![]() ![]() Texture? The feeling of cobblestones under my shoes. Hearing, for example: When I’ve visited Muslim countries, I’ve been deeply moved by the haunting tones of the call to worship. Focus on all your senses, then describe what you experience. Develop Your Observation SkillsĪ journal offers the opportunity to notice everything from architecture to wildlife. Now, it’s a pain trying to find an entry back in the annals of my history. Your future self will thank you! In my early journals, I thought it looked hip thinking I was transcending time by skipping the date. I couldn’t imagine someone openly reading my journal in the U.S. It made me realize how radically different boundaries are in different cultures. What about trains? On a train in India, a man sitting to my right peered over my shoulder, started reading my journal, and proceeded to tell his friends what I had written - which luckily was not about them! Rather than offended, I burst out laughing. ![]() I love writing on airplanes, where sitting at 35,000 feet and looking at the clouds and the changing landscape below gives me a big-picture, expansive feeling. One of my favorite memories is writing in a Seattle restaurant, where I spent several hours waiting for a late-night bus, eavesdropping on conversations I heard at the next table and scribbling snippets into my journal, making up stories about the other diners. But it’s also fun sitting in a cafe, watching people while jotting notes down in your journal. And it always helps to record your impressions soon after you experience them, while they’re fresh.Īs for where, certainly in your hotel room or rental apartment works. But you could also write late in the day, reflecting on your day’s explorations. When you’re embarking on a trip, you can describe your hopes, intentions, and fears as you’re returning home, your memories, feelings, and next steps.ĭifferent times offer different benefits: I’m a fan of Julia Cameron’s “Morning Pages” concept from her bestselling classic The Artist’s Way, where you scribble your wayward thoughts just after waking up. You can start your diary before you even begin the trip, describing your plans and hopes, and continue it when you’re back home. An evocative article in The New York Times by novelist Mary Gordon describes her pleasure in buying notebooks in France, Ireland, and Italy. My husband is British, so whenever we’re visiting my in-laws, I love picking up A5 notebooks in stationery shops. If you’re traveling abroad, you might find it fun to shop for a journal wherever you’re visiting, because you’ll find a different selection of notebooks than you find in your home country. My requirements are that it’s 5” by 7”, its pages lie flat, it’s lined and hardback. I’m equally particular about my notebook. I don’t even like lending them to my husband! First, be sure you like the pen you select! Black felt-tip PaperMates have been my pen of choice for decades, and I’m very territorial. Pick Your Pen And PaperĪlthough I recognize in the digital age that many people “write” on an iPad or phone, I’m a big believer in the benefit of noting thoughts down the old-fashioned way, on paper, because the mind-body connection is more immediate. Here are suggestions for keeping a memorable one.Īlix Kreil / Shutterstock 1. Whether you’re going 10 miles away or to the other side of the world, a travel diary can enhance the journey and be a valuable keepsake. My 14-year-old self was onto something: Creating lists is a great way to capture the essence of a trip in your diary. I kept lists like “Souvenirs I Bought,” “Hotels We Stayed At,” “People I Met,” “Languages I Heard,” “Menus,” “Places Of Interest,” and “Anecdotes” (foreshadowing my future writer self!). A small, yellow-lined notebook - I still have it in my box of childhood journals. My sister gave me my first travel diary the year I turned 14, when my family took a trip to Italy. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |