Imagine that you are preparing for a trip. You plan to be away from your home for a year. In addition to clothing and personal care items, you can take one additional thing. What would you take and why? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.

There has been a long-term debate on the topic of what I will carry with me on a trip other than my clothes and personal care items. In my opinion, I firmly believe that along will all other necessary items I will always carry storybooks with me and I have two reasons to support my choice, which I will explain in the following paragraphs. Firstly, I believe that books are one's best friend. Since my childhood, I have been an extremely introverted person with barely anyone to speak to and from then I had only one thing to focus on- books. Be it a storybook or a magazine, I have always been an avid reader. So, whenever I'll go on a tour I will definitely carry books along with me for my leisure time. For example, I have returned to the hotel room after a long tiring day of sightseeing and want to have some time by myself. Then I can easily take that book out and start reading it over a cup of coffee. It will keep me preoccupied and will not remind me of my family members. Secondly, books have a natural ability to overcome the language barrier. Be it in India or abroad, we can easily strike up a conversation even with a stranger regarding a storybook and this will help me a lot when I am on a trip, away from home. For instance, it may happen that I do not know anyone in that place and feel very much lonely. If I go to the hotel's lobby and sit there reading a book, someone may come to me asking about the story, and if our choice matches we can have a fruitful conversation. In that unknown land, I will then get to enjoy someone else's company also. In conclusion, I strongly believe that when away from home, on a tour I will carry books with me as it will not only give me company when I am alone but also will help me to find someone else's company. And who knows maybe it will lead to a blooming friendship with him or her in the future.