An Ode to My Notebook

I’ve spent many years trying to find a journal of sorts—a method of reflecting on my experiences and storing them for safekeeping. My grandmother instilled this in me very young, and even last week texted to remind me of the importance of the practice. I have not always been consistent, and for that, I have felt guilty, but in the past few years, I have found a balance between informality and practicality. A method of keeping my writings, my note-taking, my reflections, and my mementos.

Three years ago, before I came to study in Delhi, my sister gifted me a satchel for my travels. Since that day, I haven’t left the house without it over my shoulder or my pocket-sized Moleskine notebook inside it. It’s small, unstructured, and disorganized, but its messiness and convenience allow me to use it uninhibitedly. The formality of a daily journal and the creativity of a sketchbook have always eluded me, but this middle ground works perfectly for me.

Now, as this Fellowship comes to an end, and I approach the last few pages of my notebook (I fear I have timed my usage impeccably), I’d like to take this opportunity to share some excerpts. Some are moments of clarity, thoughtfulness, or creativity, but most of it is unspectacular. It’s a list of what I did and didn’t get done during a busy week or day. It’s notes from a meeting or a list of questions for a supervisor. It’s book and movie recommendations. It’s Hindi words I didn’t want to forget. It’s mundane and unfiltered, and that’s its beauty to me.

I’ve poured a lot of myself into this notebook, and now it will serve as a time capsule for my future self. It will help me understand who I was this year, remind me of all I learned and all I experienced. Unlike a notes document, my notebook is physically here to interact with, to flip through, and to feel. Its existence is itself a memory.

Look through the pictures if you like, read my handwriting if you can. I hope you enjoy this window into my year and into my brain.

A Bollywood movie list that I have failed miserably at getting through. Photo credit: Author

Reflection on being an outsider and not knowing the language around me. Photo credit: Author

A blind contour drawing of Keerthana. Sundar Nursery, November 10th, 2024. Photo credit: Author

The Subliminal Space of Solo Air Travel. Reflections during an emotive experience, traveling back to Delhi from Hyderabad. Photo credit: Author

Hindi words I heard and learned at Data for Dialogue, a conference on gender-based violence research. Photo credit: Author

A list of ingredients Didi told me to get from the store. Photo credit: Author

Notes from a meeting with an educational organization in Belgium. Photo credit: Author

Random to-do lists, Moira’s medicine, thoughts for Shivpriya, and the week’s evening plans. Photo credit: Author

While traversing bumpy off-roads towards a famous waterfall in Goa, I placed my pencil on the page and let the turbulence do the rest. Photo credit: Author

Author

Jonathan Israel

Born and raised in Washington DC, Jonathan moved to New Orleans, Louisiana to study public health at Tulane University. While completing his degree, Jonathan volunteered with the New Orleans Health Department, taught English as a Second Language, and worked as a camp counselor during many of his summers. During his senior year, Jonathan studied abroad in Delhi, India where he learned about Indian health systems, gained foundational Hindi language skills, and conducted an independent research study on how survivors of domestic violence seek legal and social support. Jonathan later added minors in Asian studies and sociology to his public health degree which he earned with Cum Laude honors in May 2023. After graduating, Jonathan worked as a paralegal for a small New Orleans-based litigation law firm, where he conducted public health legal and legislative research. Jonathan later worked for World Learning as a group leader for an Iraqi high school student exchange program. It was through these academic and professional experiences that Jonathan cultivated his curiosity and passion for cross-cultural youth education and domestic violence prevention. Jonathan loves to travel, watch movies, and spend time outdoors hiking, biking, and rock climbing.

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