Is there anything more refreshing than taking an outing by oneself for an introvert? I think not! But wait, how do you make it better? Why, of course, by going book-shopping!
After a 40-minute ride on the subway, I stood at my destination, an area crowded with multiple book stores and a few great places to stop for a snack. It was a great sunny day with a sprinkling of clouds, though it rained later in the evening.
I could spend hours walking through books, and that’s exactly what I did too. There’s something about the smell of old books that makes me feel very peaceful. The shop I went to had a labyrinthine structure, with the books stretching from floor to the roof; it had a quite obscure wooden staircase too, which led to the first floor. All in all, I enjoyed sifting through the various titles in this almost mysterious sort of place. I felt like I was in the Hogwarts library at one point!
Going out on travels alone is a surprisingly different dynamic from going out with a group of friends or family. It puts everything in a different perspective. Suddenly, you’re the one making all the decisions, doing activities you probably would’ve left off to others on another day. For me, it also brought along a sense of freedom I feel so rarely, and it did wonders to lift my mood and get rid of stress. Of course, it helped that I had a lot of time to use up, and could do so without any guilt or responsibility.
How could any outing be perfect without great food! I took my time walking around and checking out places, and even though one of the places I wanted to visit was crowded and full, I ended up getting some really yummy stuff.
It’s a serene feeling to walk along stone-paved streets in the afternoon sun, looking over to find colorful displays of hats, fruits, trinkets, and other goods sitting cheerfully on the street-sides. I was also impressed by a painter who had put up his station on one of the curbs and was lost in recreating portraits of various people walking by.
Here are the books I ended up buying-
Some of them were old books which I love for their rustic feel. It almost seems like a memory passed down from somebody, who knows who might have held these books before you.
As you can see, quite a few of them are Stephen Kings, who I’ve recently started reading from. I’ve actually just read half of one of his books, “IT”. I’m very impressed by his approach to writing, and certain creative decisions he makes which add fascinating elements to the story. But yes, I would totally ask him to get a new editor if I ever met him because holy shit, the books are huge(and kinda dragged out). Nevertheless, I can safely say I am in my horror phase right now.
There is also a copy of Looking For Alaska by John Green, which is a book I’ve read before, and haven’t stopped loving since. I do consider it my favorite book on most days, so naturally, I had to own a physical copy when I set my eyes on one(I’d read a softcopy before). The other titles are just ones that struck me as interesting when I was in the thriller section of the shop.
When I came back home, my friend randomly asked me to go play badminton, which I was initially skeptical about because I was already tired from my 3-hour-long venture so far. But as it happened, it was the perfect end to my day. I felt refreshed after playing and was greeted with a heavy downpour (thankfully) shortly after I’d reached home.
So there, that was my day! Hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as I did living it!!
Enchanted Words 