Double points if you avoid writing “I went to the Louvre today” in your travel journal while actually in Paris. Quintuple points if you never write a full sentence at all.
I'd like to write in my travel journal here someday (Gamirasu Cave Hotel, Turkey)
However you plan to use your travel journal after returning home, you want it to be useful. Perhaps you plan to glean things from your journal entries for creative or professional writing projects, or maybe you simply intend to use it as a place to record and someday spur the memories of your trip.
So why is writing “I went to the Louvre today” not such a great idea? Well because as you sit there at a cafe in Paris, you most likely will remember that fact tomorrow. Heck – even ten years from now you will probably remember that not so small detail that you went “to the Louvre today” in Paris. What you probably won’t remember ten years from now (or even tomorrow, if you don’t take the time to record it somehow) is much else.
I have several different techniques I use for travel journaling on the road, depending on my situation, but there is one practice that I make myself do every night before I go to bed. Not just a good technique for travel journaling, but for journaling in general, I often also do this when I am at home. It may seem hard at first, but gets easier with practice. The best news is it only takes a few minutes.
All you have to do is write down a “list of ten,” ten details from your day. These details can be one word, or fifteen. They can be a thought, a sensory detail or snippet of dialogue. Beyond writing down ten of them and doing it quickly, I don’t really have any other rules. (You may know how when it comes to travel journaling I don’t like those.)
So what does this look like? I’ll share with you an example from a trip a while back to Charleston:
Charleston, SC June 19, 2010
- ladies in linen
- dappled sunlight under giant live oaks
- camera lens gets foggy in humidity
- cobblestones are pink
- Tradd Street – can see water in both directions
- real estate signs are in all my best photos
- smells like crabcakes and candy
- native’s sadness and wistfulness … cynicism?
- cold blast of air conditioning in hotel lobby – could create it’s own weather system
- Gullah guy saying he’s really from Detroit and screaming on the corner of King and Market that there are only Christians and Gentiles.
Always listing ten items makes me push myself just that little bit harder through to the end, while writing speedily keeps me from over-thinking things or trying to write sentences. Remember my list above is one of my favorites – reading it puts me right back behind my own eyes on that very day. Often they don’t turn out so well, but that comes with the territory. Maybe next time I’ll share a really bad one!
Most importantly over time the practice itself has helped me be more observant. Somedays whether I’m traveling or not, I will see things that I know I want to write on my “list of ten.” Walking around with my camera does the same thing insofar as I often see things, I wouldn’t otherwise have seen, but it’s still different. I try not to use the fact that I am also taking a lot of photographs as an excuse for not writing my list.
If you can’t stand not writing in full sentences. (I’ve heard you’re out there), adapt the practice of “list of ten” to be a list of ten sentences at first. I think letting go of the need to write in full sentences will most likely come to you naturally with a little practice. I promise if you make this a habit you’ll have plenty of material that will aid you in remembering the most personal and special parts of your travels. Then if you are a writer of any sort you will have plenty of inspiring fodder to work from for years to come.
Let me know if you try this… I’d love to hear how it works for you!
About Margo Millure
I always start off writing in my travel journal, but after a few days sort of abandon it. If I’m crazy busy or tired, I feel guilty because I don’t set aside a proper amount of time to write. Maybe with this list idea I’ll keep with it.
yep! And guilt always tries to ruin everything… I think it helps to see writing while traveling as something different than “travel writing”
I always keep a small Moleskin notebook with me as I travel. And, like you, the things I jot down as I go are brief sketches of what I see and hear and experience. When the notebook is full, I write the beginning and ending dates on the spine and it goes into a basket on my desk. Sometimes I’ll randomly pull out a notebook and read the notes in it and I am always amazed by the memories can be stirred by only a few words.
I like that feeling of having lots of things to go through… I especially love it when I can’t remember writing it!
This sounds like an amazing way to journal your thoughts. I tried it tonight and used my working day from today as inspiration. It really does work! It’s not something I have used in past travel journalling but I do something a little similar. I always carry with me a notebook and pen. If I think of a sentence or paragraph or sequence of words I write it all down immediately before it all vanishes out of my mind. Before I know it, I have little tidbits that I eventually piece together like a jigsaw puzzle. It’s as if the hard work is already done for me. I find this very helpful!
Awesome, Justine… “it’s as if the hard work is already done for me.”… that says it!
Excellent advice. I’ve been guilty of writing “I went to the Louvre today” but have learned over time to concentrate on details.
truth be told, for me in certain situations it’s a perfectly fine way to get started when writing… It’s just when “on the road” I don’t like spending too much time with it – (and my handwriting is atrocious when I’d rather be doing something else!), so it helps me to just set the goal to “capture” details and ideas.
Will give it a go in a few weeks
!!! yay for Italy trip… on this journaling topic, I love those marbleized paper ones in Florence.
Thanks for this idea, I’ll definitely try it. I find it hard to keep journaling while on the road, this technique sounds doable.
it’s enjoyable I think, after you get going with it
Nice to know I’m not the only one who has their own travel shorthand.
I keep a real stream of consciousness type of journal when traveling – James Joyce would be proud! ;p
Sometimes, though, I am way too cryptic and what seemed so succinct and clever at the time makes absolutely no sense to me post trip. I call these bits “hypothetical pie” because that is one phrase I wrote that I have never figured out…
~Tui
If only I could read my own travel shorthand. And Ha – I have many weird phrases on bits of paper I find, that I have no idea what they mean too!
I love the idea, I know I should do it, but I´m not organised. I think I´ll remember details – but know I won´t these days. Hopefully I´ll learn.
Now I have a camera phone with a voice recorder I´m hoping ( yet know it should be more specific than hope) that I´ll record those moments and feelings along the way.
Thanks for the tip, I´m definately about to step onto the must take notes road. One day.
Good luck, Rachel.. if I can make myself, I’m pretty sure you can
Taking photos and the voice recorder are good ideas too!