Reading has always and hopefully forever will be a place that I go to in order to forget and/or enhance everything that is going on around me. Whether that be stress from an upcoming stream of exams or assignments, or a sunny summer day, on a bench, sipping coffee, with a tree offering just the right amount of shade and breeze. Taking a moment to just sit down and immerse yourself in a novel has the power to alter one's state of being instantly. Reading can make you feel better when you are having a rough day or make your already bright day even sunnier. It is one of the only activities where passion and skill can be enlightened instantly, as I am a firm believer in the saying that one does not hate reading, they simply have just not found the right book for them yet. Books have been one of the best, if not the best, teachers in my entire life. Their diversity in topics, perspectives and creativity exceed all levels of what the mind can comprehend. At times, words written on paper in purposeful and meaningful structures, scream louder than a physical voice. Language and literature can evoke so much raw emotion and feeling, leaving individuals almost experiencing the story right alongside the author and characters. Books have guided me in shaping my goals by opening me up to an entire universe of genres, styles and voices. At age four they taught me the different colors our eyes see the beautiful world in, the sounds our favorite animals make, and the joy of our families. At age seven, they taught me the importance of sharing and spreading kindness to every human. At age eleven, the value of true friendship and history that at times was horrific yet should remain unforgotten. At age fifteen, they showed me the disparities and injustice that each part of the world experiences in their own way, but also the gift of love and maturity that comes along with age, which in the end is strong enough to overcome all. At my current age of eighteen, what it means to embody grace and confidence as a young woman, the impact leaders in history had on society today, and how a fantastical imagination does not have to dissipate with age. These lessons spanned across books with magical lands of fantasy, captivating true stories of heroic women, heavyhearted historical accounts of war, managing coming-of-age, eerie dystopian accounts, famous transcendentalists offering a new take of viewing one's surroundings, classic novels of love, heartbreak, and everything in between. Truly, the list could go on infinitely, as it is quite difficult to encapsulate the millions and millions of articles of magnificent lessons written on ink-filled pages. I believe that I cannot place a limit or even a measure of how much I have learned thanks to reading, as it has been a source of education from the very beginning of my life. I attribute my love of reading to my mom. She showed me the power even the quietest of voices can have through books, encouraged me to share my own through my writing and proved to me just how unique and limitless creativity can be. My goal is to live with a recollection of all of the characters of all of the books I've ever read and incorporate their positive lessons in my daily and future life; to emulate their kindness, their compassion, their courage, their leadership, and their love.