Before a big trip a few years ago, a good friend gave me a travel journal with the suggestion I write in it during my trip. Having never kept one before that trip, keeping a travel journal hadn’t really occurred to me. I remember my grandfather keeping one when he visited us, but I’d never done it myself. It seemed silly at first. Wouldn’t I already take lots of pictures and bring home souvenirs? Was it worth the effort?
And then, I decided I should try it. Sure, I could make a scrapbook afterward, but when you’re away from home it somehow seems easier to build a little travel routine. I decided I would try to write each day of my trip. And by some miracle or dedication, I did it. Sometimes I wrote. Sometimes I drew pictures or did watercolors or pasted artsy collages of magazine clippings into the pages. Sometimes I taped in mementos like feathers, ticket stubs and photos I took with my Instax Mini 8 camera
. By the end of the trip, I had a notebook full of memories.
Travel journals are a priceless and personal keepsake. Your journal is a place where you can write, draw or paste in memories from your trip. You can do as much or as little as you like, but even if you take just 15 minutes to write in your travel journal each night, it will pay off. It will evolve into something you can look back in later for fun or to help you recall the name of that incredible restaurant on the beach for a friend. It’s something I will do on future trips for sure, especially big and important ones.
Before my recent trip, I did some research on cute travel journals. To save a few bucks, I ended up using one I already had but I couldn’t resist sharing these with you. Which one’s your fave? By the way, do you keep a travel journal, or am I the only one? Let me know in the comments. // susannah
1. ‘My Explorations’ Travel Journal by Peels and Posies ($22) // 2. Igloo Letterpress Great Adventure Scrapbook ($45) // 3. Small Adventures Journal by Keiko Brodeur
($16.95) // 4. Worthwhile Paper Metallic Gold Nature Notebook ($22) // 5. Little Alexander Photographer’s Cahier ($6) // 6. Moleskine Sky-Blue Ruled Volant Notebook
($18.95) // 7. Garance Doré On the Go Notebook Set ($15) // 8. Small Adventures Journal by Keiko Brodeur ($16.95)
Meghan @ Cake 'n Knife says
Travel journals are a must for me now! I really wish I kept up with them for the smaller vacations, but I always do for longer trips. They are so much fun to look back on! Plus they make me feel like an expert when people are asking me for advice – it seems like I remember every little detail, but really I am furiously flipping through my journal for reminders LOL.
Alexandria says
I love the second one, it’s adorable. I’ve never thought of keep a journal. But I wish O had done one on my honeymoon. I’ll defiantly have to start keeping one!
Jess May says
Perfect timing with this post! I’m heading off on a five week adventure, leaving on Friday and I’d not even thought of journalling about it – silly, right?!