I’ll be honest. There are days where all I want is to get away. I’m sure we’ve all had this feeling, but possibly for different reasons. Maybe you want to get away from the stressful day you had, or you want to get away from a boring day and go on an adventure. You could also be like me, someone who just needs to escape for the sake of getting away. Unfortunately, getting away is not always easy. I can't always take off to Monterey (though I wish I could), so I tend to turn to another option to get away. I read.

Books are, and always were, a way for me to escape without leaving the house. Books are endless adventures that take me to places a car ride never could. They are the best distractions! They allow you to completely shift focus from whatever is going on around you to another storyline. To make it better, no book is alike, and there is a book out there for everyone. Whether you are looking for a book filled with fantasy, mystery, sci-fi, or even nonfiction, there is a book for everyone. It's just waiting for you to discover its existence.

I’ve always loved the effect books had on me. I get caught up in a story’s twists and turns. The characters in these stories become a piece of me, and soon enough their adventure is mine. I feel the best stories send me on an emotional journey. It's like riding a roller coaster: exhilarating, filled with ups and downs that leave you breathless once it's over, and possibly making you cry because you just weren't ready for all those emotions.

When I finish a book for the first time, it's the greatest yet worst feeling possible. There's a sense of accomplishment that comes with closing the book. I finished this adventure, and it's great up until you realize. . . the story is really over. The second time you read through a book will never give the same feelings the first read gave you. It may be close, but nothing can compare to that first read. Not to worry, reading a story over and over is great to relive that special adventure.

My favorite books are the books that leave me thinking, lingering in this separate universe. Sometimes, I am imagining what happens after the book closes. Where is this novel's universe at after I close the book? What happens to the characters? Obviously, the answer is nothing happens to them, but it's fun to think about. The real question is what is the message, if there are any, of the book I just finished. Amazing books give us a message to apply to our reality.

Reading will always be my favorite way to escape on any regular day, and I will always love it.