# Intro I'll admit it. I'm a hoarder. A data hoarder. Oh what can I do but stare in the face of my affliction in defeat. Unless.. I embrace this curse upon me and turn it into a strength. Now now, this realization couldn't be a reality can it? Could Google Docs handle all my random notes, clips, ideas, etc.? Could [Notability](https://notability.com/)? Nay. It would just turn into a spaghetti mess of forgotten ideas and notes never to be seen again. This is exactly why I hated taking analog notes in school, semester over, bye-bye notes into the trash can. I respect everyone who keeps their analog notes don't get me wrong, but try and find a specific note in a 100 page journal about a specific topic you wrote about 4 years ago. It's tough. I wanted to move on from this feeling of uselessness with the things I learned. # Discovering Bi-Directional Linking Tools Back in 2020 I found a cure to my aforesaid affliction in the ways of [Roam Research](https://roamresearch.com/).  A bi-directional linked note-taking tool that I could use to connect all my ideas and thoughts together. "Just like how my brain works" I thought excitedly as I poured myself into learning everything about the software. I was all-in. *cough* Even got the early-founders discount *cough* Alas, I was a poor college student and could not afford Roam.. even with the early-founders discount.. So out I searched for a new tool that replicated the way Roam Research worked but for much cheaper, i.e. free. Here's where I learned a valuable lesson of data portability. Roam Research luckily lets you export your notes in [markdown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markdown) format, but there was Roam specific commands/queries that didn't play nice with other note software. Thus, my two requirements became data portability and bi-directional links. # PKM Rabbit-Hole Now, at the time of my search for the "perfect" note-taking tool, I thought I was being massively productive learning how all these different software worked and which would be best for me. No no no. This was absolutely not true looking back. I was, in effect, productively procrastinating and getting absolutely nothing actually done. I was essentially trying to find my perfect system rather than just purely creating and producing. No wonder I always had a guilty feeling whenever I would jump from tool to tool with nothing to show for it. If there was a certification for expertise on PKM tools than I guarantee you I would have it. Unfortunately, this is not a skill that can be displayed on a resume, at least not that I know how to, and much of that time has nothing to show for it. Maybe one day I'll post all my notes on different PKM tools, the comparisons, arguments for and against, and anything else I've crafted together. Not today though. One good thing can be said about this search. I found [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/) in 2022. Now I'm not going to lie and say I've been loyal to Obsidian since 2022. I've strayed, been unfaithful, cheated on Obsidian with the likes of [Mem.ai](https://get.mem.ai/), [Reflect Notes](https://reflect.app/), [Heptabase](https://heptabase.com/), and even did a short stint as a throuple with [Logseq](https://logseq.com/). What was I thinking? I'll tell you what I was thinking "Oh shiny, new tool that will change everything for me. This is the key for me to make something with my notes." Nope. Silly me. In the end, I always just ended back with Obsidian. Because if you remember what my core requirements were you'll understand; data portability, bi-directional links, and free. Obsidian does this (Logseq too technically) perfectly. I'm confident I won't lose my treasure of data I've hoarded over the years and I can look back on everything I've collected/created to this point. I can see my own growth in words. It's satisfying. Rejuvenating even. It makes me want to continue to learn now that I know I'll have that data forever and I can use it in future circumstances whenever I see fit. No more throwing out journals after the semester is done. # Conclusion In conclusion, Obsidian fulfills my needs of a note-taking software but it isn't the end all be all that I have been making it out to be. It's the icing on top of the cake, not the cake itself. In other words, Obsidian is the tool that lets you interface with your data but is not your data itself. I can up and leave Obsidian at any time because now all my data is stored locally and in markdown format. I'm essentially free as long as I stay away from very Obsidian-specific plugins. That's all I want out of a software, and life really, to be free. As I continue on with my journey as a data hoarder I bid you adieu and thank you for reading along. This is my attempt to begin creating with the knowledge I've accumulated overtime. It may be rough, but it's a start. Bye for now!