ha, never say never: yes, i bought a Kindle

It's true. After deciding that I would never buy an e-reader, I have at last bought one.

Um, yeah: Never say never.

My rationale was our upcoming trip to France (departure in 7 days!). At the rate I've been reading this year -- 34 books since January 1st -- and knowing how many books I can go through on the flight over alone, not to mention how many more glorious reading hours there can be on vacation,

there's no way I could pack enough books. 

Especially since last time, we had to take books out of our checked luggage and put them in our carry-ons in order to make weight.

Priorities, people!

So since yesterday evening, about 5pm, I am the proud new owner of a Kindle Paperwhite 3G. I also picked up a leather cover, foregoing the more affordable but plastic options, so that I can really have the experience of holding something book-like while reading from my new little screen.

I think my life is about to change in a big way. 

It is crazy how much more space I'm going to have in my luggage, carry-on and checked, now that I don't have 10 or so paperbacks to bring with me. That's been such a big (heavy) part of traveling for me for my whole life, that it's going to take some getting used to how it will change even my whole packing process -- that meticulous laying out of clothes and shoes and books, figuring out what to wear and read on which days, ticking through the mental calendar.

No more!

At least not on the book front.

And no more running out of reading materials and scouring bookstores in little cities for more. Well, OK, I'll probably still do that, for but fun, not in a panic of HolyShitIneedsomethingtoread!

Instead I've got this light, adorable device in a bright pink case, small enough to stuff into a big jacket pocket.  A device devoted to one thing and one thing only: reading.

<swoon>

It will take some getting used to. I love books, their feel and smell, the paper, the font, the design of the whole package, most of which is totally lost in this form. I love random bookmarks and scribbling notes in the back cover. I love books.

That won't change. I can't see this totally replacing books for me on a permanent basis. But guess what? I am not going to say Never about that. ;>

XX