EMILY POLARK

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my favorite place on earth

This is a photo of a sign by the front door of my grandparents’ cabin that brings this piece all together.

There are many places and things that bring me great nostalgia, but there is one that sticks with me the most. My grandparents have a cabin in Wisconsin, it is about 7 hours a way and we’ve gone up there my whole life. The cabin itself brings me so many fond memories. There used to be a little bookstore in the downtown area. The town itself is adorable and has a lot of good vibrations there, but I will never forget that little bookstore. We would go every year and my grandma would have us each pick out a book that she would buy for us to read. I would be so excited every time. I can just picture the scent too, filled with books and familiarity.

One year, I was reading the beloved, Twilight series. I had only brought the first book with me on the trip (unbeknownst to how quickly I would fly through it in). I was so eager to read the next book that we made an extra stop at that little book store that I hold dear to my heart. I remember knowing exactly where it was too, from all the times I had been down those aisles. It may sound silly, but reading those books in that setting was absolutely perfect. We were in a highly wooded area with a small town, very similar to the town in Twilight. I felt like I was living it, while reading it. I loved it. When I would be walking through town with my family would I pretend I was Bella Swan? Yes, but I am pretty sure we have all been there. Now, whenever I watch the Twilight movies, they bring me so much comfort because of the way it brings me back to that time in my life.

The Twilight books weren’t the only ones I bought from there, but those are the ones that really stick out most in my mind. It was always so fun going through the aisles and taking extra long to pick out a book that was just right for me. Sadly, it went out of business and is no longer there. I wonder if anyone else loved it as much as I did.

Now, I must say that I truly do have a place for little downtown areas in my heart, but this one will always hold the spot at number one. Especially that book store.