Barnes and Noble Booksellers: A Mini Vacation for Readers

I had a free hour in a town that was new to me in Rhode Island. Never having been in this town before, I was thrilled to see a Barnes and Noble Booksellers store. There are no Barnes and Noble Bookseller stores within an hour of my home in Connecticut, so to unexpectedly find one when I had extra time on my hands was a huge treat. Pulling into the parking lot, I grew excited about the possibility of being able to sit and relax for one whole hour. Leaving my phone in the car would ensure that I had no interruptions. That hour I spent was one of the most enjoyable hours I had spent in a store of any kind. And after I left, I realized why. It felt as though I was able to leave my cares behind me and enter into a world of knowledge and information in a place that offered comfortable seating, refreshments, a quiet place to concentrate, and more books and magazines of interest to me than I could ever possibly get through in a day, never mind an hour. What a wonderful experience this store offers. A chance to peruse and read as many books and magazines as you want, without even purchasing any. Here's a "vacation" of sorts that won't even need to cost you any money, unless you choose to spend it on a book or maybe a cup of coffee at the in-store Starbucks.

When I first arrived, I searched for the best place to relax. There were hard wooden chairs with curved backs and soft chairs with cushions. There were chairs in quiet corners and others right out in the middle of all the action. I chose a quiet area with four chairs with only one other reader, drinking from his cup of Starbucks coffee. From there I went to all of my favorite sections to gather a few books from which to glean as much information as I could in one short hour. I first perused the business section. Then the self-help section. And finally the travel section. Finding a few books, I brought them back to my comfortably cushioned chair and spent the next thirty minutes in my own little world of reading and gathering knowledge. I took mental notes of authors and websites I wanted to research on the internet when I had free time at home. And then I went to the magazine section. There were magazines there I haven't seen in years because my choice of magazines lately has been limited to what can be displayed in racks near the check out stands at my local supermarkets, and a somewhat larger selection at the local Walmart. At Barnes and Noble, I found six racks of magazines covering enough subjects I was interested in to make my head spin. I wondered where even to start. There were magazines on creating beautiful scrapbooks, on decorating a home, on women's concerns and also those on my favorite two topics as of late: home businesses and earning money as a writer. Because time was short, I decided on four, mostly on writing but one on having a home business. The second half hour of my mini vacation flew by, and before I knew it, it was time to leave for an appointment. Before leaving though, I decided to treat myself to a few of the magazines that would help kick-start a writing career and help me to extend my mini vacation over the next few weeks. They will come home with me as souvenirs from my mini-vacation. Upon purchasing my magazines, I left the store feeling refreshed and energized. Each time I pick one of those magazines up to read over the next few weeks, I will remember that wonderful feeling of having an hour to myself to relax, read and learn. Taking that one hour at Barnes and Noble provided me with hope, dreams, and information for a bright future in a field I have dreamed of working in since childhood.That hour recharged me to face the rest of my day with a smile on my face and hope in my heart for my future career in the writing world.

I highly recommend a mini vacation at a Barnes and Noble Booksellers store for any reader, writer or dreamer! If you're anything like me, you will leave with a smile on your face, and no less money in your pocket than when you entered the store. Unless you choose, as I did, to bring a souvenir or two home with you to remember your time there and continue to refresh your mind and spirit.