Confessions of a Hotel Pen Hoarder

You can tell a lot about a person by the ink pens they use. 

Some people like to keep it simple, with a traditional no-frills Bic or Pilot. 

I’ve found that people either love or hate gel pens – there’s no in-between. 

Most of my educator friends are Papermate Flair or Inkjoy fans, and even after several years out of the classroom, I’m still partial to a colorful Flair pen myself. They truly are the best for grading papers.

But my favorite pens to use? That’s easy. I am a hotel pen hoarder.

I’m not sure when this habit started, but I have accumulated quite the collection. 

Is it stealing? Are they complementary? I don’t know, but I can’t help but slip them into my bag whenever I stay at a hotel.

Here’s just a small sampling of my stash:

Seeing a hotel name on my pen always brings me a little spark of joy, especially when I’m taking notes in the midst of a boring meeting. The feel of the pen and the name emblazoned on it instantly brings back memories of travel experiences and the various cities I’ve been blessed enough to visit, no matter what mundane thing I am writing.

Picking up certain pens can bring back memories of nights spent at the casino or a favorite hotel restaurant. 

Does using my Disneyland pen to jot a note on a post-it provide the same experience as tasting a sweet, cold, creamy Dole Whip? Not exactly. But it still makes me happy and transports me back to posing on a sunny afternoon with my family in front of a castle.  

Anyone else out there a hotel pen hoarder, or is it just me?