Journaling for me has always been my most inconsistent relationship, always on or off. One of my first attempts has entries that distance themselves months sometimes years apart. So when I moved abroad for university i though ok this time i’m going to actually inmerge myself into this because i wanted to record my experiences during that time. This time though, unlike the past, i didn’t give myself the pressure of ‘having’ to do it rather than ‘wanting’ to do it. It had to feel instinctive for me to write something down, if not, it shouldn’t be forced. 

I noticed right away how letting go actually engaged me more into journaling. As i jotted down my thoughts, ideas and encounters i had a thought: the people i am meeting and will meet, in this moment in my life, are without a doubt influencing my experiences. The ones that i am documenting in my personal journal, but because of their conscious or unconscious impact they will have on me during this time, i would love to have a piece of them with me as well. I called them my people souvenirs. 

This was the start. The start of something i couldn’t have foreseen. I’ve always had a strong passion for traveling, getting to know people, jumping into new, unfamiliar settings and learning by observing. With the first strangers journal that flowed from stranger to stranger a community was forming. I noticed how strong language, story telling, and dialouge really are. I noticed how many distinct stories would or could somehow overlap. I noticed how it left a mark on me, but rather other participants as well. I noticed how much people care.

This is human connection. This is Stranger Bound. 

ila