Journaling has distinct advantages. Not only is it a physical activity with a multitude of benefits, it also provides you with better mental health support because its ability to relax the body, explore thoughts, and come up with solutions that better meet your needs. It’s a nearly free activity that provides comfort, entertainment, and self-discovery all the days that you travel.
If you’ve never journaled before, now is the time to do so. It’s the perfect way to prepare for your next trip away from home. To get started, you’ll need some supplies to pack in your carry-on with you. We’ve given you some suggestions to explore below.
Gathering the Supplies
You don’t need an extravagant leather travel journal to take with you. A plain spiral notebook does the trick. So does a beautiful hardbound journal.
The point is to pick out a book that inspires you to write. You can then determine which type of writing utensil works best with the paper inside the journal. Erasable pens are great because they allow you to correct mistakes without scrapping an entire entry.
Keeping a small glue stick and pair of scissors with you allows you to collage and adhere items to your journal’s pages. This is helpful if you’re creating a sort of scrapbook with the things you’ve acquired on your trip.
A simple envelope to hold the items in until you get home is great, too. If you have apprehensions about carrying extra supplies with you, tape the envelope in the back of your journal and use it to collect things in. You can sort everything out and arrange them in your book once you are home.
What to Include in Your Travel Journal
Here are some of the things that you may want to include in your own travel journal:
- Photographs
- Maps of the Area
- Copies of Tickets
- Drawings
- Menus of the Places You’ve Eaten At
- Pressed Flowers
- Postcards
The only limits that you have for your journal are dictated by your imagination. It’s a place for you to explore creativity and preserve your most precious memories. Save whichever things feel best to you because you’ll be the one looking at your journal the most.
The Things You Gain from Documenting Your Travel Experiences
Gaining a better sense of self and the things that you hope to achieve by traveling are some of the benefits of journaling regularly. Keeping detailed accounts of what you’ve seen, ate, heard, and experienced while away keeps your memories rich and present in your mind. All you need to do to revisit the feelings that you had while traveling is to open up your journal and take a look at its pages.
Start Your Travel Journal Today Before You Leave for Your Next Trip
Keep a visual account of your journey so that you can look back at it fondly in the future. Travel journaling needn’t be extravagant or expensive. You can do it with the simplest supplies and in about ten minutes a day. Jotting down details about your trip helps you remember things more vividly. It serves as a safe place to explore your thoughts and feelings about traveling, too, and that’s priceless!
