Why you should keep a travel journal

Keeping a travel journal is something that I always have good intentions to do and think, “I should write about my trip this time.” I then look on Pinterest and see the cool and impressive things people are doing with their travel journals and go, “Good God that is a lot of work!” Feeling a little deflated, I forget about journaling about my trip.

The thing I discovered about travel journals, though, is they don’t have to look perfect or even pretty for that matter. The travel journals I have done were all written in cheapo notebooks and there was nothing special about how I did it, except the writing.  The whole point in keeping a travel journal is to remember those little things that we tend to forget over time. Yes, we remember the big things we did, but do we remember how we felt, what it was like out and what we ate for dinner that night? These are the details that bring the whole memory of our trip alive.

Every time I have keep a journal of my trip I am always so thankful I did. I can go back anytime and recall the trip with such vivid memories. One of my favourite things to do with my journal is to use excerpts from my travel journal in my photo book. Creating a photo “album” of your trip through your photos is one thing, but to include selections from your journal to describe your trip really brings your photos and trip alive. 

I have found the key to keeping a consistent journal on your trip is to have a certain time to write each day. I tend to like writing at or around dinnertime. This way, most of your days adventures has happened and whatever you get up to that night, can be written about the next day. Ideally writing before you go to bed to capture everything from the day/night but sometimes by the time you get ready for bed you are so exhausted that you just “put off” doing your journal that night.

Another way also like writing in my journal is to make it a part of my morning routine. Make it one of the first things you do in the morning and you write about your previous day and what you have planned and hope for in the day before you.

Not only do you want to write about what you did, where you were, what you ate, but write about how the atmosphere is, what noises you hear, how many steps you took that day, how your body feels (“we walked so much today that my feet feel like bricks and my legs are like jell-o”). Recall conversations that you had with both strangers and your travel companions. Save your receipts and ticket stubs, noting what it was for. It is always interesting to see how prices change. The more detail you can write about the more it comes to life.

So don’t feel like it has to be some amazing journal you are doing while you are away. Take that $1.00 notebook, or pick up a notebook in your destination and just write in it. You can always make it into a pretty and stylish travel journal once you get home. The words are the most important thing to capture in the moment.

Do you keep a travel journal on all your trips? What are you tips and tricks on how to keep doing it consistently? Do you go back and read about your trips? Leave a comment below and let me know!