I've always been an avid reader. Always. I started reading in kindergarten and never really stopped. In second grade I missed a spelling test because I had my nose buried so far in the pages of a Magic Tree House book that I didn't even hear the teacher announce the test. In fourth grade I discovered Harry Potter, and that was it. I had no interest in anything but Harry Potter. My teacher actually had to confiscate my books and keep them on her desk until recess because I'd pay her no mind if that book was anywhere within arms reach.

I read anything I could get my hands on. I blame the fact that I am a self proclaimed "Grammar Nazi" on my reading habits. By 6th grade, I was at a 10th grade reading level and at the peak of my book obsession. Wherever I went, my current book went with me.

I don't really know when that ended. I remember still reading like my life depended on it throughout my freshman and sophomore years, so maybe it happened when I was a junior. I finished reading whatever book was in my hand, and i didn't immediately pick up another one. In fact, it was months until I started another book. Time began to stretch farther and farther in between books. It would take me longer to finish them. I still loved reading with every fiber of my being, but all of a sudden it wasn't a passion anymore. It was merely a hobby. Maybe I got pickier about the content and story line. Maybe I had too much school work to enjoy it anymore. Maybe I simply was too tired at the end of the day to open the spine of an old favorite.

I miss reading. I miss being able to sit in a bustling cafeteria and not hear any of the noise because I was sitting on a broom with Harry Potter, and we just caught the golden snitch together. I miss all of it, and i intend to get it back. So if you need me, I'll be the one with her face in a book.