My in-laws from Japan came in town last week. The last 6 days consisted of driving, eating, and catching up over the shared acknowledgement of my son’s growth since they last saw him. My in-laws do not speak English. While difficult for most situations they found themselves in, it was a great opportunity for me to sharpen my (slowly devolving) Japanese skills and guide them through places familiar to me.

Barnes & Noble became a safe haven for my family to escape the daily grind and allow our toddler to run about without much restraint – “run about” as much as his shyness (and our parenting) will allow him within a confined, non-park environment.

We love to peruse the aisles and make note of which books we would like to buy if we had all the money in the world. We reminisce on memories as our thumbs pass over pages that remind us of our youth and yesteryears (as if we are an elderly couple already).