It's no secret I'm addicted to paper. The backpack I carry to university and work currently holds:
- three different notepads. Two are ruled, cheap, thin-paper dollar-store ones, have been with me for two years, are very worn and almost fully written (I find it difficult to write the final page of a notepad or notebook, almost as difficult as writing the first page... it has a finality to it, a "ok, you're no longer useful" that I tend to try to avoid); one is a squared, good quality one, which I bought just a month or so ago, starting to show signs of wear from being carried around all the time and half-written (I started rewriting my NaNovel 2002 on it, that's why it's already written that much);
- two diaries / daily planners, a large one and a small one. Both barely used, I've always sucked at using diaries. They just have some exam times on them and little more;
- my Moleskine notebook (a pocket ruled one).
The last one is the only notebook that has been with me everywhere, ever since I got it (which is more than three years ago now, according to the date on the first page). It's about 2/3 written (because I often write in normal notepads, since I tend to write during classes and the Moleskine is noticeable, teachers would quickly realize I'm not taking notes), and has been through a lot. Moleskine notebooks are sturdy little fuckers, and they fit in a pocket, and that's why I love them. Whenever I go to places they're sold at, I have to pry myself away from them and remind myself that no, I don't need to waste money on ones with silk covers which would get too dirty, or large soft-cover ones I would never use (though... using a large ruled one as a diary sounds good... if I kept a diary that is...). Apart from my partially-written ruled one, I also have, ready to be used, another ruled one, a squared one, a sketchbook one (even though I can't draw worth shit), a soft-cover address book (bought today) and three soft-cover squared ones (also bought today, I'll use them for noting down URLs and suchlike when I'm away from home... I'm tired of ending up with three dozen different scraps of paper by when I get home in the evening). It may be pretentious - it touts itself in advertising as "Hemingway's notebook" and similar - but it's small, and sturdy, and comfortable to use, and that's all that matters to me.
Now I just need a miniature pen that'll fit in my pocket, too, and is comfortable to write with... all miniature pens I've seen so far cost too damn much and are very uncomfortable to hold. Hrm...