Reading a book is luxury. In fact, reading any book outside of a heavily scheduled syllabus is luxury. Between mandatory course materials and supplementary documents, one barely has time to read anything outside of the parameters of class. However, since being abroad, I have had the chance to read for pleasure and have had the opportunity to receive books and book recommendations from people I have met.

This has been the first time since starting college that I have had a chance to sit down and read and I am not taking this opportunity lightly. Three evenings in a row I have woken up in the middle of the night with a book in my hand (with the correct page still open, I should get a little credit for that). I even find myself trying to carve out more time to read in between my responsibilities. I have made a rather ambitious total goal of books to read by the time I leave here.

I guess I just didn't understand how much I actually missed it. During the school year, I am usually hyper-focused on learning only what is necessary for my schedule and did not have time to think about reading for fun. Having the time to sit down and read novels that have no strings attached is liberating. I have been pouring through books with such a renewed sense of enthusiasm. I don't have to stop and take notes or worry about if a particular section will be on an upcoming exam.

I just read and read. I read people's stories or even nonfiction that has nothing to do with my area of study. I read for the sake of finding out what's on the next page, not to just get to the end of the chapter.

It seems silly to admit this, but I truly fell back in love with reading. I feel like that kid again who just opened her first Harry Potter book.