A New Journal

Two new notebooks for me and I’m loving it, of course.

I recently got the new Traveler’s Notebook special edition Tokyo cover, and it has rejuvenated my love of the whole TN system, after having procrastinated moving in. People who come into the Traveler’s Notebook galaxy sometimes lament previous special editions that are no longer available, which alas is sometimes the cross of us stationery nerds, but the editions that come out when you’re around are the ones, the ones that you end up getting and using, are in fact the most special because they’re truly yours with your stories and adventures to tell. I have my vertical weekly in mine, as well as a Kunisawa Find Flex. What a beauty! The foil on the cover, the feel of the leather under my fingers, the whole heft of it.

But my true everything-notebook, one that gets filled every couple of months or so, is my A5 notebook. I’ve been using the Life Noble Notebook for a while now, but thought I would change it up and return to a tried and true classic, the Midori MD notebook. It’s a slimmer profile, and the paper is different, ever so slightly more textured, a different feeling to the nib on the page. It’s something to get used to, after so many hundreds of Life pages, and the new paper is something I’m enjoying.

The change has been a good one for my journaling practice, something new to keep me thoughtful and thinking. It was the right time, and I also got a new Midori MD Clear Cover as my old one was starting to crack a bit after being schlepped and tossed and crunched, in protection of so many previous charges, in protection of so many unhinged ideas.

I often tape or glue in things in general, and I sometimes put things in over the several pages ahead to give myself space to fill in the gaps with writing, both to make sure I don’t lose things in the bottom of my bag, and to help me remember what I have to write about. The nice thing about it is that I have pages ahead to look forward to, to remember and reflect on the scraps of life from days past.

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In any case, I’ve started a new notebook, and also a new type of notebook, and it’s been great. I’m realizing that one of my favourite stages of being in a journal are pages 2-10, after that initial first page pressure is off and while the notebook is still feeling pristine and new. Especially with this new paper, I’m finding myself taking my time and enjoying the act of writing in the pages, enjoying my fresh legs.

Already, my notebook is beginning to bulk up, a satisfying and slow transformation. What a gift it all is.

As I continue to exist on the planet, I continue to fill up notebooks, and I’m grateful for the moments I have to do so, with these babies of mine still in my clutches, these burning bright moments of chaos. What will I write about when they’re gone? I shall have to find new adventures to go on.