“To live will be an awfully big adventure.” -  Peter Pan sure did know a thing or two about living. And I’m proud to say I have been “living” such an adventure.

 

Stewart and I enjoyed our first three months abroad in Lisbon - but we were also challenged. As my adventure in Lisbon came to a close, I did a lot of packing (things) and unpacking (thoughts and impressions).  I can truly say that we’ve both come out more well-rounded souls. For me, I’ve learned to be alone and content (I promise that is cooler than it sounds, but I’ll save it for another blog post) and Stewart and I have come to understand each other's needs more closely. I trust him more and he is more patient with me.

 

I’ve also learned to live a more minimalistic lifestyle, which leads me to the Book Fairies.

 

During my time in Lisbon, I accumulated a bit of stuff and it just isn’t possible for me to keep everything in my suitcase and continue traveling. So many things were recycled or given away, but there was one set of items I was particularly torn about - my books.

 

For those of you who aren’t aware, I am quite the bibliophile - especially when traveling. I enjoy nothing more than exploring a foreign city by foot - stopping at a cozy park bench or side-walk cafe to leisurely enjoy a chapter or two. So throughout my time in Lisbon I finished six books, which were taking up a large chunk of my 50lb suitcase weight limit for our departing flight.

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I couldn’t imagine doing anything with these books except take them with me. I lusted after Hermione Granger’s bottomless, beaded bag from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Which got me thinking about the real life Hermione, Emma Watson. Which made me think, What Would Emma Do (WWED, patent pending) with these books?.

 

I had read this article about how Emma had hidden books on the Tube (subway) in London for random people to find with the Book Fairy project. The Book Fairies even have little stickers and bookmarks with a nice note for the lucky “book finders”. I was totally inspired and decided I would be a Book Fairy in Lisbon! Unfortunately, I didn’t have this revelation until the day before my departure, so I didn’t have time to order the official swag (stickers). Instead I made my own little notes!