August 26, 2009

August 25, 2009 - Roger's Roost, Sterling Heights, MI
Sitting with my sister at our annual birthday dinner for my Grandpa (he turned 97 this year), she and I had a conversation that instantly made my heart start racing and my had my adrenalin flowing. That conversation led to this blog, and my new crazy idea.

While Aunt Janie/Dave, Dad/Carol, Anthony/Lisa, Dee's husband Jon and their kids, and Grandpa were all in their individual conversations, Dee (Deanna) and I had one of our own. We were discussing my upcoming trip to South Africa. A ONCE IN A LIFETIME trip to stay with a friend of mine who was temporarily located in Port Elizabeth, South Africa while her husband was working at a GM facility there as an Environmental Engineer.

During our conversation, I mentioned that although I usually borrow books from the library, I chose to purchase some used paperbacks for this trip. I was concerned about being responsible for the library books - I'd have to take them everywhere with me, even when I was finished with them.

I was telling her that, for the last 10 years or so...whenever I have traveled and taken a book with me to read, I just leave it wherever I'm at when I am done with the book. We began taling about how it would be neat to know who read the book I left - at the airport or the hotel room or the hair salon or the restaurant.

After more conversation around the idea, and much thought...I decided to act on my excitement. I came home and did some internet research about books that travel around the world. Although I did find a great database website - www.bookcrossing.com - which has members register and print labels for their books, asking the person that finds that book to log onto the site and register, etc...that wasn't really what I was hoping to do. I didn't find any Amazon listings for a book idea similar to my own.

To make it work, I created a new email address BookWillTravel@gmail.com, and bought a domain name from www.godaddy.com - www.BookWillTravel.com.