Is 'Journaling' Even a Word?

My sister gave me this cute little journal for Christmas. I'm not very good at keeping a journal. I've had the same green flowered diary since I was 13 and I'm pretty sure it isn't even halfway full. I decided to get a new one a year or two ago because who wants to write current entries alongside embarrassing adolescent ramblings? Not this mature woman. So, I bought a beautiful red leather diary that I would be proud to write in. How many times have I sat down to record my thoughts and dreams? Exactly two.

I have always considered my photos as a sort of visual journal so actually writing things down hasn't been as much of a priority. I've recently come to the realization that, try as I might, I can't remember all the little day to day things that I so easily take for granted. I tell myself all the time that someday when we are nestled safely back in the states, I will really want to remember what it was like to live in the UK. Not just the big trips or even the day outings, but the details of what it's like to drive 60 mph on the insanely curvy roads that are only wide enough for one car and the seven lane roundabouts and the way that any house newer than 600 years old fails to impress me anymore. I don't want to forget how much I simultaneously love and hate living here.  All I want is to be back in the comfort of America where I can go to one store instead of four to find everything I need, but I can't quiet the huge part of me that will miss being able to visit a castle on the weekends or hop on a plane and be in Europe in an hour. I love looking at the travel boards on Pinterest and being able to plan our next trip based on what I see. I don't want that to end and I definitely don't want to forget what it was like.

This journal is exactly what I need. It asks me a different question every day and has room for five responses. I will fill it out over the course of five years. I have really started to look forward to ending my day with a couple of quiet minutes in which I enter a thoughtful sentence or two to answer the surprisingly relevant questions. I'm hoping that this book will get me into the habit of writing and I will actually remember to write real journal entries.

 

Thank you, sweet sister, for the kind gift.