Anyone who has ever been on a trip with me knows that there is one object I never leave home without: my camera. It's basically attached to my hand, and when it's not in my hand, it's in my purse, or safely stowed in my left bra cup (because it's safe there and easy to access). But, the other object that goes on every trip to every city and every place I go...is my journal.I've been known to scribble on napkins, sticky notes, on blank pages in magazines, and even in lined notebooks. I do it on trains, on planes and even in bed. When I go out, I even bring along a small notepad to jot down any sudden epiphanies that may come about (and then finish the full idea at a later time).
Across five continents, no matter how long the journey, I have been consistent, passionate, obsessed, if you will, about writing my journal. I recall walking along the Australian coast from Coogee to Bondi, stopping constantly to jot down thought after thought; laying in a hammock in Koh Phang Ngan outside my Thai bungalow noting a few more; And desperately scribbling away, trying to keep pen to paper contact, while bumping along a potholed dirt road in the backseat of an African safari truck. For me, traveling without journaling would be like snowboarding without a snowboard. Journaling is an integral part of travel.It's my mom's fault, really. In 1st grade, she refused to buy me this fabulous white diary decorated with music notes, filled with pink and orange pages, complete with a theft-proof lock and key. Before I could have the diary of my dreams, I had to prove I could keep a journal. So, off I went with a little blue spiral, into the mountains with our family friends Sandy & Dick. I proudly came home with pages and pages of stories about my experiences in the wilderness. And so, the journaling begun, and I haven't stopped since.
When you write, you can reflect upon your experiences, discover the meanings these moments may have in your life, and you can learn about yourself. While pictures are wonderful ways to remember the places you went, people you met, and things you saw, they are not complete; Pictures alone are not capable of expressing the feelings and meanings attached to that specific time. How did you feel? What did you like about it? Who did it remind you of? Writing provides the chance to capture your feelings and your beliefs at that moment, and helps you understand how these moments fit into the bigger picture. For me, half the fun of traveling is writing about it. And, one man--a man even more popular than I in the realm of travel journalism--too, finds great value in journaling and traveling. His name is Rick Steves, maybe you've heard of him? haha. So, my dad came across this article and passed it onto me. And even though I'm more of an Lonely Planet kind of girl myself, I totally dig this Rick Steves article and you will too. Check it out:
The Art and Value of Journaling as You Travel
By Rick Steves
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| If you want to be a travel writer, get a journal and take notes on the road like Rick Steves. |
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