When I left for New York City, I packed only one paperback plus my Kindle. I knew I'd buy a ton of books and other stuff and I wanted to keep my suitcase as empty as possible. But already after that first week, I had like a dozen books. A few more were added in New Orleans. At the airport, my suitcase was exactly the allowed 50 pounds. But I knew there'd be more books added in California (San Francisco, I shall one day write an Ode to your book stores). In the end, my sister and I both bought a carry-on each - to be filled with books. Only books. To the brim. Plus a few stuffed in elsewhere.
I always need something to read when I'm traveling, even if it's just a bus or train ride. I need to know that if I have to wait for something (and let's face it, airports mean loads of waiting) I can just pick up my book. I can make my own bubble of comfort and disappear into a story. I like to read at the beach, at a café, basically wherever. But that also means lugging around books all the time. Weight. Space taken up. And even though I love print books, the Kindle comes in damn handy at those times. The problem is just that the battery of my Kindle Fire only works for like 8 hours, even if I have the light turned way down. So I still need a paperback with me, too.
How do you handle this problem? Do you have a Kindle, and do you use it for travelling? Are you a print-books only kind of person? How many books do you take with you when you travel? Do you worry about damage to the books (I sure do)? Do you like to buy books abroad? What was your craziest or most embarrassing book-related traveling experience? Let me know in the comments :)
