Triple the Traveler's Notebooks

My training to write more stuff on paper has been successful enough that I was able to justify buying a passport-sized Traveler's Notebook in March! And then... another one last week. The passport is perfectly pocket sized and more conducive for carrying around everywhere.

The addition of the passport notebook has slightly changed how I use the regular-sized one. It's transitioned into a full time planner that just goes to and from work with me. It was already doing that to some degree before, but now I don't feel as bad about it! The other insert is a scratch notebook that has quickly devolved into an ink testing book.

I started putting monthly spreads in my planner so I'd have somewhere to write down far-off events. On the weekly pages, I put dated events or meetings on one page and a to-do list and other notes on the other. I write with a different color every day so it's obvious when everything was written. (And it makes the whole thing look like a disjointed mess, which is objectively good.)

The olive passport notebook is the original and goes around with me everywhere. There are three inserts in there, but I only actually use two right now:

1. Whatever journal: I made this out of a failed draft of a card because the front had a nice pattern on it. I use it for lists, thoughts, and pointless things I want to hold on to.
2. Area 51 journal of unknown purpose: I won this at a trivia night years ago in college and found it while I was cleaning my desk. I haven't figured out what to do with it, but I carry it around for the day I do because it's the best notebook I've ever seen. The paper quality is shockingly good, which hasn't helped with my indecision.
3. Unserious sketchbook: I made this out of a box of Chinese-exclusive pistachio Pocky. I've been trying to get in the doodling habit more often, so I carry this around in my writing notebook just in case the opportunity for art presents itself.

I also swap my gym notebook, a $1 spiral pocket notebook I got at Staples, into this cover when the situation calls for it (i.e. I am going to the gym).

The olive cover was doing part-time plein air duty, but I got so annoyed with the constant moving around of books that I broke and bought another cover. It's camel this time because I feared falling into predictability. It permanently houses my outdoor wet and dry media sketchbooks and lives in my art bag with all my other supplies.

I also pimped my notebooks by adding extra elastic to the spine so they can accommodate three inserts without all the rubber bands. It's easy to do with a sharp pair of tweezers and some patience, and it removes some friction when you want to swap individual books out.

Plans for future pimping include sewing a wallet insert for the olive passport so I don't have to carry both my notebook and wallet in my pockets. I'm on the bleeding edge of solving some really important problems.