Growing up, and even now, one of my favorite things to do is read. I know, I can already hear the questions in your head, “Ew gross, you like reading? You actually read for fun? Do you have a social life?” Yes, I love reading. I do read for fun. And yes, I do (well I like to think I do) have a social life. There’s just something about putting pen to a paper that makes magic happen. Going through elementary school and high school, we were forced to do these required readings and to read certain books throughout the year. That in itself ruined the happiness and the feeling of getting lost in the thrill of a different universe.

However, I had a different reaction to this. I fell in love with the books. The idea of this different place with stories that we wish could happen to us. Whether a romance or adventure book, there are so many different realities. Reading is more than just the classics that really no one can understand; it’s history that can be seen through more than just a movie screen or what we find on the internet. From Jane Austen, Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and many many more, so much great literature was written that is still discussed/loved by many.

Reading is a way to escape. It’s a way to think and imagine what it would be like to be one of the characters in the book. A book is better than any movie out there. All of the raw emotion and where the setting is of a place is described so much more in depth. All of the words to describe it paint a gorgeous picture that sounds fantastic.

I promise you this, reading while sitting outside or laying on a hammock is one of the most relaxing things to do, and I personally recommend you try it. Instead of picking up your phone for the twentieth time that hour, or watching another re-run of the Kardashians, grab a book and explore another world. I can assure you that you won't regret it.