My Library Journey
Imagine a lone, rectangular, temporary building sitting in a patch of flat grassy terrain. On one side, you walk up a few metal steps, passing under big, blocky purple letters that you can’t make sense of this close up, but from far away you know it spells L I B R A R Y. As you pass through the doorway, the entire outside world disappears – only this space exists. It’s one room encircled with low shelves and filled to the brim with every colorful picture and story you can think up – and plenty you can’t until you discover them for yourself. Shelving divides the space, creating nooks for tables and chairs. You could sit here all day, getting up only to find new adventures in different pages, and share your discoveries with the friends who entered this magical space with you.
My first memory of a library was the one in my elementary school. It was small, but I imagine that the tables and chairs in it are also quite small to my now adult-sized body and perception of the world. No matter. I was hooked. For me, the library became the coziest, the most fun, the most relaxing, the most exhilarating, the safest, and the most memorable place to be – a place to hang out with friends, play games, do homework, escape life’s stresses, and whatever else I needed it to be.
I’ve been a high school Library Aide in coastal Northern California for 13 years now. My favorite part of my current role is being creative and getting to help students and teachers solve problems. I also get to help organize fun events for students, like author visits, reading to kids in local elementary schools, and poetry workshops. I love what I do, but I also want to branch out and explore other avenues which is why I’m now in the MLIS program. Being a student again has been an incredible experience. I’ve found a particular love of information organization, but even so, I’m unsure of where I’ll end up. All I know is that adventure awaits!
Home Life
Outside of work and school, I’m quite a homebody. I love staying cozy inside with my two cats, Chai and Luna – my precious and spoiled fur-babies. I enjoy big mugs of tea, jigsaw puzzles, and video games. I usually stick to cozy games like Stardew Valley and I just recently finished (several) playthroughs of Pentiment, a wonderful and stylistic historical mystery game. I’m adding to my list and collecting TBR books faster than I can read them, by far, but that doesn’t stop me from taking more suggestions! I’m currently reading Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett which is the start of a fantasy series with an interesting take on magic systems. Somehow, the way the world and magic interactions are described comes across like a science fiction read. So far so good, but I hear book two is even better!
Off On an Adventure!
If I do happen to venture out into the world, it’s usually to go horseback riding, to visit with family, or to walk along the beach or in the redwoods. Although I don’t have my own horses, I’ve been riding at a local farm for over 20 years which has become something of a second home to me. I’m also lucky to have some of my family living locally and we make a point to spend time with each other, even making little trips to hike through nature.
If I venture out even further, it’s to travel around California and up into the Pacific Northwest. I also hope to travel abroad again as I would love to return to Europe to revisit the UK and Ireland. My next trip, however (perhaps after graduation), will hopefully be to explore Spain and Portugal, discover Scandinavia, or so many other dream destinations.
I have so much gratitude for all the lovely things in my life. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows and sometimes I have to look for these genuine and full-hearted moments to pull me through the tough parts. I’m lucky to have so much to hold on to, including being a student and having the opportunity to learn so much more. Here’s to another great semester!