Annie Zhu - Q3 Blog 11 - Pencil Pouch

 The most treasured item in my backpack is my pencil bag. It holds my best school supplies which I use every single day: the Uni Alpha Gel, Sakura Arch Foam, and more. Each item in this bag was selected deliberately, with attention to smoothness, life cycle, and vibrance.

My obsession started in eighth grade, thanks to a classmate. She was an avid consumer of Japanese stationery, which essentially meant that she would go through different supplies every week. Sometimes, she would give one of those supplies to me, and as my taste for overengineered items increased, I began to yearn for a life beyond Walmart pencils. In the second semester of eighth grade, I ditched my boring stationery for a green Angoo pencil pouch with SIX pockets and EIGHT pen holders–thus began my extensive journey to fill these many storage compartments. Over the years, I have created a near-perfect collection of highlighters, pens, whiteout, sticky tabs, and pencil lead. It is a true pleasure to open my pencil pouch everyday! Plus, APENG timed writes become slightly more bearable when I know I’m scribbling with my prized Pentel Energel.

There is power in curating a space you love. Even miniscule details like the pen color I use can noticeably elevate my day because it is a conscious decision to do something special, however small. The process of organizing stationery also helps me to feel more in control of my life, as it acts as a ritual where I carve out time to focus on one thing. No spiraling or stress–just me and my green pencil pouch. Is it unnecessary? Yes. Does it bring me happiness? Absolutely.

Comments

  1. Jaycee SnelsonFebruary 18, 2026 at 9:17 PM

    Hi Annie! I love your style of writing! When reading your blog it feels like a conversation and I find myself smiling along as I read.

    I think it's really fascinating how much our friends influence some of the things we do and like, for instance how you got into Japanese stationary because of your friend from eighth grade. It just goes to show how important the communities we build together really are. Also I loved how you included the full names of some of your favorite supplies and even put them into a different color from the rest of your text. This made them pop and heightened the sense of how important these supplies are and the attention to detail you put into curating this little bag of happiness for yourself.

    Your blog really highlights the power of the little things in life. These are the things that bring us joy and give us as you stated a sense of control in a place that seems to be constantly taking ares away. I can’t wait to see what your next rotation of supplies are going to be!

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