Written by Anne - Laure Guillaumat
Travelling is one of the best experiences in the world. It makes you go out of your comfort zone, experience new things you might have never tried otherwise, and force you to open your mind to different kinds of people. It's also a lot of fun and parties, making friends and doing crazy things. Pictures are awesome, but keeping a travel journal helps you remember all these precious tiny moments you lived abroad. It's something you can keep for years and go back to every time you want to remember your amazing time on Koh Phangan! But how do you do it? What do you put in your journal?
A travel journal doesn't have to be about memories only. It can also be your personal guide through your adventure. The first few pages can be used to keep important information: the mailing address of your friends for postcards, your insurance and passport information, your personal travelling bucket list, everything you deem important. This journal is now your personnal assistant. Hopefully, one day they'll even make a decent tea!
It's also a good tool to plan. You can write your hostel address and phone number, how to get there, your flight number, what you want to visit, the opening and closing time, keep track of your budget, draw a map... Anything useful in case you suddenly can't get a hold of a wifi, your battery is at 5% and you're lost in the middle of the jungle.
There are different ways to make your travel journal. The obvious option is of course to tell in great details everything that happened to you, how you felt about it and how insane the Full Moon Party was. You can also write everything you learned after a guided tour. Notes about the culture. Some vocabulary. But not everyone is a writer.
Sometimes a ticket, a leaf or a sticker with a simple sentence is enough. If you like to draw, you can sketch the palm tree you took a nap under, or the dog that woke you up by licking your face! It can also be a list of all the cool places you want to remember or go back to. You can also ask people you met along the way to write you a note... Yes, like in high school!
You love food more than anything? You can write reviews of the best restaurants, make a list of your favourite dishes... And why not copying the recipes you learn on the way?
There are hundreds of way to write a travel journal, you just have to find which one is the most appropriate for you! The only wrong way to write a travel journal is to not write one at all. For the rest, just have fun, and never forget!
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