
You don’t need to be a great artist to make a travel journal. Sometimes it’s an extended stream of consciousness, other times it’s just a caption but capturing the stories as they happen or through my personal filter of life is part of the process. While I like it to be pretty and a home for photos and other mementos I pick up along the way what matter most to me is capturing the memories and experiences in my words. I cut up the brochure to make a tip-in with the story on the back and my own journalling hidden underneath It’s writing just for me not for an audience so I feel I can be completely true to my experience, raw and I can write as little or much as I feel like. My travel journal is a creative outlet just for me, I get pleasure from both creating it and having it to remember our trips and special days. In Australia and New Zealand, that’s a NO!ħ. I know I was would have loved to include maple and ginkgo leaves during the autumn in Tokyo but if you plan to carry those items or your complete journal across international borders you need to be aware of biosecurity restrictions. Pressed flowers, a dropped feather or colourful autumn leaves make an interesting tactile embellishment. Use feathers, leaves and flowers with care You might also want to include a page of useful phrases in your journal when you are preparing for your trip.Ħ. Other times you will notice a word being used alot or some one might teach you a new word that you could use as a heading, decorate on the page or write the story about. Even just being about to say hello, please, thank you and express your appreciation of something you saw or experienced it’s going to enrich your experience. Even in a country where you can easily get by in your native language, it adds to the experience and generally is appreciated by the locals if you try to use a few words of the local language. I’ve mentioned it as a journal prompt but there are many ways to include foreign words and phrases in your journal. A dish I tried for the first time today.The things I am most looking forward to about ….

#US TRAVEL JOURNAL FREE#
These links are added with their knowledge and permission so feel free to click through, see more of their great travel journal creations and follow any of them who inspire your own creativity. To help illustrate some of the ideas and different styles I’ve included images below not only from my own journals but links to travel journal pages on Instagram from others in the community.

When I open it months or years later I want to remember how a place or experience made me feel and not to have it read like Wikipedia.įinding the balance between creative journaling and not carrying an excess of pens and materials is possible especially with a few innovative ideas and using the tools and decorative materials you naturally come across each day. Recording my memories is key but I don’t want to spend half my time while I’m travelling writing down facts and figures. I like my travel journals to be colourful, creative and fun to flip through. I also often opt for a reporters notebook that fits in my pocket or purse to scribble down my thoughts and use them to create pages in my journal later. I like to take a few minutes in a cafe, over a drink or unwinding back at our accommodation to jot things down. You can always journal when you return home but writing regularly and while in the environment provides inspiration that will help you move beyond how ‘great’ and ‘beautiful’ a place was and capture what it was that stirred your emotions and lock in those moments that made it truly special.

I’m always on the search for creative travel journal ideas and inspiration and these are some of my current favourites.

Incorporate some of these tips into your next travel diary and you’ll create lasting memories of your trips for years to come.
