Memories

Have you ever had a simple moment in time that impacted you so significantly that you’ve spent your whole life trying to recapture that feeling? I have one, specifically centered around reading.

This moment occurred when I was around thirteen years old and to this day it is still such a vivid and sensory memory that I find myself wishing I could experience something like it just one more time in my life. In many ways, I feel like this moment is what truly turned me into a reader.

At the time, I was vacationing with my family in Germany, something we did every couple years or so to visit family. That summer was already a beautiful and memorable one, but on this particular day, we had taken the train into Munich for some sight-seeing.

The Hauptbahnhof in Munich is one of my favorite places in the world (though, to be fair, I love most “travel intersections” like airports, train stations, etc). We were coming through the station again on our way home after a long day when we passed a little book store. And to my absolute shock and delight, the latest book in a series that I’d fallen in love with had just been released. I had no idea the next book was coming out, and there in that little bookshop window surrounded by crowds of people, was a whole stack of these hardcover books.

Moreover, the book was the U.K. edition, which was perfect because I wasn’t very good at reading German and the novelty of a U.K. book was huge (back before I could just order them online). At seeing my excitement, one of my parents (or possibly grandparents), immediately entered the store and bought me this book. When they handed it to me, I remember feeling like it was the most incredible gift in the world.

Armed with a crinkly brown bag of sweets, a pretzel and this wonderful book, we hopped back onto the train where I spent the whole ride back completely absorbed. It was something about the combination of an unexpected surprise, in the perfect place during this magical summer that just solidified the experience in my brain. I knew the moment was special then, I just didn’t realize how much.

I’ve been chasing that high ever since.

I think about that moment often. These days, I spend my time thoroughly researching books on GoodReads, watching BookTube to find out what books I should read next, tracking latest release dates, pre-ordering - all things that are a luxury in today’s world but somehow have also eroded the magic of the reading experience for me.

At the same time, it is very hard to let go of these habits and be more spontaneous about books. Walking into a bookstore now feels overwhelming and with modern marketing, it’s starting to seem like there’s a new book sensation every week. With all these options out there, it’s become harder to find the books that really speak to me. It does feel like we live in a more excessive world sometimes, but I suppose that is an entirely different rabbit hole.

Anyway, all that to say, I’m grateful for that experience. Up until that point I enjoyed reading, but that moment really turned books into an all-encompassing experience. It’s a moment I hope every reader gets to have at least once in their lives.