Books are the plane and the train and the road.
They are the destination and the journey.
They are home.
-Anna Quindlen-
Adventure comes in many ways. Sometimes it means getting in the car and driving country roads and admiring the beauty that you come across. A field of cows or horses peacefully grazing a meadow. A sunset in the distance of violet and pink and light blue hues. Other times, adventure can mean packing a suitcase and getting your passport stamped as you travel many miles to a foreign land, exploring the nooks and crannies of a land that is fresh and brand new to you. And yet, there are also adventures that await you right outside your front door. Rambling around your neighborhood or town, and even your very own yard. You may spot a flower you've never seen before, or find a park tucked in the middle of town that is hidden enough for it to feel like you've left behind all civilization.
I've experienced all of the adventures above. I've gone on my fair share of rides through the countryside...they truly are one of my very favorite things. I've gone across the Pond to a land more glorious and beautiful than I can put into words and seen castles and centuries-old abbeys and rolling hills so lushishly green it's ridiculous. I've walked out my own front door on many occasions and encountered beauty and wonder right there in my own garden. I've discovered new flowers and plants and walked under a canopy of tall, old green trees reaching to the sky right where I live. And they are all wonderfully amazing and fun and lifegiving and thrilling. They are delightful and feed my soul in boundless ways.
But there's also another sort of adventure that I've experienced. That is the grand world of bookish adventures. You don't need a passport. You don't need to pack a suitcase and you don't have to worry about whether or not you've forgotten to pack enough pairs of pants. You don't need to get in the car and drive somewhere, or even walk outside your front door. You simply need to pick up a book and open it and allow it to take you where it desires.
Oh, the adventures I've gone on through the pages of a book. Sarah Clarkson calls it "the reading life" and she often writes about the precious gift it is. In fact, she wrote an entire book on this very topic, which I highly recommend by the way. It's one of my personal favorite bookish treasures! She's right, though. The reading life is a gift and the fact that you can go on an infinite number of adventures simply by reading a book is a wondrous gift.
You see, my passport may only have a few stamps in it so far, but the passport of my mind and heart have so many more. I've travelled to the ancient town of Oxford where Lewis and Tolkien walked and shared their imaginations and stories together along with Peter and Emilia in Can't Help Falling. The stories of Sophia, Ginny and Emily in The Secrets of Paper and Ink took me to the seaside town of Cornwall in England. Last spring, I found myself in the Italian countryside as the love between Emily and Chef Ben grew sweetly and tenderly in A Portrait of Emily Price. I visited the land of Anne Shirley not only though the Green Gables series but also through a contemporary series, in particular my favorite book in that trio of stories, Where Two Hearts Meet. And finally, I just returned from New Zealand and the land of all things Tolkien and hobbits in Close to You.
Each of the above books has taken me to places I've never been before, and in all honesty, sometimes places that I didn't even think I'd want to visit in person. But the thing is...now I do. The world of bookish adventures stirs something up in my heart for more real-life adventures and to see these places with my own two eyes and to experience these things for myself.
I distinctly remember the red sand beaches on Prince Edward Island and the sunflower fields in the Italian countryside and the old churches in the village and how beautiful they were. I remember the descriptions of the seaside town of Cornwall and how beautiful the sea was and how charming the shops and pubs were. I can't forget the beauty of the New Zealand mountains as well as the lovely Queenstown and how fun it sounded. And the historic English town of Oxford and how rich it is in story and legacy of such remarkable writers as well as the quaintness and charm it holds. All of these things stayed with me long after I closed the pages of those books. Something resonated with me, not just within the story, but also regarding the location and places that I was transported to by simply reading and reading some more.
Bookish adventures are at our fingertips and to embrace their call is the act of giving ourselves a gift that costs nothing, except for the cost of the book itself. But, oh, the things you'll get in return! You'll be richer and better for it.
The funny thing is that in each story I read, I almost always find myself in bits and pieces, whether they be big or small. I think that's what we're looking for, in some way or another, when we pick up a book. We want to see ourselves and find someone else who we can relate to, even if it is a fictional character. Another funny thing is that to the authors whose imaginations create and cultivate such characters and stories will tell you that these are, in fact, real people to them. Authors often speak of how the characters come to life and write their own stories. I, for one, can tell the difference when an author allows the characters to guide their pen to those who aren't as organic in their writing process. Last year, I watched a video of an author sharing about her new book and writing process and it was magical...this lady practically enters the Wardrobe, if you know what I mean. When she writes a novel, she steps into a world all its own and meets these characters as they introduce themselves to her and slowly, but surely, they begin sharing their story with her as she puts it to paper. Her stories are captivating and mesmerizing and full of magic. Those are the stories I want to read and they hold the adventures that I desire to go on when I pick up a book.
Thank goodness for bookish adventures and thank goodness for writers who bring such stories to life.
I'd love to hear what bookish adventures you've been on, so do share all about them below!