First is this... moldy notebook LOL oof, excuse the unsightly mold, it's been untouched since... 2018? I bought this from a local leather shop who also makes notebooks, yay for supporting local business! The sticker in front is a Sailor Moon vinyl sticker that I got from a friend. I really like how I designed my front page: the postcard with the nice quote is from papemelroti and I printed the BTS concept photo and the poem I got from tumblr (I can't search the title and author, smh 2018-me why did you not cite the author!!) and various cat-theme sticky notes and tabs my sister gifted me. I tried to emulate the most basic bullet journal method here and would sometimes customize the layout more to my liking. I started this notebook on October but I moved to a different notebook at the end of the year so it was just... 1/4 full. I included a sample of my monthly page. I think I kept up with the routine well! Godd reading these entries actually makes me laugh, I have been suffering with life for so long...

Next is this pair of notebooks I got from papemelroti. As you can see college-me's go-to brand is papemelroti because it's cheap but the quality is very good, their stores are like heaven to me; they're the definition of whimsical. I got these two along with the postcard on the previous notebook as an impulse purchase because I couldn't resist the cute cat artwork! I used these on 2019, the green one as my korean language learning notebook (I used Talk to Me in Korean books) and the red one as a reading journal that I didn't get to use as much as I wanted to. Looking back at it now, I really like the format in it. I don't know where I got it from lol but I might use it whenever I'll make a books page here.

This is... 2016 I think? My second-year in college. I don't exactly remember how I got this notebook but I just saw it in my huge pile of notebooks and decided to use it for that semester since it was undated anyway. According to my scribbles here, I apparently opened a studyblr that's chemistry-related and I wanted to make this planner as "aesthetic" as possible so I'll get lots of notes and followers. Omg... girl. You know the good thing about keeping journals is stuff like these blasts from the past and it just makes you realize just how much you've changed through the years.

This notebook was my ride-or-die companion through my Broke Bitch-Unemployed Era when I graduated on 2019. I wrote here every night about my frustrations in job hunting and every failed interviews I went through. I still followed the basic bullet journal layout here, but its pages are mostly filled with journal entries. I think this was when I had enough of unrealistic bullet journal pages that no neurodivergent person would ever accomplish in a day, let alone more than a month, so I went back to basics to figure out what I really need in my notebook. I had to take a picture of my Pokemon Sun endgame checklist as me and my husband (who was still my bf back then) were playing Sun and Moon together, there was so much stuff to do! 2024 Update: I never finished them, not even my pokedex, oops. I think this notebook holds the most sentimental value to me because it was with me through thick and thin, and it contained my hopes for the next year as I step into 'adulting'. Man, 2019 was perhaps the last time ever I planned out my life. I learned throughout the years that I'm better off winging any decisions that come my way.

This was the notebook I carried everywhere during my hospital internship on 2018. We had to memorize every single medicinal product and medical devices in the pharmacy and I can recall things better when I write them down so half of this notebook was just product and generic names of those medicines as well as its classifications. Another notebook I picked from my pile and it was of good use to me ^^b

This is a Rhodia notebook my mom got for me and on a random day on 2018 I decided I want to draw. This was also when I was obssessed with League of Legends women and K/DA so I drew a lot of Morgana, Ahri, Kai'Sa and Akali. These were the good ol' days when I would just draw whatever I want, hence the random Djeeta, Megurine Luka and my Miqote WoL. I criii I miss this drive to draw, I wonder when will I get up from my art slump...

This was a notebook my mom bought for me on 2016 when we went to a christmas bazaar that we regularly go to. I know I used this on 2017 because of the 'Sakura Angels' line there and I still remember that being gifted to me by my husband (who was only my friend back then... omg!) as a joke in Steam. Also this page just reminded me how I had a silly little crush on Jesse from NEST (yes.... the FFXIV raid group LOL) I didn't keep up with it unfortunately and only got until February.

This was my very first A6 notebook and I just bought it because of the cute cat cover when my best friend brought me to a store which stocks different products from local artists. The pattern should be very obvious by now, I'm weak to anything related to cats. The quote in my key page is a line from RM's solo 'Trivia 承 : Love', I popped off with that lettering and flowers LOL And would I be a Totally Normal GBF player without a spark tracker? Okay, listen, I wanted CheVira so bad! I wrote about going to a Wanna One concert with my sister here so I assume this is from 2018 and yet another unfinished notebook tehe!

This is just a freebie we got from Forever21 years ago. Maybe in 20 years I can call this a vintage piece LOL Totally blank, I haven't used this at all but still I want to include it here.

