(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
This article comes out on Black Friday, when thoughts of shopping, sales and deals are flooding your inbox, feeds, storefronts, mailboxes, and it is difficult not to get sucked into the madness of the holidays. But this is Thanksgiving weekend so I wanted to share some of what I am thankful for this year. A lot of last year’s gratitude article still rings true this year, but here are a few things I wanted to add.
Journaling
Last year, I said I wanted to try journaling. And just a few months ago, I started rambling in a Traveler’s Notebook. And then I stumbled into a stationery meetup just before the San Francisco Pen Show and wow, I am hooked! I’m still trying to figure out what I want to write down, when, in what notebook/system, etc., but I am enjoying the journey, finding some peace as I get thoughts onto paper and loving the community of people that I have met since then.
Ok, how many notebooks does one need at a baseball game? Asking for a friend ;-)
New Friends
I have met some new pen and stationery friends this year that I have really bonded with. The kind you message at stupid hours because you KNOW they need to know about the latest product release. The kind who hands you a beer in the afternoon at a pen show. The kind you want to hang out with even if there are no pens in sight, but let’s be real, there are never no pens in sight, lol. I am a lucky girl for having these new friends in my life.
Old Friends
I continue to be grateful for friends in this community that I’ve known for the past several years. These are the ones who you mule for, who mule for you, who helps you find that elusive pen or the ones you are always penabling. The ones you have inside jokes with or send “pew pew” texts to (you know who you are). The ones you want to visit even if there isn’t a pen show around. Maybe they like the same pens as you do, or maybe they don’t but it doesn’t matter because your friendship started out based on pens and now it’s so much more.
Pen Shows/Pelikan Hubs/Meetups
I know pen shows started coming back last year but this year they came back in force, and not just in the US but around the world. What a joy it has been to attend some of these shows, whether as an attendee or working for a vendor. I love that we are in a better place with respect to the pandemic so that we can have shows and Pelikan Hubs and in-person meetups again.
Yay! Pelikan Hubs are back! And pen shows and meetups too!
Letters
Penpalling isn’t new to me but this year I have been writing to folks that I normally wouldn’t write to. One experienced a loss of a family member, another is a non-pen friend who has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer . I never know what to say, for fear of sounding insincere, generic or repetitive (I have been trying to send notes periodically). But I have been told that while they don’t make it all better, it does help to know people care and are thinking of them. And it reminds me that I am grateful for their friendship even if I can’t be there physically to help. Note to self to send notes to friends more often, just ‘cause.
USPS
And while I’m talking about letters, I just want to give a shout out to our postal service. I love our mail carrier and the workers at my local post office. I still don’t know how they can get a letter across the country for 60 cents, though my letters usually cost twice that cuz we all know I can’t write a short letter to save my life, lol.
Twitch
Yes, Twitch existed before 2022 but for me, I didn’t really watch a lot of streams except for the Bossman’s streams when I wake up early enough and Inkdependence Mike’s streams - y’all should follow both of them if you don’t already - but I’ve been discovering more people to follow on Twitch (especially in the journaling community) and have enjoyed “meeting” and interacting with people in a whole new way! And watching as people gift subscriptions to others just brightens my day too. Some of the folks I’ve also enjoyed following are toastytreat, jasminemarieplans, stylusandpen, and ipaintbirbs, but there are so many more to discover!
Too many things to list but here are a few of the things I’m grateful for.
At the heart of it all, I am so very thankful for this community. The pens and things are great, but it’s the people that keep me coming back for more. This community makes me want to spend my hours on Slack, Instagram, Facebook, Discord, Zoom, and travel to pen shows and meetups so I can stay in touch with and be a part of all this. So whether I’ve met you or not, if you’re reading this, you are part of this community and for that I am grateful and my heart is full.
