The public library had helped me regain my hope. I had a chance to go back into that far-off world, that amazing universe that a book could take you to. Now, I find myself at the public library frequently.

Each year the months flow faster and August arrives on the heels of April, yet I find myself falling into December without plans to attend a European Christmas market. Woe! Ending a year without a Christmas market is a bit like being sent to bed …