Whether you take one trip in your life or multiple, you should consider the idea of travel journaling to keep your memories in one place. Just like pictures capture your travels, a journal can capture the thoughts you had while traveling. I love looking back on some of my travel journals to refresh my memory on the trip or just take myself back there for a moment.
And it isn’t hard to get started! Here a few simple things to consider and you’ll be on your way!
1. Bring something lightweight, but durable for your travel journal
Bring a lightweight journal that can stand the packing process. I have made the mistake of packing a heavy journal before just because it was pretty. Any one else get caught up in the glamour of how your journal might look next to that tiny European coffee cup or against the desert sunset? Yeah, me too. But the truth is, although those might make for some great social media fodder, the point of bringing travel journaling is to WRITE.
Travel journaling is for documenting the thoughts and ideas you’re having as you travel, Not take social media pictures. At the end of your trip when your suitcase is unsurprisingly heavier than it was when you came due to the awesome trinkets, ahem, souvenirs that you bought, you’ll be glad your journal is not taking up 1-2 of those pounds. (I have been in the uncomfortable position of ripping pages out of my journal to keep what I wrote while throwing away the rest due to the weight of my luggage.
Thinking about the durability is also necessary. No matter what kind of traveling you’re doing (city vs camping) the journal will get squished and pushed around, perhaps set on a wet table or maybe even stepped on. While you don’t want it to weight a ton, you do want it to stand up to the test and not fall apart. One thing that can help with that is having a little pouch or bag just for the journal.
Book Beau has some of the most beautiful ones that you can use for your travel journal. You can buy direct from them or through Amazon.
These are also super cute. Just click on the pictures to see them on Amazon.
2. Be Determined to TAKE the time out of your day.
Travel journaling can take hours if you really love it, but I would suggest setting aside just 10-15 minutes. And be stubborn about it. No matter who you travel with, someone will poo-poo the idea of you journaling most likely. and even if you’re lucky enough not to have a person like that on the trip, NO ONE else will make the time in the day to allow for you to journal. You have to do it.
Maybe get up a few minutes earlier or perhaps stay away a few minutes after everyone else is in bed. If it’s your family, kindly but firmly let them know that you are writing, you’re documenting your travels through your journaling and that it’s important to you. Let them know you need X amount of time a day so they’ll be aware and stick to it! Even set your timer so that they know you’re serious and you stick to what you told them you would.
3. Bring some prompts to look at for when you sit down to journal
Prompts are great for when you’re traveling. They can help reground you in that small amount of time you’ve set aside to write. Writing prompts don’t have to be followed to the letter either, sometimes they’re just needed to help your mind not panic over the blank page.
Traveling is tiring and overstimulating, which means that sometimes your brain (or is it just my brain?) can’t always focus on writing in the moment. When that happens I sometimes feel like I must not have anything to write about. Which is a little insane when traveling because there is ALWAYS something to write about. Whether it’s family, or strangers, a new place or the place you know like the back of your hand. There is always something to write about.
Bonus
Try to remember that you don’t have to write in long sentences or paragraphs. It doesn’t have to be an essay ready to be handed in to your freshman English teacher. You don’t even have to write in complete sentences! Fill your travel journal with phrases, new language idioms, inside jokes, paste in your bus tickets and plane tickets and thoughts on what you ate. Maybe you press a flower or add some stickers. This is your journal. Be as creative as you want to be!
If you’re looking for a new journal or you’re looking for an interactive journal (on that has prompts in it or quizzes or questions, PLUS blank pages) check out A New Way to Journal. It’s a beautiful hard cover, lightweight journal I’m sure you’ll love!