Keeping a travel journal is an excellent way to remember everything you’ve done. It is a journal usually devoted to one trip at a time. You’ll write and add mementos and memories into the journal so that you can look back on it with pride and happiness. Plus, you can share your journey with others.

Start with the Planning Phase

The journal should begin the moment you start planning your trip. You can use the journal to prepare by writing what you need to do and then checking off what you completed for the trip. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish on the trip. What do you want to experience, what do you want to learn, and when will you do each activity?

Write Daily during Your Trip

Once you’re on the trip, don’t miss out on writing on any day. Try to find time to write in your journal when the experience is vivid in your mind. You might want to take a recording device with you to record your initial thoughts while you’re doing it.

Add Physical Mementos to the Journal

Don’t just add text to your journal; add color, images, and mementos. For example, save your tickets, a napkin from a restaurant, or other little things you touched during your trip. You don’t even have to buy anything extra to do this part.

Remember to Write the Good and the Bad

You don’t want to reflect on the trip and see that it’s not written realistically. It’s perfectly okay to talk about what was good and bad about the trip. When you do that, you can plan differently next time. Maybe you learned that you need new shoes if you’re going to walk that much. It’s a good thing to write down.

Write What You’d Do Differently

If you ever go back to that travel destination, what would you do now that you’ve done it once? Would you change what you chose to do to something else?

Mention What Disappointed You and What Thrilled You

Talk about the things that were disappointments. Were the people friendly or rude? Did the train smell like excrement? That might seem strange to write, but it will help you remember even more. Also, did something unexpected happen that thrilled you and excited you?

State What You Learned from Each Day

Add some facts that you are learning about your destination, the people you met, the people you traveled with, and yourself. For example, did you remember that you love people watching when you didn’t know you did? Did you discover a historical fact previously unknown?

When It’s Over, Finish by Writing a Last Reflective Entry

After the trip, take the time to write one last entry where you reflect again on everything you learned about the trip. Take about what it was like, what you learned, what surprised you, and so forth. Name the thing you’d do again and the thing you’d not do again, plus something you’d do next time.

A travel journal will improve your memory of the event. You’ll retain more information, and – believe it or not – it’ll help you make the next trip even better. Use these tips to get the most out of your travel journaling now and in the future. Until next time, stay safe, and keep the faith.