It wasn’t until recently that I started journaling. As I mentioned 46 times in previous articles, I spent last fall abroad in Rome, Italy. Before I left, I treated myself to the most beautiful Paper source journal that read “Travels” on the front with the background being a world map. I figured if I was going to journal, I should at least do it in style.
That journal went everywhere with me; Almafi Coast, Germany, Tuscany, Ireland, Prague and on a smaller scale, it came to school with me every day. I would sit in the lounge and write about my day, even if nothing crazy happened. I knew that I would never be experiencing these feelings and adventures ever again so they needed to be documented including every detail. I wish I had the journal with me right now as I sit in this coffee shop and write this article so I could really get into detail.
The articles varied; there was only one homesick entry (sorry mom,) there were several articles that were written while I people watched in the garden at my school, there were entries that were filled with emotion and passion, but most were just me writing about how grateful I was to be experiencing this adventure and describing all the amazing people I met while being there. The journal also deserves recognition for helping me become so close with all the girls I met in Rome. It helped my roommate Brenna understand me a little bit more because sometimes, only sometimes, I would read her my journal entries before we went to bed, especially if they included some hot gossip. My friend Molly was really intrigued by the journal. In fact, she was so intrigued, we spent all semester trying to find her a journal that she would enjoy writing in, I don’t think that ever happened.
The time I was most thankful for the journal? My flight home. Alone and in the middle seat I read through the entries and a wave of emotion came over me. It didn’t help that Adele’s new album was going through my headphones and all I could do was cry. Not sure if they were happy tears or genuinely sad tears because I didn’t want to go home. Definitely a mixture of both. Being able to relive my last four months by reading my own handwriting was really cool. It forced me to think. I laughed, I cried, and I woke up the man next to by accident. If it weren’t for that Paper Source journal, I may have forgotten some of the best times of my life.
It was my grandma who told me to write everything down because “when you’re my age, you’re going to want these memories to look back on” and she was right. Looking forward to more adventures and many, many more journals.
