The final pen, the ultimate journal

I made a few calls today to ask folks about specific journals I've seen on line. I am awaiting their call backs and then I'll decide if another journal deserves my attention.

The yellow Right in the Rain at Gearx sounds promising and at $15.95 plus shipping, the right size at 4x6, a beautiful colour on line, and a good number of pages. One of its advantages is the cover is water proof and it is most likely I'll see a great deal of water and rain. It gets a possible rating of 8.

I asked DailyPlanner if the Rhodia e-pure paper equals or is exactly like the Clairefontaine #6155 and they promised to check and either call me or send me an email.

And I went browsing and poking around many sites that sell journals. I went back to Papier Plume a few times to check out one of their leather journals--visual rating 8.5.

I took out my mound of journals and sketchbooks. I put two journals in a cart at Fine Arts in Rochester, and then didn't click buy.

With a Canteo, just a little bigger than 4x6, a good pile of unused Apicas and others, and the desire to travel light when I go to Latin America, I think I probably should just give up the idea of another purchase.

My conundrum is not so much about journals, but the idea of being on the road again, and what it represents. How to travel light and still have enough personal possessions that I don't suffer withdrawal again.

I was on the road for two years, all of my belongings in storage, and this last year of reunion has been slow, painstaking and occasionally wrenching.

I have travelled light and I have gone heavy. The two times I tried a back-pack, I faltered and in Italy I had to buy another bag and store my back-pack in it. In South America I wasn't travelling alone so I relied heavily on Reid to come to my aid.

Now off to Latin America for 2 or 3 months I just know that a sojourn of this length demands careful planning and a limited number of personal belongings. It is for this reason I keep alternating between buy new, review old, seek simple solutions.

I unpacked my watercolour bag to see what I could eliminate and how to incorporate a complete and simple way to have a laptop, art supplies and writing instruments. I waver between taking a beautiful fountain pen or a disposable one.

Clothes seem simple compared to having the ability to draw and write as I move from place to place and country to country. I had to purchase duplicates too many times in these last few years that it makes my head spin and my cheque book scream for mercy.

I want to go, and I want to stay home.