My first Moleskine notebook! I got this during my Melbourne trip on 2020 and it was on discount yay ;D I wanted a grid notebook like Cheyenne Barton (one of my inspirations in bullet journaling) but I'm a stingy girl so I went with the dotted one because it was the one on sale LOL The sticker on the cover is a Summoner job crystal sticker I bought from Supanova artist alley so I get a grim reminder everyday that I main a job that will always be reworked every expansion :")) After my success in my 2019 journal, I've been more and more confident in my journaling/planning style. This was less experimenting but more on improving my layout or adjusting based on my current situation. The layout may be kind of neat but the contents aren't... ^^" I got seriously thrown off by the pandemic and other life events. I didn't know my mental health could get lower than when I was in college, so my journal entries are darker and more hopeless tone-wise in this notebook.

For 2021, I moved to Midori MD and this is where I became a grid truther. I'm really pleased with how this notebook turned out! I definitely have found my groove here and accepted the fact that I have free will and I don't have to pretend to be a minimalist when I can put all the stickers and washi tapes I want because I can and it's my space. I moved on from the bullet journal method and figured out my own system that works for me. I was still recovering from 2020 life events so I completely threw any kinds of planning out the window and just focused on journaling (or if the need arises, I just use a sticky note). Thankfully I discovered all kinds of medias that made life worthwhile again. My entries have become hopeful again, but not in the 'looking forward to the future' kind but more of 'I'm just happy to be where I am right now'.

Bonus!

Other pages from the notebooks above that I want to share~

The moment Taisho x Alice changed the trajectory of my life. Ahhh, still remains to be one of my favorite otome game! Nothing will ever make me feel the same way Kaguya's and Wizard's routes did, so of course I had to write it down and take all the time to print that very accurate reaction image solely for that page.

My washi tape collection from 2021! I was in my hoard mentality back then and even until now I still haven't finished all of them yet lol It was also why I stopped buying stationery in bulk/hauls because I didn't like having my stash full of things I haven't used at all. I really like doing washi tape swatches in my notebooks, it's so satisfying to look at them all lined up neatly :"D

More drawings! The lily was a watercolor tutorial I followed from Shibasaki Watercolor in Youtube. And I was practicing drawing me and my then-boyfriend's WoLs so I could draw something for our anniversary.

At first, I was actually intimidated to give them a try because from an outsider perspective, my first impressions of fountain pens are expensive, fragile, high maintenance and the like. But looking back at it now, I realized the highest barrier to entry in the hobby is that intimidation itself because compared before, fountain pens have never been more accessible and affordable. If you look up 'fountain pen for beginners' in a search engine or even Youtube, you'll see a lot of guides and lists from experienced users.

Last December 2022, I did my year-end techo kaigi and wrote down what I want to do for my journal and planners next year. 2022 me was really feeling bad about leaving blank pages in my Hobonichi planner due to my difficulty to keep up with a routine/habit so I thought of changing what I write with to make things fresh and new, which would hopefully encourage me to journal more consistently... question mark?

I was unsure if it would be a success but I wrote it down anyway. It wasn't until March 2023 I bought my first fountain pen: Platinum Preppy in Fine nib. It wasn't even planned; my sister and I always visit the local stationery store whenever we go to the mall usually to look around but that day I found myself leaving the store with two Preppys in hand LOL I got one blue and of course, one pink. I was really excited to go home and try it out and when I did, I was actually in awe. Well, they weren't kidding when they said it's a wholly different experience compared to ballpoint or gel pens.

My collection isn't much compared to others but they're all pens I use regularly and am certain that will last me a long time. I'm pretty proud of the fact that I haven't bought a pen that didn't satisfy me so far, so I can confidently recommend the ones I have right now.

When you add something as intricate as fountain pens to a hobby as broad as stationery, it's definitely easy to get lost in the maze and it'll take a while to explore to find that sweet spot, or in this case, material or nib. As for me, I'm no expert but I have been a stationery enjoyer long enough to be particular about my non-negotiables, so that narrows down my choices.

After I finished a few cartridges of my trusty ol' Preppy, I was certain that I do enjoy fountain pens. I realized I was in it for the medium long haul. So I decided to go up one level and look for pens that are slightly pricier. Also, I was curious about how the feeling of writing with a different nib will change as I go up the price point.

As if on perfect timing, a local stationery shop was holding a big sale in celebration of the local FP community's anniversary. I got to buy it on a discount which means I can buy another one if I liked it (see, this is girl math ;D). And omg, the writing experience with TWSBI is definitely better, the nib is so smooth against paper I could barely notice any feedback if there was any.

I highly recommend this for long-form journaling due to its piston filler mechanism. It can hold a lot of ink and will last you a while so you won't most likely be interrupted while you're in the ~groove~ while writing. For beginners, this is a very good starting point and even experienced users also swear by this pen because of how much value you'll get for the price.

