How to Keep a Travel Journal

How to Keep a Travel Journal - Tips for Writing on the Road by Pam Bauer

Looking for fresh travel journal writing ideas? Read on for tips to get you started and ideas for creating a journal you will cherish.

Choose a journal. There are many journals available, from inexpensive spiral notepads to elegant hand-bound volumes. Make sure the journal that you choose is one that you like. This may not seem important – you may think that any journal will do. But travel, along with being exhilarating and fun, can also be intense and demanding, so you want a journal that pleases you, that you want to write in, that invites you to put pen to paper. And since you will carry your journal for the length of your trip, be sure the size is right for you. If you’re packing light and moving frequently, a small, lightweight journal is best. Similarly, if you write prolifically, be sure your journal has enough pages to last until the trip’s end.

Just do it. This may seem obvious, but it needs to be said: write in your journal. Sometimes a traveler with the best of intentions can get stuck at the start. All of those blank pages in a beautiful new journal may seem intimidating, or you think your handwriting is too messy, or your words aren’t good enough. Nonsense! A travel journal is not a scholarly work. It is a record of your experiences – written by you, for you. There are no rules, and no one is grading what you write. The best way to get going is to, well, get going. Dive in, start writing and you’ll find these barriers will disappear. [Full article]