Traveling has been a passion for many since time immemorial, and it is certainly one way to fill life with memorable experiences. But memories of amazing places and cultures fade over time, no matter how vivid they seem, and that is why having a travel diary can be a great way to renew and refuel this passion. This article will tell readers about the wonders of keeping a travel diary and how it can be a great way to infuse your individual style with memories and inspirations from around the world.
1. Capture Your World: Start Writing Your Travel Diaries
Travel diaries offer a great opportunity to document your travels. You don’t need to be a great writer or have a lot of experience. All you need is the desire to capture the experience of your journey.
- First, decide how you want to share your experiences. You could write a standard travel journal, write using a voice recorder, create a digital diary on your phone, take pictures or use a combination of different approaches.
- Make documenting your travel a part of your routine. Try to give yourself a short amount of time each day to document your experiences and reflect on your journey. You could start the morning with a short journal entry, or at night before you go to bed.
- Capture your emotions during the journey. Ask yourself what it was like to wake up in your new city, what did you feel and how did you react? Did you meet interesting locals? What did you learn from them?
Regardless of the method you choose to document your travels, remember to try to capture the journey from your own perspective. Your thoughts and memories are your own and unique, so don’t worry if your travel diary isn’t like anyone else’s. You can make your stories as creative as you feel, and can include whatever it is you want to document.
2. Find Inspiration from Across the Globe
In today’s globalized world, inspiration is only a few clicks and keystrokes away.
No matter who you are or the creative endeavors you’re pursuing, you can draw insight and inspiration from all corners of the world. Here’s a quick guide to finding and using global inspiration for your creative projects:
Do Some Travel Research
Start by mapping out your dream destinations, then search for famous artists, musicians, photographers, entrepreneurs, and other innovators that hail from those places. Look for subtle backgrounds, design choices, and unique styles that different cultures have that stand out to you.
Explore Different Artforms
Research the different type of art, music, and literature that prevails in other countries. Study the elements and structure behind successful pieces of work from around the globe as a way to stretch yourself outside of your typical mediums. This is a great way to brighten up your repertoire.
Discover New Online Resources
Take advantage of the wealth of insight that exists on the internet. Many countries have their own distinct design approaches or unique technology that can be leveraged for new ideas. You’d be surprised how many interesting and obscure resources will turn up in search results.
Crowdsource Your Ideas
Connect and network with creatives from all over the world, and collaborate on projects that take advantage of the differing world-views. You’ll be able to learn from one another and explore new methods that you may have never considered. Not to mention, travel to new places and having face-to-face conversations with creatives in different parts of the world.
3. Creative Writing: Infuse Your Style to Document Your Travels
As a frequent traveller and documenter, it’s easy to start churning out the usual ‘eat pray love’ posts that most tourists put up when they come back from a holiday. Although that type of post can be fun and useful, it can also get monotonous after a long while.
So why not spice things up with your own writing style? You can keep track of your travels in an interesting way that highlights your own creative flair. Here’s some tips to get started:
- Write about everyday moments. Don’t just turn the camera on magnificently epic moments. Write about that delicious muffin you had for breakfast, or the cat you saw snoozing on a park bench.
- Interview locals. Speak to people from the area about their experiences and incorporate them into your posts.
- Include illustrations and photographs. Your posts will be more colourful if you include sketches, photos, or GIFs that you took during your journey.
- Play around with the structure. Format your post in a creative way. Maybe use a numbered list, a timeline, or even a poem instead of a regular essay.
This might seem daunting, but the important thing is to just have fun. Write from your heart and you’ll be able to come up with original pieces that will pique your readers’ interest. Ultimately, they’ll be keen to come along on your journey with you and explore the world through your eyes.
4. Bringing it All Back Home: Preserving Your Memories and Experiences
It is easy to take all the photos, postcards, and souvenirs you bring back from your travels for granted and forget about them until the day comes that you have to move. Here are some ways to make sure that all the memories and stories of your trips are preserved, even if you never pick up a passport again:
- Create a Scrapbook – this is a great way to make a book full of your memories. Print out your favourite photos, stick in receipts, old postcards, and anything else to bring your story to life!
- Create a Memory Box – this is especially great for younger travellers. Curate a special box filled with keepsakes or memorabilia from your trip such as coins, ticket stubs, small souvenirs, and even film or digital photos. It’s a great way to keep all your mementos together.
- Take Photos of Souvenirs – if you’re short on space and don’t want all the bulk of physical items, take photos of all the fun stuff you bought and document it in a photo album.
In this modern age, technology plays a huge role in documenting our experiences. Whether you collect physical items of importance or digital copies, take as much as you want, but keep track of it all so you can reflect on your time away. Create an album of your photos on your preferred site, keep the photos stored on an external hard drive or in the cloud. You can even take the time to go through the photos, edit them, and create a “travel reel” of all your experiences.
But don’t forget the most important part: to tell your stories. Stories that can not be told with just photographs or copies of receipts, stories of exploration, triumph, and unexpected challenges. Tell the stories to friends and family and encourage conversations about the details and nuances of your adventure.
As your own personal travel diary, filled with memories and inspirations from around the world, is created, there is no limit to the number of stories you can tell. Keep your imagination alive and explore the world around – the possibilities are endless.