- 26 Dec, 2025 *
I’ve been a little quiet on here (and honestly across most of my socials), because I’ve been attempting to focus more on myself offline. It’s no secret that I’ve been having a hard time the past few months. Even with all my posts about not letting the loss of my job define my worth, I still managed to lose myself somewhere along the way. That part isn’t new though, so I won’t focus on that right now.
Lately I’ve been starting my mornings with a cup of coffee and my journal. There’s just something therapeutic about writing my thoughts out with (my favorite fountain) pen an…
- 26 Dec, 2025 *
I’ve been a little quiet on here (and honestly across most of my socials), because I’ve been attempting to focus more on myself offline. It’s no secret that I’ve been having a hard time the past few months. Even with all my posts about not letting the loss of my job define my worth, I still managed to lose myself somewhere along the way. That part isn’t new though, so I won’t focus on that right now.
Lately I’ve been starting my mornings with a cup of coffee and my journal. There’s just something therapeutic about writing my thoughts out with (my favorite fountain) pen and paper. At times, it just feels like some sort of one sided conversation with myself. Sometimes I even respond in the way I imagine someone who cares about me would (if I’m feeling positive and not cynical that day). Other times, I’m ok with just leting a thought exist, perfectly content with no response at all.
I actually took a few months off from journaling over the summer, and it wasn’t until I picked it back up that I realized how much I missed it. That pause made it clear that the 288 page Hobonichi notebook I started last year was the right choice for me after all. I would’ve definitely failed with having dailies.
Anyways...
I fell into the world of fountain pens, Tomoe River paper, and Hobonichi in late 2024. It began with my first fountain pen, followed by the realization that Moleskine paper no longer worked for me. From there, it was a quick descent down the rabbit hole. I wasn’t ready to commit to an expensive planner (aka Hobonichi Cousin) just yet, so I landed on what felt like the next best thing: a Hobonichi grid notebook. Given my less than stellar history of finishing journals in a reasonable amount of time (my last one took three years) I made myself a deal. If I could finish this notebook by the end of 2025, I would finally allow myself to finally get the Hobonichi Cousin for 2026.
Now that we’re nearing the end of 2025, I’m happy to say I’m down to my last few pages. Although I had those few months skipped, I still somehow made it. I’ve already started my photo a day for this month in my new Hobonichi Cousin (the monthlies started in December), though I still have to wait until January 1st for the dailies.
I tend to decorate my journals as the year unfolds, theming it based on how my year is going. That’s why this new one is completely plain at the moment. Check back at the end of 2026 to see how it turns out. I already can’t wait to see it chonk up.
For now, we’ll just focus on the almost finished 2025 journal.
New notebooks always make me happy.
👈 Left is my current journal, 👉 right is my 2026 journal.
The cover of my November 2024-December 2025 Hobonichi Grid Notebook, and my currently undecorated 2026 Hobonici cousin
I recently just finalized the stickers on the back of my 2025 journal, and already thinking of ways I can make my new one more me.
The side view of my beloved journal, and my soon to be loved journal.
∞ Related: My Moleskine to Hobonichi Notebook Switch