I filled a lot of scruffy looking notebooks like this one with observations and thoughts on life throughout my teenage years–such as this one from my second trip to Japan at 17. And yes, the pack-rat that I am I still have most of them. A few months ago I hauled them out of my storage unit and re-read a few of them. Yes, there were a lot of details over the style choices of my latest crush that I could have done without remembering (tapered pants OMG) and almost made me start to wonder if those nose fulls of dust and lower back injury I incurred pulling them out were in vain. However, there were some gems in there too, little moments preserved like the cup of strawberry tea I enjoyed on a warm Yogogi morning just for the pure sake of preserving them, that reminded me of a simple truth about myself that I think I sometimes forget: I have always loved writing and always will–no matter what.

So thank you diary, you inspire me.