I fell in love for the first time when I was in kindergarten. It was not with the boy who shared his snack with me during lunch. It was not the insanely gorgeous lifeguard who taught me how to swim and gave me ice cream after, but it was the book that my mother would read me every night before I went to sleep. I would rush to get into my pajamas, jump into bed and beg my mom to read more stories, "Just this one night." As I grew older, I fell more and more in love with reading. Every week, I had a new song stuck in my head and a new book in my hand. When a teacher assigned 20 pages of reading for the next day, I would have finished the book that very night. Reading never felt like a chore, and I wouldn't have wanted to spend my childhood any other way.

I mean, what isn't there to love about reading? Opening the cover of a new book was like entering a portal, ready to take you into another world. You walk in, not having the slightest idea of the adventure you are about to embark on, but you still move forward, because it feels right. As your eyes scan more words, the feeling similar to the one right before you drift off to sleep, while still awake, gets stronger. Reality starts to fade away as this new world becomes more vibrant. A character approaches you, a stranger, and you wonder about him. Are you my friend? Are you the enemy? Who are you? Without skipping a beat, you keep walking, surrounded by strangers, in a world you've never seen before. This would be absolutely terrifying in the real life, but in a book, you are safe and protected. The more you continue to read, the deeper into the adventure you get. You start to fall in love with not only the words, but with the characters, and with the story.

With every book, comes a roller coaster of emotions. I would be lying if I said I never cried while reading a book. When my favorite character dies, I cannot fight back the tears. I feel anxiety rush through me if any of my favorites are in danger, or if bad news is on the way. I have also found myself laughing until my sides hurt while reading, or staying up late and thinking about an outcome of a story, or pondered about a character's decision. Making those connections with figments of a single author's mind is one of those things that really just fascinates me. It's as if I came up with a brand new color, and suddenly it became your favorite.

Stories are timeless. There are certain books that I can read over and over again, but it will always feel like the first time, much like the same way someone might listen to a song on repeat for five days straight because they physically can't get enough of it. Personally, I feel like I learn something new about the plot or a character each time I re-visit the book, that I might not have noticed before. I'm glad that I grew up with a book in my hand instead of a cellphone or a television. While modern technology is very effective and has proven itself to be very helpful, there really isn't anything like turning the crisp pages, the smell of a brand new book, or actually holding the book; it's like you are carrying that small little world in your very own hands, and that is so special.

The love story between reading and I will never expire, and I will never trade in my hard copy of "Pride and Prejudice" for any electronic, ever. Reading is one of the few things that remained consistent in my life, and never left my side. From having my mom read me my favorite books before bedtime to reading the newest bestseller and writing my very own stories, I will always be the bookworm. So, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a new book.