Part five - a journal
Having returned from my time abroad the items that began this blog series are no longer in a neat little pile. The backpack is sitting in the laundry room of my house ready to be packed away, my Bible is sitting beside me waiting to be read for the day, the coloring book is on a shelf in a cabin and the list was tossed in the waste basket weeks ago. All that leaves is the journal.
A journal is a simple enough object. Lined pages bound together in a cleverly patterned cover, sold off shelves with countless options to fit just about every personality and need. While some people pick out journals with ease, this writer will stand on the store isle carefully inspecting each and every possible choice, eliminating based on a variety of categories.
You see, in my mind a journal becomes something far more personal than the simple object it begins as. As soon as pen touches the first page there is a bond formed. That journal becomes a personal belonging, something that holds the dearest of thoughts and sweetest of moments. On its pages trails are recorded. Cries to God are let out. Pains are scratched out.
How can picking something so personal be so easy?
When the realization that the summer was going to require a new journal hit me I knew the tedious task of finding the perfect one was awaiting me.
Then a wonderful thing happened. While wandering my favorite craft store in search of glitter for a photo shoot, the dollar bins near the check out lines caught my eye. As usual I paused to peruse the "affordable" temptations that have a habit of running up my total at the check out. Amongst the paint-it-yourself birdhouses, recipe cards and seasonal nail files as a line of circus themed stationary. For some reason I was drawn in. As I sorted through the bin I found what became the perfect journal.
The cover was a creamy yellow with an odd circus themed print that repeated itself over the entire surface. A tent, elephant, giraffe, balloons and a juggling lady looked back at me as I contemplated the purchase.
Later that night I pulled the journal out of my reusable shopping bag and wrote a dedication on the inside cover:
"Summer 2012 - here's to the experience".
Throughout the course of moving from my on-campus apartment to my home the journal was tossed into a box and left unattended until the first week of summer was over. When I came across it again I decided to make the dollar bin book a bit more personal. Adding a "S" sticker of the classic circus font as well as a few butterfly stickers made it nearly perfect. A few weeks later it was time for the journal to be packed in that dusty blue backpack. Just before adding it to the bag I taped ribbon along the back cover to allow me to tie the book shut. A rubber headband was twisted over the back cover as well, creating the perfect spot to tuck notes and photos from home. "Sometimes it's the little things..." was jotted in Sharpie.
Now the journal is just about full. Only a few pages remain after having traveled from America to Turkey. The next step in this journey is to look back through those pages and tell you a little bit about my experience abroad.
Curiously,
Then a wonderful thing happened. While wandering my favorite craft store in search of glitter for a photo shoot, the dollar bins near the check out lines caught my eye. As usual I paused to peruse the "affordable" temptations that have a habit of running up my total at the check out. Amongst the paint-it-yourself birdhouses, recipe cards and seasonal nail files as a line of circus themed stationary. For some reason I was drawn in. As I sorted through the bin I found what became the perfect journal.
The cover was a creamy yellow with an odd circus themed print that repeated itself over the entire surface. A tent, elephant, giraffe, balloons and a juggling lady looked back at me as I contemplated the purchase.
Later that night I pulled the journal out of my reusable shopping bag and wrote a dedication on the inside cover:
"Summer 2012 - here's to the experience".
Throughout the course of moving from my on-campus apartment to my home the journal was tossed into a box and left unattended until the first week of summer was over. When I came across it again I decided to make the dollar bin book a bit more personal. Adding a "S" sticker of the classic circus font as well as a few butterfly stickers made it nearly perfect. A few weeks later it was time for the journal to be packed in that dusty blue backpack. Just before adding it to the bag I taped ribbon along the back cover to allow me to tie the book shut. A rubber headband was twisted over the back cover as well, creating the perfect spot to tuck notes and photos from home. "Sometimes it's the little things..." was jotted in Sharpie.
Now the journal is just about full. Only a few pages remain after having traveled from America to Turkey. The next step in this journey is to look back through those pages and tell you a little bit about my experience abroad.
I love your writing., Caught me from beginning to end
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