Everyone has some place where the world suddenly feels at peace… A place that quells the deafening noise of everyday life and welcomes the steadiness of quiet.

I retreat to a place created by my wistful imagination: an old Victorian library in the heart of London.

Picture grand mahogany rising up along every wall; welcoming Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson and the smell of ancient ink. Quiet voices call me to worlds of no prejudice. Wide-open windows guide stray wanderers into the depths of their imaginations. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle guides his steady hand along the shelves of the mystery section while William Shakespeare chats with drama enthusiasts about the inspiration behind tragic love; J.K. Rowling lightens the room with her small touch of magic and Ned Vizzini gives voice to those lost in their own minds, each pulling me into the mental configuration of young adults.

I open my mind to their emotions, seeing that I’m not the only one who’s lost.

They reach out to welcome my sudden understanding... Through their written words I realize that I am not stuck in a rut forever, but I will grow and learn through experience.

One bookcase stands isolated from the rest. To me, its quiet warmth bathes over the worn out spines. They breathe alone on a pedestal of personal care. John Green and Stephen Chbosky grace the spines of titles that shout in zealous glee; Looking for Alaska, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. These books hold a special place in my heart. John Green’s novels serve as a personal inspiration, a model for what I wish to achieve through my own writing and also a living document of the beauty language can create. Stephen Chbosky’s novel is the most well worn title, holding within its pages tears and laughter.

Charlie hands me his letters, allowing me to write back and relate, and even just be a friend. Charlie was my friend during the most desolate times of my life; he pulled me out of the dark and welcomed me to a world of understanding that had once felt so foreign. He inspired me and assured me that although the road is long, we all make it to that perfect drive on that perfect night where the world opens up and welcomes us to that sudden euphoria of the care and love of friendship and acceptance. Charlie embraces me when times get rough and reminds me through his words that the world is always bright, we just need to make it through the night.

From the worn out pages to the recovered spines, these books open up a world of acceptance and hope.

The titles along the walls bleed out inspiration.

Through books, I escaped the hardest of times and found acceptance.

Charlie opened my mind, while characters like Gandalf took me by the hand and brought me along on the most whimsical adventures of my life. Literature took me to places beyond the boundaries of the map, even when I felt trapped in my own skin.

My library is not only a place of knowledge but also a place that truly emits incredible comfort.

So, even when the world seems deafening and no hands reach out for me, even when I suddenly feel my whole person shrinking-- I will always have an escape. I will always be able to open up to the next page and go on the next big adventure.

My library allows me to open up the possibilities of thousands of new worlds. My library welcomes me into an open world of collective acceptance where I can come as I am, no matter who I am.

My library is my palace.