Bookstore Blues: Moving Away From My Favorite Bookstore
It’s not easy to move away from your favorite bookstore, whether it’s an old childhood haunt or a place of comfort through major #adulting milestones. The latter has to do with my own experience. Last December, I moved from Chicago to a suburb of Indianapolis. Overall, it’s been a great transition; we’re closer to my husband’s family and it’s so nice to live in a more affordable and quiet area. One of the hardest parts about moving, in addition to moving away from my own family, was that I had to leave behind my favorite place: Unabridged Bookstore.
Unabridged Bookstore was opened by Ed Devereux on November 1, 1980. Ever since, it’s been a staple of the Lakeview community. In addition to its excellent sales and travel section, Unabridged offers and features an extensive LGBTQ+ literature section. The bookstore is known for supporting the LGBTQ+ community as well as its fellow small businesses.
Unabridged was a fixed point for me in times of change. Anytime my life became unmoored, I went to Unabridged to feel balanced. I had a pattern of browsing that remained the same. I’d begin at the front of the story and work my back to my favorite sections, ending with a brief peek at their sale shelves to see if I could scoop any last-minute purchases.
I’m pretty sure I went through every emotion in Unabridged. It was a safe space for me to feel. I wept (quietly, I hope) and celebrated among its shelves. I walked with friends and family there. My husband proposed to me there! And last year, I wheeled a stroller through its door to buy books for my infant daughter. For every big milestone in my adult life, there was a visit to Unabridged. Unabridged Bookstore, and its wonderful, friendly staff, was as much a home to me as my apartment down the road.
While it was initially a shock to move away, it was by no means the end. It’s important to note that moving away from a favorite bookstore doesn’t break the bookseller-customer relationship. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, after all, and there are a few things you can do if you find yourself pining for a bookstore that’s no longer within physical reach:
I’m pretty sure I went through every emotion in Unabridged. It was a safe space for me to feel. I wept (quietly, I hope) and celebrated among its shelves. I walked with friends and family there. My husband proposed to me there! And last year, I wheeled a stroller through its door to buy books for my infant daughter. For every big milestone in my adult life, there was a visit to Unabridged. Unabridged Bookstore, and its wonderful, friendly staff, was as much a home to me as my apartment down the road.
While it was initially a shock to move away, it was by no means the end. It’s important to note that moving away from a favorite bookstore doesn’t break the bookseller-customer relationship. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, after all, and there are a few things you can do if you find yourself pining for a bookstore that’s no longer within physical reach:
