All through Elementary and Middle School I was an avid reader. I read so many Young Adult, Fantasy, and Coming of Age novels that as I would walk through a bookstore I would recognize most books around me. When High School began I became so overwhelmed with schoolwork that I stopped reading for enjoyment. I could not rationalize reading outside of because of the homework overload I had every night.

Recently, however, there has been no homework. I was slowly running out of tv shows to watch while staying home when I came to the realization that there was never a better time to start reading again. I had so many unread books on my shelf to choose from that I didn't even know where to start.

I tried starting a few new books and nothing was clicking. I began to worry that I had lost my love of reading forever. Maybe I had stopped for so long that I wouldn't be able to casually enjoy a book ever again? As I worried about this I stumbled onto the book series that started my love in the first place, the "Harry Potter" series.

The moment I picked up the first book, I was unable to put it down. I went from being unable to read a few pages in a day to reading an entire book in a day. It was as if my inner child who read these books eight years ago had jumped right back out.

As I reread this series, I am remembering the reasons why I love reading. It lets you escape the world and immerse yourself into another universe. My problems don't exist while I read about the adventures of Harry Potter and his friends. There's no masks or sickness or politics, it is pure child-like magic.

When school starts back up in August, I know I won't have the same free time that I do right now. However, I still plan on reserving time for myself to read for my own enjoyment. It is the perfect way to escape the stressors of reality. I didn't know if I could rediscover this love for reading that I used to have, but now that it's back, I don't want to lose it.