The Essence of a Travel Journal

As often as I’ve traveled, I’ve yet to create a travel journal for anyone of my trips. I think this was a huge missed opportunity on my part. I remembered most of my trip details arriving home, but as the years go by, those memories are fading.

A travel journal – plain or elaborate – can be picked up online or at any bookstore. It’s merely an otherwise simple lined book that only comes alive once we pen our ponderings and fill the pages up with our exciting exploits.

A travel journal is a place for us to log all the adventures, events, experiences, and the unexpected surprises we will encounter while peregrinating alluring destinations. It’s an exciting addition that will enhance your vacation. Without this inked record, we are left with our memory and photos to recall the people we met, the places we visited, the things we did, and other key details we eagerly want to remember.

Travel journaling is about writing daily entries that capture the emotion, mood, tone, and energy of the day. It’s also about engaging your five senses. Find a cozy street-side cafe, have a latte, and pen what you hear, smell, taste, and feel. Describe the people you meet, their food, and their culture. It’s fun and important to jot down these encounters and special moments as they happen. If you’re traveling abroad, then names can be tough to remember if they’re in a foreign language and unusual to spell, so write it down.

I’ve seen some really cool journals with various formats. Some have a plain page on one side for photos and a lined page on the other side for content. Some may also have a cover with inside pouches on the front and back. You could stuff these areas with keepsakes and mementos like train stubs, theater and ferry tickets, banknotes, tokens, receipts, postcards, feathers, leaves, flowers, ribbons, or other things that mean a lot to you from a specific location.

If you like to scribble or doodle — or if you have impressive drawing skills, then journal pages can also be used to sketch images of buildings or enchanting scenery that inspired you. These little things may seem trivial or mundane at the moment, but as the years go by, they will mean a whole lot more as you reminisce. You may also want to consider taking an expandable clear folder for these mementos, as they can pile up.

Once your vacation is over, you’ve got a permanent record of your adventures. These chronicles can be revisiting and shared year after year with your family and friends. If you feel inspired, compile your photos and keepsakes and make a scrapbook as a companion to your journal. They’re both unique ways to commemorate your trip.