I have, for a while now, owned quite a few pocket notebooks, usually Moleskine. These notebooks all have the same life cycle:

• I put a todo list in what I think is the front
• I realise that I accidentally put the todo list in the back (and upside down)
• I put something else in the front, usually something deep or a journal.
• I stop writing in it.

I’m a very inconsistent person.

The booklet I’m writing in at the moment is one given for free at the Riders Hotel in Laax. Incidentally, that place is amazing. But whatI’m writing in it in the front are rules. Instructions set out for me, to be followed in every situation. It starts with rule 1: Keep going.

The back of the notebook started as a todo list, but now contains various notes from my travel. Train connections, things to do, stuff like that. But also, every time I meet someone nice or am helped in need, I jot a little something down on a particular page, so that I never forget them.

I’m writing this post on my phone, standing in the corridor of the TGV Inoui from Brest to Laval.

I’m travelling again. An interrail trip to reset my brain for the Lernphase. I’ve been largely speaking French; unfortunately, my ability to speak seems slightly better than my ability to comprehend the spoken language. I can do well enough to not need to switch to English in most situations though. So far, I’ve been off the beaten path – Brest, before that, Morlaix, since I messed up the Eurostar booking.

At the moment, I’m on my way to Bordeaux. There ought to be more tourists there, should be nice. More to do, also warmer weather. I guess I’ll write a full travel blog-esque post once I’m done.

The back inside cover of the riders booklet, just before a short todo list, now holds a bucket list. Things that I would like to do at some point. Mostly things that’ll take at least a year of effort. Things I likely won’t achieve, but if I fulfil even one, I’ll be very happy.

I estimate that I have, if I’m lucky, a total of 700’000 hours. I want to make every single one of those count. Time, like money and health, is a scarce resource. I calculated how many of those hours I’ve spent staring at my phone’s screen, doing absolutely nothing of value. It was, quite frankly, appalling. I will do better.