I know, I know, I didn't like the idea of digital book readers either. There is just something great about opening up a book and feeling the pages in your hand. Then I had a friend let me borrow his Amazon Kindle 2 for a trip I was taking, and let me tell you, all it took was that one trip.

The size of the device is fantastic. It's thin, it's small, but not so small that the screen becomes impossible to read. The screen is actually great, and it allows you to see a whole page without straining. The resolution of the screen makes it very pleasant to use in the sunlight, which is a complaint I have heard about some other eReaders. The sun just washes them out. Not on the Kindle.

Since my friend had wisely chosen the Global wireless version, I surfed over to Project Gutenburg while in Spain and downloaded a few items from the public domain. No trip to the bookstore necessary, just a five minute process, and I was on my way.

One standout feature of the Kindle is the battery life. I can literally go days without charging this thing. I don't know how they did that, but it is a life saver on long plane rides or when you forgot your laptop and can only charge it in an internet cafe (this is a painful story of its own, let's just move on).

This thing is not just for traveling abroad. I do 99% of my reading on my Kindle now, even when stateside. Get one yourself, and you may find yourself doing the same thing.

My Kindle has become one of my must have travel items. I can't go anywhere without one.