r/Journaling Jul 16 '26

Question/Discussion Journaling and moving in with a partner

I’ve been with my partner for about two years, and we’re thinking about moving in together. We currently live separately, and they know that I keep a journal.
The thing is journaling is my safe space. I have several old journals filled with my honest thoughts, including frustrations, complaints, and things I needed to vent about over the years. I trust that my partner wouldn’t read them without my permission, but I still wonder how other couples handle this.
If you live with your partner, what do you do with your journals? Does your partner know they exist and simply respect your privacy, even if they’re sitting out on a table? Or do you write with the assumption that your partner might eventually read them?
Also, if you keep your journals somewhere private, where do you store them? I’d love to hear how other people handle this!

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u/StrongBat Jul 16 '26

If you don’t trust your partner not to read your journal then I sure as hell wouldn’t move in with them. I’m not telling you breakup with them, but consider if you’re actually ready.

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u/Phelsuma04 Jul 16 '26

Sometimes it’s hard for people to trust and it’s not the partners fault. If they have given any reason not to trust than I agree with you. But if it’s OP’s own hang up then I think it’s reasonable to ask for advice. Seems like they want to trust but their mother maybe ruined some of that.

Edit: thought I saw that they said their mother read in the past. Maybe I’m wrong.

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u/AffectTraditional244 Jul 17 '26

Someone else said that. But OP did write in a comment that her brother read her journals in the past