Traveler’s Company B-Sides & Rarities Special Edition

The new Traveler’s Notebook B-Sides & Rarities special edition was released today!

We were super excited to get a sneak peek at some of the B-Sides & Rarities items. I received the samples a couple of weeks ago, and have been contemplating how exactly to use some of them. Saori-san, from the Traveler’s Company team, who we had the privilege of meeting when we visited Japan a couple of summers ago, described this release as having some experimental items, and I love that the designers and creators of the Traveler’s Notebook are constantly trying new things and creating items that are unusual and different and may not be best sellers or may be something that ends up being a hit. Either way, having these unusual items is often what I need for a spark of inspiration, to try doing something in a different way.

I’m already enjoying using the letter pad, and it’s perfect for clean tear away sheets for letters and notes. The paper is excellent for fountain pens, smooth and takes ink incredibly well. It’s lined on one side and grid on the other. They’re great for me especially because I write a lot of short notes to customers, and these I can now do from my Traveler’s Notebook. I keep a few smaller, stamped envelopes in one of the pockets so everything is ready to go.

There’s also a few cotton zipper pouches! I love this. One less plastic item in my life.

Above is the light-weight paper refill.

There is now a “sticker-release” insert that allows you to put stickers or washi tape on without losing the stickiness, a great way to save the stickers on special packaging or stamps when you’re not sure yet how you’re going to re-use them.

In any case, we are glad to have these in. It’s always nice to have a special edition insert for a specific occasion, whether it’s a camping trip (I’m saving one of these washable inserts for one), or a road trip whenever those might begin happening, or picking up a new hobby. Sometimes I have something in mind already, but often when the occasion comes up and then I see that yes, this insert that I had been saving is just right. Too often, I fall into the trap of the perceived preciousness of some special edition item, but I’m realizing that life moves quickly enough, and that having a purpose for and using these things are part of the journey.