Write about more than just activities to make entries interesting.
Try to capture little experiences like meals and conversations. Write about things you see in the street, meals you eat, and conversations you have. All of these types of things that are part of your day help create a captivating story in your journal. For example, instead of just talking about a hike you went on, describe the meal you ate at the end of the day and how good it was after exerting yourself physically all day long.
Engage all senses to transport the reader to the time and place.
Describe flavors, smells, and textures in detail. Compelling entries capture what you heard, smelled, tasted, and felt during your travels. No detail is too small! Intimate details bring your writing to life and help you remember the trip years down the road. For example, describe the scent of the flowers on the table in the cafe where you have lunch or the feel of the breeze when you're relaxing on the beach.
Find a theme for entries to help make them feel coherent.
It's easier to write journal entries if you focus on a central idea or mood. Think about all of the things that you saw and did on a given day, and see if there's a recurring theme that can help shape your entry. Think about how the experiences of a day changed you or made you see the world differently, for example and start an entry with a statement about that. If you're having trouble identifying a theme for an entry, start by asking yourself a few basic questions, such as: “What made me smile today?”, “What surprised me today?”, or "What did I learn today?" Write down the answers, and you may see a theme start to emerge.
Write about people you meet to bring their characters to life.
The interesting people you meet along the way are worth remembering. Be sure to include them in your journal entries. It doesn't matter if it's a fellow traveler from your tour group that you wind up spending an entire afternoon with or a cab driver who takes you for a quick ride. Think about how they looked, spoke, and, most importantly, how they made you feel, and include it in your entry. For example, you could describe how the old lady who sold you fresh produce at the market looked and acted to bring life into the story about your trip to the market that day. Or, you could talk about fellow travelers you’ve been hanging out with and what you like or admire about them.
Collect mementos to add visual interest to your journal.
Mementos can help you capture memories more clearly. Airplane boarding passes, postcards, tickets to local attractions, business cards from restaurants and hotels are all easy to accumulate. Paper menus and logo napkins from restaurants, clippings from local newspapers, labels from regional food and beverage products, and receipts from your purchases can all also help the memories come to life in your journal. You don't necessarily have to glue or tape the mementos in your journal as you're traveling. Just set them aside in your folder, so you can add them when you return home. However, make sure to leave space among your written entries to add the materials that match up with them. If you’re making a digital journal, you can easily scan or take photos of mementos to add to it.
Take photos to bring your journal entries to life.
You know the old saying, “a picture’s worth a thousand words.” Your journal will benefit from visual reminders of your trip. You can use your smartphone camera or a digital camera to snap photos wherever you go. Try to shoot a combination of landmark shots and informal portraits to give your journal variety. If you’re journaling online, such as on a blog, upload a few relevant photos to go with each post and help bring your entry to life. You don’t have to print out photos on the road for a physical journal. Just save the ones you like and print and add them to your journal when you get home.
Add some sketches if you like to draw.
Sketches add visual interest and can make you appreciate things more. While photos are ideal for capturing the things you've seen or done on your trip, drawing some of the sights can actually help you focus on details that you might otherwise miss. Use drawing pencils, colored pencils, or pens to include some personal artwork amid your entries. It doesn't matter if you're not a great artist. You can sketch a simple map of the neighborhood that you're staying in or a pretty bunch of flowers that you saw. As long as the drawing helps you remember details of your trip later, it's worth it. You could even use watercolors or another type of paint to do some artwork on a separate piece of art paper, then put it in your journal once it’s dry. If you’re making a digital journal, you can use a drawing app on a tablet or smartphone to do sketches for it.
Make a physical journal if you’re a hands-on type person.
A notebook full of memories from your travels makes for a beautiful keepsake. Choose a journal that's small enough to carry in your day bag wherever you go, but big enough to hold mementos like standard 5 in (13 cm) by 7 in (18 cm) postcards. A nice leather-bound notebook with blank pages works well, for example. A journal with acid-free paper is usually a good investment because it will ensure that your writing and sketches will hold up for years. If you want to get really decorative, purchase some additional art supplies like colored markers, gel pens, and pencils. Washi tape or a glue stick are handy for sticking postcards, pictures, and other mementos to pages. If you like to draw and sketch, take a set of drawing pencils with you to sketch sights you see along the way. A small pair of craft scissors can also be handy for cutting out images and things to stick in your journal. However, if you’re flying, make sure you can put them in a checked bag or you won’t be able to bring them with you.
Create a digital journal if you want to easily share it.
Digital journals are great for showing family and friends all your travels. You can create a blog or download a travel diary app if you prefer to document your journey digitally. You could even create a video journal by vlogging about your experiences on YouTube. Another advantage of digital journals is that you don’t have to bring much with you. You can use a laptop, a tablet, or even just a smartphone! If you want to find different apps for journaling, search wherever you get your apps from with a term like “travel diary” or “journal app.” Remember that there’s no right or wrong way to create a journal. Whatever gets your creative juices flowing and helps you cherish those memories forever is perfect!
Get a clear, expandable folder to collect journaling materials in.
This helps organize and protect your mementos as you're traveling. You may not want to take the time to attach them all right away, so stash them in your folder for later. Those translucently colored envelope-style folders are a nice choice! A folder is especially important if you don't want to compile your whole journal while you're actually traveling. You can just write in the journal as you go, and add the mementos after you've returned home because the folder will keep them all organized.
Use a map to track your travels if you’re going many places.
Tracing your journey on a map is a fun way to recall your route later. Download and print a map to stick inside your journal if you’re keeping a physical one. There are travel map apps that you can use if you’re going the digital route. If you want to find apps to track your travels on a map, just type “travel map app” into the search bar of wherever you get your apps. You don’t have to be travelling internationally to track your route on a map. For example, if you’re doing a cross-state road trip, you could print out a map of each state and mark your stops along your route in each state. You can also use a large world map to track multiple trips over the months and years to come.
Decide who you're writing for to help guide your journaling.
Writing just for you and writing for an audience are pretty different things. Ask yourself if your journal is going to be solely for recording your own memories and experiences, or if you want to share it with friends and family. This can help you decide what types of details to go into while you write as well as influence your style and tone. If you plan to share your journal with others, consider the details that you plan to include. You may not think it's necessary to write down the address of a restaurant that you enjoyed to preserve the memory, but a friend may find the information helpful. On the other hand, there may be personal details of your trip that you don't want to share with family and friends, so it's best to omit them.
Start journaling before your trip to help plan and get excited.
Planning a trip can sometimes be just as fun as the trip itself. Start researching sights you want to see, places you want to visit, restaurants you want to eat at, and anything else you want to do on your trip. Write about these things in your journal so you make sure to go do them while you’re on the trip. You could write about what you imagine certain places to be like, then go back and compare notes after you actually visit them for a fun comparison! You can put practical details in the beginning of your journal too, such as contact info for tour operators or directions to get to certain places.
Make entries as often as possible to fill your journal as you travel.
This helps your journal really capture the mood and tone of your trip. It's best to journal while you're actually traveling because it can be difficult to remember key details after the trip is over. Not every entry has to be long and cover everything you did on a given day, though. Aim to at least jot down some notes each night before bed about the experiences you had that day. It helps to set aside a specific time to write in your journal. For example, you might do your entries at breakfast or just before bed. If you're taking a plane, train, bus, or car to another location, the ride is a great time to work on journal entries. Remember to date each entry, so you can remember the timeline of your trip. You may want to include the time that you wrote each as well. If you're in a hurry, jot down notes about your day on a scrap of paper that you can copy into the journal when you have more time. You may forget some details if you don't write things down as you go, so a rough draft can come in handy.
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