That sounds really fun! I read The Lottie Project where a school girl had to write a project on Victorian children so she wrote it in the form of a diary of a Victorian servant girl. It almost mirrored her life in terms of challenges she faced. So the first chapter was about herself, then the next was on her Victorian self, then back to her life and so on. It was a lovely read and it was my first favourite book at the time.

Novels do not have to be written all in third person in a linear or chronological way, my current novel switches between the past and present and I've read books set in this way. Once you find a format that works for your story it becomes a whole lot more enjoyable to write.

I have a storyline in the pipeline where I plan to write it in first person, like a diary, but in the present tense, rather than the past tense which third person books are generally written in. It becomes quite difficult once you leave the comfort zones, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Good luck