A little note about my Pastel Pink pen: I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to get one because it seemed that it was a limited edition color from 2019-ish(?). And it's a popular color so whenever I see a listing of it in the community marketplace, it's sold within minutes. But! Here's a trip from me: Don't hesitate to post that you're looking for a certain pen in your local FP community, you wouldn't lose anything by stating your interest but there's always a possibility of someone thinking of destashing their pens. It's a common practice in the hobby to sell their pens to make way for new ones.

If only I can tell 2022 me that you can buy a fountain pen for a price of a burger, I would. Jinhao 82 is a very, very affordable entry point for beginners; it's so cheap that my first purchase was three at once LOL It's a blatant knock-off of Sailor PGS but I can't blame the hype around it. The feature I like the most about this pen is it's highly customizable. Every part can be swapped out to a different color and you can also switch nibs easily.

This is my everyday carry pen whenever I travel because it's sturdy and cheap so I don't worry much if it's upside down in my bag or what (*￣▽￣)b

The quality is good, for the price. But still, a word of warning from me, the nibs can be a bit of a hit or miss. It's a bit inconsistent that sometimes you just have to pray to the fountain pen god that what you get writes smoothly. Manage your expectations accordingly. Don't go expecting buttery, smooth TWSBI nibs for a fraction of the price. But it still gets the job done nevertheless.

If you've been lurking around fountain pen communities, you have most likely heard about 'holy grails'. According to them, a holy grail pen is like the end game for enthusiasts, most often they're very rare or hard to acquire.

Mine is the Sailor x Hachimonjiya Kubozakura. I first saw it in an Instagram post of their collection of pastel fountain pens, and I have been in love with it ever since. For me, the pen perfectly captured the essence of cherry blossoms. The subtle shade of the resin body, the transparent finials, the sakura engraving on the nib, oh it's everything I ever wanted.

Sailor often collabs with other stores/artists and it's almost always limited editions. Of course I had a Totally Normal day of just hyperfixating on my research on how to get my hands on one. And I felt a bit sad when I reached my conclusion: they do restock on the bookstore's online shop once every year, but it sells out extremely fast within minutes. So at the end of that day, I have accepted that it is a grail pen after all, and who knows when will I have it in my pen tray.

That is... until this year's pen show in my country, I actually saw it being sold by one of the vendors in its original price. It was there! Right in front of my eyes! I couldn't believe it for a moment... then I brought out my wallet LOL It was even more beautiful at firsthand than I expected. I didn't know there were very subtle shimmer in the body, it was such a nice detail.

I'm indeed very lucky to be able to get my grail pen and it was funny realizing that my interest in other fountain pens gradually dissipated once I got my hand on my grail pen. As of writing, it is a well-loved pen, I use it everyday for my journaling. (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

To end this longer-than-I-expected post (omg I talk too much), here are some lessons I learned that might be helpful to a beginner, also as a summary of what I've experienced so far.

One: joining the local fountain pen community has been a huge help to me, I highly recommend it. In my country, I joined the facebook group made by the same people who hosts our pen show. It felt good seeing posts from beginners like me asking questions about the hobby to big-time collectors showcasing their ~$2000 pen (yes, such things exist. insane, I know). The community I'm in are very welcoming and accomodating to the members, it doesn't matter how much your pen collection is.

Two: I did not give in to consumerism (crowd cheering in the background) There will always be new pens coming out regularly, I didn't feel any FOMO for the shiny new pen that everyone is getting. I was intentional with my purchases, which resulted to me regularly using my pens instead of having a big collection but most of them are stored only in their boxes. Collecting is a good thing of course, but keeping my collection to a minimum is more of a personal choice.

Three: ink samples are a great way to explore ink options. Fountain pen ink is a whole different story. It's funny how I haven't mentioned inks until now LOL I don't have a lot of pens but I do have a lot of ink samples. I recommend these when you're still starting out.

Four: I tried out everything that interested me. It's kind of contradicting with me saying I kept my stuff to a minimum but it's definitely possible to try out new things while avoiding haul/hoarding mentality. So far I have tried extra fine, fine, medium and fude nibs and I would like to try out broad or stub nibs in the future. Here's another tip from me: there are a lot, and I mean a lot, of stuff to experiment with, just be sure you follow your curiosity and not to try things out because you were influenced (ugh I hate how the word influence has sort of a negative connotation to it now). Personally, I find it is less likely for me to feel regret when I followed my curiosity, even when it didn't turn out as I expected.

This has been a very long entry but if you reached this part, thank you for reading! And also thank you to literaturegirl for asking about fountain pens. I'm looking forward to their collection ^_^ I had a lot of fun writing this post, sharing my excitement about something as mundane as a pen is always a good time.

As always, see you in the next entry ☺