Book Journeys

I have been reading. Sometimes I forget how much I love reading. Usually amnesia sets in with the chaos of college life, school work, and stress. But over breaks, I remember.

Remembering books is a beautiful thing. I think I've read seven so far this break. They are young adolencent books, so they are fast reads, but engrossing nonetheless. I'm working on reading through my future classroom library, which is surprisingly large for not having a classroom yet.

And what adventures I've been on! I have robbed from the rich with a retelling of Robin Hood from the point of view of Scarlet, the one women in Hood's band of merry men. I have found excitement in a new futuristic twist of Cinderella. I have solved mysteries in New York in 1946. I have met some very peculiar children hidden from the world who relive the same day over and over again. I have met mermaids. I have been to India, Kentucky, Plymoth, England, New York, Pennsylvania.

In short, I have gone on adventures. I love how books can do that. Bridges, connecting us to somewhere else, somewhere unexpected, somewhere magical. I think that's why I love books so much.

They let me go places I've never dreamed of. But I suppose books only take me so far. Which is why I board a plane in 36ish hours to head off on my next moon journey: Ethiopia.

It is still hard for me to grasp the fact that in three days time, I will be standing on African soil.

Maybe at some point I will be better at expressing my frazzled, excited, nervous thoughts, but for now, I'll leave you with a quote from one of my recent book journeys:

"P.P.S. Today the sun was out, and as I walked to school I wondered if it was sunny in Kentucky, too. And then I though to myself that it's the same sun here as it is there, and that made me feel like you're not so far away after all." --Same Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani

I guess the moon is out now (maybe, I didn't actually check, I just assumed). But for sure the stars are out. So no matter where you are, remember it is the same moon and the same stars here as it is there. It makes missing people more barable.

Until next time, Merry Christmas.