Life Updates and a Midori Traveler's Notebook Review

(along with some travel plans)

2025/04/30

I wanted to write something for the site before I begin my summer travels, because I don't think I'm going to have access to a computer for about three months. I decided a few months ago that I wanted to travel and work in America this summer, because I've never travelled outside of Ireland much except to see some other parts of Europe. I'll be living and working in a national park for about three months, and travelling America for another month after that, and I'll have very minimal access to technology and won't be able to write here for a long time.

I'm flying out in a couple of weeks. I finished my final exam today, so I just have some final shifts at work to finish up, then I have to move out of my current flat and pack, and then I'll be ready to go.

I've spent a lot of my life too afraid to pursue what I've really wanted. I've been far too timid, or concerned about the potential downsides of any possible course of action. I've let myself be passive far too often. I've cared too much about what others have wanted, and not what really makes me feel fulfilled. Since I moved out in September after I turned eighteen, I've faced a lot of intimidating and daunting things: house hunting, signing my first lease on a rental house and managing deposits and rental paperwork, joining new societies, converting to Catholicism, interviewing for new jobs, learning to navigate healthcare and bills and chores completely independently, agreeing to lead discipleship courses, filling out visa paperwork and attending US embassy appointments, living alone away from my hometown, working whilst studying full-time, learning new languages, travelling and flying alone for the first time, meeting lots of new people, pursuing my faith despite severe opposition, and learning to drive.

A lot of those are things I never thought I'd be able to do. I grew up being told, or telling myself, that I'd never be able to achieve those things. Now, I'll be spending almost a third of the year working in a country I've never been to before, I've found a new home, I've managed to make new friends and connections, I've travelled alone, and I am so much happier.

I think that what I've learned from it all is this: it's okay to make mistakes along the way, as long as they're your own. I could have lived in my hometown for years, and I'd have had none of these stressors or responsibilities, but in a way, my life would not have been truly my own. I wouldn't have had to pay rent, or work, or study, or manage medical appointments or bills or laundry, or house hunt, or interview for jobs, or do anything of the sort — but I wouldn't have had the freedom to make my own decisions. Fundamentally, I'm beginning to think that's what a truly meaningful life is about. I can't fathom a life where I could feel content if I did not have the freedom to make those decisions on my own; to fail and make the mistakes myself, and to learn from them. I'm glad I didn't let myself stay sheltered forever, even though it felt so scary to step out on my own.

Converting to Catholicism was probably one of the scariest things I've had to face. Since I've been raised by staunch Northern Irish Protestants, it was an incredibly difficult decision for me to make, but I was accepted into the Church through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil this year.

That decision was always going to cause a lot of familial discord and social difficulties for me, but it felt necessary. I stuck by this verse:

"For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:35-38)

Now, to get onto the main subject of the article: I was recently gifted a special edition ('Love and Trip') Midori Traveler's Notebook, and I wanted to share my setup for how I'll be using it throughout my travels and everyday life.

In case you've never encountered one before, the Traveler's Notebook is a customisable journaling system featuring a leather cover and elastic bands that hold refillable notebook inserts, sold by Traveler's Company. There are a wide range of possible inserts, such as plastic pouches, watercolour books, sketchbooks, lined notebooks, dotted notebooks, grid notebooks, monthly/weekly/daily planners, card holders, sticker release notebooks, and more. It provides a way to easily transport several different kinds of notebooks at a time, in a very compact and portable manner.

The version that I got has beautiful red leather, and I currently have four refills in it: the special edition blank cream paper notebook (which came with my special edition set, and contains several message cards with special art), sticker release notebook, a free monthly planner, and a sketchbook. These were all the official Traveler's Company refills. I attached a simple cross charm to the front, but that's all of the customising I've done so far.

I really love this concept. It's so customisable, and I love that it's designed to grow and change alongside you. The leather improves with age and is supposed to be very durable, and the refills are easy to archive and replace once they're full.

Mine came with a special edition bag, which I keep the notebook in whilst I carry it around in my backpack.

Finally, the MD paper handles fountain pens very well, which is a relief. I use a combination of my LAMY Safari and Muji 0.38mm gel pens in the notebooks. The LAMY does take noticeably longer to dry, but there is no feathering or bleedthrough whatsoever, which is a relief, because a lot of papers struggle to handle my fountain pens.