Everyone has their own method to escape, to just get away and let loose for a little while. Whether its video games, drinking, watching TV or even smoking pot.

Mine is reading.

It all started in fifth grade around the time girls in my class started bullying me.

So during recess and lunch, I would just open up a book and suddenly I’m in the ‘50s era helping Frank and Joe solve mysteries.

Back then, The Hardy Boys was my book of choice.

It made everything bearable. As I turned the page, the teasing couldn’t be heard.

I didn’t care if I was all by myself. It just didn’t matter anymore.

In eighth grade, I was finishing “The Series of Unfortunate Events” and moving on to Harry Potter.

I was no longer using reading to escape the teasing that had stopped in sixth grade.

My family had just moved, so this was a new school, and I didn’t know anyone. Loneliness was what I was trying to escape now.

In high school everything changed. I had lots of friends and was even on a color guard team.

I no longer needed to escape from the loneliness or teasing. Now, it was because I was stressed about an upcoming test or competitions.

Then it was just because I was bored or there was nothing good on TV.

Now that I no longer needed it, I realized I just love it.

I was the kid who actually read the assigned reading and liked it.  It’s hard to put into words how much reading helped me.

As I was growing up, if I was having a hard time or feeling down, I would pick up a book and go into the world of Harry Potter or Series of Unfortunate Events. All my problems would be forgotten. Looking back I realize I’ve grown up with these characters.

I’m not embarrassed to admit that it was a big part of my childhood.

From mythical to magical, these books represent a time in my life.

For example, when The Harry Potter series ended it felt like a part of my childhood had ended.

Now that I’m in college I’ve graduated to John Grisham and Nickolas Sparks type books. But those books will always hold a special place in my heart.

As dorky as it sounds, whenever I’m bored or feeling nostalgic, I just pick up one of those books and start reading.

In a way, it’s like greeting an old friend.