Tips For Keeping a Travel Journal

The best souvenir you can take away from your travels is a detailed journal packed with incredible memories. Here are some bits of advice for how to make the most of your travel journal.

Write every day.

Pick a time of day, whether it be the first thing in the morning or the last thing you do before you go to bed, to record all of your thoughts. Write about what you hope to get out of the day ahead, or a funny/interesting/scary moment that happened while out and about. When you take the time to record a little bit each day, you’ll be able to read back at the end of your trip and feel like you’re re-living it.

Don’t skimp on the details

Every great work of writing is heavy on the deets. If you’re in Paris, write about the way the air smells like croissants and coffee in the morning, or write about the radiance of your travel buddy’s smile seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time. It’ll be these little things that won’t stick out in your memory like the big moments, so when you read back on them, it’ll be like experiencing them for the first time all over again.

Hold on to your ticket stubs, maps and other light knick-knacks

Things like ticket stubs from bus rides, your handy tourist map and brochures to museums and attractions will add great dimension and color to your journal. You can paste them in, or just stick them in between the pages with their accompanying blurbs. Other fun things to keep are wrappers from quirky international foods, wine and beer bottle labels, coins, beads, feathers, flowers and other small collectables.