The most important item I carry with me is my backpack. I’ve used the same one nearly every day for the past 7 years, and it’s still in excellent condition. It feels different than a tote bag (which I love tote bags as well), in the sense that a backpack offers a more secure “safety net” feeling. As a kid, I’d often think of it as a lifeline. If anything were to ever “hit the fan”, chances are I’d have enough resources in my backpack to help me face whatever obstacle would come my way.
Within my backpack, one of the most important things I carry is a journal. I carry 3 small journals: One for notable travel experiences, a notepad for jotting down things at work, and a common-place book to record new things I learn on a daily basis. The last one can also include anything from a song lyric / painting that jumped out at me to a quote in a book I’d like to remember for as long as possible.
Within those journals, are a multitude of sticky notes poking out of edges and corners to hold even more thoughts. I know I said the most important thing I carry is a backpack, but I think I just love the feeling of carrying my thoughts around to continuously be written and edited later.
Jodi Quemelen 
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