femxC.

This is a post about metaphorical travel.

I’ve been a lover of stories for as long as I can remember. My trips to the library always resulted in me bringing home a duffel bag of new stories to consume within the next four weeks.

I’d eagerly read those books and await the next trip to the library, so I could get my hands on new stories. When I went to college, I missed those frequent trips.

During my first semester, I noticed a lot of my classmates were assigned a novel that I’d never read or been assigned. That novel seemed to be an academic rite of passage that I was permitted to skip.

I thought I could find this story in the undergrad library, but that was not the case. So, in my second semester, I signed up for a number of literature courses – my favorite being, “Literature of Love”.

The Bluest Eye

My way of reading changed. That course introduced me to the work of the late Toni Morrison via the novel Sula. I was intrigued by the discussions the novel prompted, but my naïveté impeded my understanding of the story.

So, the summer of my freshman year, I went to my local library and checked out The Bluest Eye.

Oh my goodness.

The use of literary elements. The way the characters’ personalities were communicated. The symbolism. The message. The use of all of these elements brought the story to life, so I could easily see each frame as if it were a movie.

The Bluest Eye inspired me to reread Sula. And that inspired me to collect, read, and reread all Toni Morrison novels. I wanted to get to know her characters and uncover their stories.

The Bluest Eye taught me that stories weren’t only to be consumed and put down. No. Stories can be reread, and it’s possible to uncover new gems about the human condition with each read.

Things Fall Apart

After I spent the summer devouring novels by Toni Morrison, I returned and elected to load up on literature classes during my sophomore year. In my Sophomore Seminar class, the professor made an offhand comment about the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. But, the novel didn’t reach my hands until my third year as a high school teacher.

I picked it up from my school’s book room and added it to my office library for fun. And on a day when I had a little time, I randomly decided to thumb through it.

I can’t remember what got me hooked. But there I was. Hours later. Book halfway done. And I knew I would reread it. I’d gone through each chapter way too quickly to fully digest what I consider to be a rich message.

For me, this story highlighted the importance of passing culture and traditions down through generations, so it doesn’t get lost. It touched on how being too accepting of outside influence(s) can erase certain values.

As I think back on that read, I’m inspired to dig it out of my bookshelf and reread it again. This is likely a story I will recommend to my little one when he is older.

One Day

I imagined myself as a traveler when I was in 8th grade. I remember riding in the car with my mom and telling her that I wanted to travel a lot, so I could have a more cosmopolitan worldview.

I didn’t fully grasp what that meant at the time, though I understand it a lot more now. I travel every time I read a gripping story. I imagine the setting, I imagine the characters, I imagine the plot, and I try to uncover the message.

During summer of my senior year, I had the opportunity to travel solo for the first time. I was going to Berkeley, California for a conference, and I got to the airport super early. In my boredom, I wandered into a bookstore and picked up the novel One Day by David Nicholls.

This story is one that I know well. It’s a story that takes place over decades, and each chapter is from the same summer day of every year. I loved this aspect of storytelling. Nicholls wove together snapshots in time, and conveyed the ways that human emotions can impact our decision making and our quality of life. It also is a super romantic depiction of love.

I have since, revisited this novel at least once each year. I watched the movie when it was released…and it was a good interpretation (the novel remains supreme 😉). Most recently, I shared the story with my best friend.

And now that I have a little love, I will definitely be sharing this story with him.

This story allowed me to create a new personal tradition. And I am grateful to be able to keep it up.

Here’s to continuing paper journeys❣️

Disclaimer: I linked these books up above and here. I may get a commission for books you choose to purchase.