Why I Love...A Book in my Hands

I've been known to read anywhere and everywhere.  True statement.  There are very few places that I am unable to read; namely cars and double decker buses (found both out the hard way).  When I was little, I was able to read in cars, no problem.  However, as I've grown older, I find that I tend to get a little motion sickness if I don't watch the road the entire time.  Either that, or I have to close my eyes for the duration of the trip.  Regardless, I've discovered that I can read just about anywhere aside from those two places.  So, because of this, I dedicate this week's "Why I Love" to my favorite reading spot...THE WORLD as long as I have a book in my hands!

I'm quite comfortable hunkering down in any given spot, cracking open whatever book is in my bag, and losing myself in the world it provides.  This ability has provided me with many escapes from the everyday world and helped to pass hours and hours.  I find this incredibly true when confronted with a seven hour plane ride to Europe...or a fourteen hour one to Japan.  Either way, reading on a plane is, honestly, one of my favorite places to read.  I don't know why; the seats are uncomfortable; some of the people smell; it's stuffy.  But...they bring you drinks, snacks, and food (if the flight's long enough).  You never have to get up and get them yourself.  I find this awesome (and lazy, but oh well).  I also like that I can just pop my iPod in and ignore just about everything around me.  It's rare to get that much uninterrupted reading time in.  I think that's why I like it so much.

The same concept can apply to train rides as well.  I traveled a lot by train when I was living in Austria, and Scotland too, so having a book to occupy my time was always something that I counted on.  Though the majority of the rides tended to be fairly short (usually no more than 30 minutes), there were those occasions when my roommate, Lindsey, and I would decide to get out of town for the weekend and hop on a train to a destination anywhere from three to eight hours away.  We took one twelve hour train ride (to Venice), but that was an overnighter, so we slept...kind of.  I loved sitting by the window in a rushing train traveling through unknown countrysides with a book in my hands and my iPod blasting some great music.  It was so relaxing and a wonderful way to while away the hours.

On the train to Glasgow (or North Berwick) from Edinburgh.

 

 

 

Lastly, anywhere that offers a nice, cozy place to plop myself down and read is, naturally, on my list.  I like to curl up with a blanket, some coffee (or tea), and a great book.  I'm good to go sitting on a couch, in a comfy chair, in bed, or at a coffee shop.  As long as I have my trusty book, I don't complain.  

My nest at Binks and Shelly's flat in Edinburgh.

I guess you could basically say that I will read anywhere and everywhere.  I don't really care where I'm at.  I'll pull a book out and just lose myself whenever the mood strikes me.