When I was young, I loved shopping for journals. Every time I went into a store, I had to wander off to the journal section. I was drawn to the designs on the front page. I would get the ones with my favorite Disney Channel films that came with a lock and key. I would get excited as I flipped through the empty pages, anxiously wanting to paint it with my daily ideas and thoughts. I liked the idea of journaling, but I wasn’t a fan of the act of journaling or maybe I didn’t need it yet. Therefore, those journals lay hidden in my drawers with an entry or two in them and maybe even some grocery lists. Forever untouched until one day.
When COVID-19 hit, so did isolation. The need for human interaction was at its peak. At just 13, I had so much to say but no one to talk to. I couldn’t lean on my friends because I knew we were all going through similar situations so it wouldn’t be fair to vent to them. I felt helpless until I found myself in the journal/notebook section once again. This one blue book with a tie dye detail on the sides and the words “Enjoy The Journey” on the front cover caught my attention. As soon as I got home, I got to writing about what I did that day, and that’s when it hit me: “Why didn’t I continue writing all those years ago?”
That journal is now filled with entries of my happy memories, sad moments and too many crash outs if I’m being honest. However, it is fun to flip back through the years and remember how mad I was when my mom didn’t let me go out with my friends or how nervous and scared I was when I made it on the girls basketball team. It’s nice to be reminded that all these versions of me still live within me. Most importantly though, journaling has been helpful in discovering the person that I am. Through my journaling, I have learned what I like and don’t like, what makes me angry or sad, and what makes me happy. In a way, journaling allows me to look back on instances in my life and think about how I could’ve handled a situation better or what I should or shouldn’t have said. I’m able to vent about stuff that I wouldn’t to someone else but when I feel the need to tell someone.
As we write about our feelings or thoughts, it makes us reflect on who we are, and I think that we need more of that, especially now in this time in our life. As college students, we’re always focused on our next move. What other club we could join, what internship to apply to or what classes to take in the future. However, it is rare for us (at least from what I’ve seen) to stop for a minute, pick up a pen and piece of paper, and write something about us. It doesn’t have to be considered “deep” to be journaling. You can write about your favorite lyrics in a song, some poems, what you saw during the day, etc. It’s a different process for everyone, but it’s truly worth it to try.