new pages, all for me
Today marks 366 days of writing in my journal and my moleskine is now completely full. It is also slightly waterlogged and bent and the back side has strange paint stains on it. It has been thrown in eight different purses, three backpacks, four tote bags, and one suitcase. It has seen two oceans, three lakes, two rivers, many forests, five major cities, many kilometres of open road, and some very tall hills. Now I find myself at the end of these pages, laying my trusty travel companion to rest.
On to the shelf she goes!
I had bought that Keith Haring Sticker at the New Museum in NYC back in 2022 and I put it on the cover of the notebook because I wanted to think about how inspired I felt in NYC every time I began to write. A year later from the start of this notebook, the image of the Statue of Liberty makes me think less about NYC and more about the other goings-on south of the border. Perhaps it is for the best that my notebook's retirement came sooner rather than later.
A smattering of things shoved in the back of the old moleskine
Part of why Moleskines are my favourite notebooks is the inclusion of the back pocket. As I go about my life I will hold on to little pieces of paper and usually lots and lots of stickers. I had completely forgotten about the Sleepytime Bear sticker, so I'll be putting that somewhere soon. There's a great fortune there from a fortune cookie. That folded piece of paper is the introductory letter the dungeon master gave me in my first ever game of Dungeons and Dragons (thank you A!). My one way ticket to NY Penn, a reminder of how much I do not enjoy the Newark airport, but I DO love the feeling of riding in to the city on NJ Transit. There's also a Nett hier sticker sent to me by a dear friend, which I got intending to stick it somewhere bizarre (haven't found the right place yet).
The old book is now sat in its rightful place on the shelf, to be flipped through and analyzed at a later moment in time, when I'm ready for more introspection. And now I am opening my drawer to pull out a new and crisp version of the same notebook.
The new beauty
Starting a new notebook helps me to brush away any feelings of stagnancy. As I've aged, I've also found it increasingly important to have a physical space where I can write and think and create anything. The contents are for me and me alone, and there's no obligation to share. It feels almost like a little rebellion, in a world where the masses are trying to commercialize every aspect of life. I love the quiet comfort of the notebook, and the new energy within its pages. I am excited to think of who I will become by the time I have filled its pages, and what all will happen in between :) I'll keep you blog friends posted on all the places this book will go!
au revoir,
sam
p.s.: been listening to the tragically hip a lot more lately (for no reason at all........), so here's my favourite song by them for you to enjoy