She realized that she
wasn’t as prepared as she thought while she complained about
her lodging, the food that was prepared for her, and the constant
attacks of insects. I found this not only amusing but it brought
a sense of reality back to the book for me. Although I know it
was a true story with only a few modifications as she mentioned
in the foreword, it still read like a fantasy novel up until that
point. Ms. Nagler used the word “fantasy” to describe
how she felt when she first arrived in the country. She compared
the life she was attempting to live now versus how she lived in
the past. The complaining about no hot water or not getting the
room she originally asked for grounded the story for me because
it just seems as something that is in human nature to do.
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She then traveled to Nosara where she encountered new people
and once again criticized herself for how much “stuff”
she was still traveling with. I recognized throughout the book
that most of the criticism that came from Jessica was about herself.
No matter who she stumbled upon and began a relationship with,
the one constant was them reminding her to go easy on herself
and not being so judgmental about her actions and how she perceived
a situation.
The next part of the book was a little sketchy with her being
visited by UFOs and deciding go with Francisco, a real estate
agent who lived to surf, to the Osa Peninsula where they could
catch some great waves. It seemed as though Jessica lost her focus
throughout this period.
Jessica scooped herself up after a surfing accident and headed
to her original destination, Guatemala. The dream that she was
following included a Mayan priest. Knowing that she should follow
her dream, Jess ventured out looking for this priest, confident
in knowing that he would be her guide. Her search led her to the
doorstep of Joselo, the Mayan priest, who was awaiting her visit.
Joselo was her spiritual guide. He advised her on her lifestyle
change to aid her with sorting out her true inner identity and
to the direction she should take to lead the life she wished to
live. Ursula, the grandmother of Joselo’s wife, was also
a key figure in Jessica realizing that while she was searching
for inner peace or signs as to how to live her life, she was finding
herself.
Overall, the book was a quick read and was a thought provoking
humorous look at one woman searching for anyone that could help
her and finding that all she needed was to look within. The book’s
vivid images and Jessica’s ability to relay her thoughts
and feelings to the reader is what brought this book alive and
made it a winner.
Sandra Hill is a freelance writer and a
student of Journalism at Clayton State University. She may be
reached at sandrahill101@bellsouth.net. She is doing her senior
internship with Oracle 20/20 Magazine.
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