document my life better

I’m a terrible person – I’m abusing 43things – instead of writing in a diary, I write about what I feel (in a haste and not with as much detail and depth as in a journal) on these very public pages, probably annoying other readers/users while I proceed to post yet another self-centered posting.
Less time in front of the computer – spend more time with books, the REAL diary, the camera…!

Some friends and I, on my 2006 birthday

Some year ago, I used to get excited for going to the malls to develop my photos and organize my albums and show it to my friends. With the digital pictures, it’s a good moment that most of the people have lost. I decided to print some pictures and started with a cd I made about the best 2006 moments.
Last Saturday, I took it to my friends and we laugh a lot, remembering all the parties, trips and funny moments we had 2 years ago.
Next month, I’ll go it again. I just have to get the 2007 pictures on my backup cds together and choose the best ones.

while doing this, be careful. It can get addicting. Along with a diary and travel diary, I also have a day planner going that not only tells me what is due what days, but when I have doctor’s appointments, dress fittings, random meetings, shows, concerts, sleepovers, what days I got my shots, what days I ate cookies, on what day so-and-so got together with whatshername and the day they broke up. Which days I was sick, what day I went for a walk instead of to third period.

so, you might end up knowing more about your own life than is necessary.

I would love to organise a time to take pictures of all my friends together in one heap. Not a literal heap of course, that would be uncomfortable. :)

(1) Keep a daily journal.
(2) Carry my camera and take pictures.

Really want to start a journal.

But I have to find the right one first.

Not only to weed out the time-wasters, but to map the ebb and flow of my moods and energy.

My boyfriend’s out of town for a month and I envisioned myself spending my evenings with a glass of wine, some nice music, writing in my journal, updating my journal (!), making plans, mindmaps, roadmaps, dreaming…. nah, didn’t quite go as planned.

During the first week, I ended up chatting online with: my homesick boyfriend, my brother, my closest friend. Two to three to four hours, each and every night! Yes, it was them who contacted me. But I didn’t say no.

I diagnosed myself with communication overdose in the end. Still I managed to squeeze in two good books. Now there’s weeks to go. This is important. I’ve felt depressed, and I need to find out what’s going on and how to get out of it.

I need to focus on this. I’ve been around the world several times over, and I rarely take pictures or document my thoughts. This year I want to be better about documenting my internal and external experiences… So with my tiny Canon Digital ELPH and my composition notebook in tow, I prepare to go off into the world again this year.

I’m self-conscious about taking candids of people and lazy about lugging out the camera. Parts of my social life cannot be evoked well for lack of documentation and photos.

I’ve resolved to take near-daily pictures this year. (Even in this digital camera/cheap memory card age, I have this atavistic mentality that every shot costs 40 cents, so you can’t waste a frame and nobody had better blink!)

I’m also going to keep a regular journal. I started a LiveJournal, but early on felt I’d be playing to any readers. Decided to use MacJournal offline instead, which still gives me the option of click-posting to LJ if I later want to.