i started journaling on my vacation to the united kingdom over the summer. i wanted to document my travels and the things i did more in depth, and my jibun techo was not large enough for all the memorabilia i knew i would want to keep.
on the trip, i realized just how much i loved journaling. in all honesty, i had wanted to start a diary for the longest time but i never did. i'm glad i pushed myself to end up doing it, though. its been so incredibly beneficial for me, and i think i've become so much more introspective now.
i started using pocket size notebooks (3.5 by 5.5 inches), but i recently switched to a5 size. i really like the larger notebook. i have more room to include stickers, memorabilia from my everyday life, and just more space to write. i feel less constrained.
i like to write with fountain pens a lot. i've always loved fancy stationery, and i think journaling is an excellent way for me to use all the tools i've collected for so long. and i feel like it's just a generally better experience to write with fountain pens than other types. even gel pens sometimes irritate me. plus, i really like the actions of filling and cleaning my pens. it's really therapeutic personally, and i honestly just love having different inks and having favorite nibs and stuff. the entire process brings me joy.
it helps me regulate how i feel a lot, and i like having the ability to look back on the past. as someone who tends to have very defined emotional and mental episodes, i like having written proof of what i feel/experience. i forget anything i feel after it's passed, and i often wonder if i have exaggerated my feelings when i look back on them. but with a diary, i have evidence that i was feeling X way incredibly intensely before doing a complete 180 the next day. it's honestly just validating to know i'm not making up my feelings.
in my entries, i like to write about everything. i know some people have separate journals for different things, but i keep everything in one place. i like to have everything that's happening at one time in one place. just makes memory keeping and attaching memories to moods easier.
i also like to include photos, receipts, maps, and any other sort of memorabilia i happen to stumble upon when i'm out and about. i have a little kodak mini printer i use to print photos from my phone, and it's worked pretty well for me (apart from the occasional running out of film at the worst time).
