I have always enjoyed losing myself in a story outside of my reality. From television shows to movies to books, there is something about getting consumed by an alternate version of the world that really appeals to me.

Maybe it stems from the fact that there have been many times in my life that I have wanted to escape and be someone different. Someone without all of my baggage. And luckily, fiction as always been a safe haven for this escape.

I'm sure you've been there, unable to escape from the hold of good old Netflix binge session. Or maybe snuggled under the covers watching a marathon of Friday the 13th movies playing on AMC.

Lately, for me, this binge into fiction has been consumed by literature. My sister has always been an avid reader and is constantly recommending books that I MUST read. I always took her recommendations lightly and told myself "I'll get around to it."

Recently I found myself consumed by the digital realm. Going to a technical arts college, I spend probably 80% of my time on my computer working through the many programs of the Adobe Creative Cloud. I decided it was time to detach myself a little bit from this digital way of life and searched for a way to return to the physical realm.

I picked up playing the guitar and promised myself I would spend the month of September off of my laptop and Xbox, and instead, spend any free time reading more. I asked my sister to lend me a book she thought I'd like and dove right in.

Since that first week in September I have read a total of 9 books, which is definitely more than I've read in the past year. At first it was just about finding an escape that wasn't on a screen, but it turned into something much greater.

Through this new love affair with literature I have found out so much about not only the kinds of stories that really make my heart race, but a whole new voice inside of myself. I have seen a significant improvement in my writing, my vocabulary and even the way my brain operates. I keep finding myself narrating my life in my own head, which just inspires me to write more.

I'm not saying that a book has never before left an impact on me, because that would be just plain silly. But I have found myself in recent weeks more often than not, choosing to pick up a book versus my controller. Previously, I guess I thought that reading just wasn't made for everyone.

I had gotten to a point in life where I felt like I was an established person and there wasn't much more to discover about myself. By awakening this love for reading within me, I learned that their are so many ways to become a new version of yourself, and it doesn't always have to be because of anguish or grief or something bad. Sometimes, it can just come from loving something.

Reading more has given me a better perspective and I can't believe I let myself wait this long to see it. By committing to something that I told myself "wasn't really my thing" I ended up finding a way to motivate myself to become a better storyteller.