Today marks my first month of journaling (in a real, paper journal I carry with me.)  Looking back at the past four weeks, it's been a bit of a surprising journey.  Here's whatI've learned:

• There are 13 journal entries for the month.  That's a little less than one every other day.
• There is a list with another 12 journal topics not yet written.  If I'm not in a place where I can stop and write when the thought/event occurs, I simply make a quick note of it on this list.
• I'm somewhat doubtful that these backlog items will ever get written out.  This is because I tend to today's new entries first, then work on the backlog as time permits.  Hasn't happened yet.  Not once! 
• There was a two week period where I didn't journal at all.  I was having a VERY hard time (bipolar) and just unplugged from everything, journaling included.
• The journal itself proved to be important and I actually switched journals mid-stream.  The first one I tried was a nice looking journal, but was difficult to write in (too thick, no lined pages).  I found myself concentrating more on getting things physically on paper and less on the content.  So I bought a more suitable journal and viola!  Re-copying several entries was a pain, but now I am more prone to just sit and journal because it's physically easier to do.
• Web sites didn't help much.  When I started, I bookmarked some sites about journaling.  I looked over a couple the first day, but haven't visited any of them since.  I guess there's no magic to it: think, write, repeat.  Maybe as I get more experience with this, these sites will be more helpful.
• Secrets.  There were a few topics I shied away from because they involve subjects that could be hurtful to others if they were ever "made public."  I'm very conscious of the fact that the only thing keeping prying eyes out is the ability to read my chicken scratch, which on a good day, isn't that hard!
• Writing things out has, several times, brought to light things that I think I would have otherwise missed.  It's almost forces a bit of objectivity when you are thinking things through a second time as you write them down.  Very refreshing!