Packing Lists

Why I always take a journal on holiday

By on • ( 24 Comments )

It may seem like using a pen and paper is a bit old fashioned, but on all my trips so far I have taken a notebook with me and written down the days activities. I have really enjoyed it and here are some reasons you might too:

  1. It’s a chance to wind down and reflect after a busy day of exploring.
  2. It’s something to do while you wait for laundry (what I was doing in the picture above!) or while you are stuck on a long train ride.
  3. A journal does not rely on battery power or internet so you can write anywhere, anytime.
  4. The journal can be a special purchase you make in anticipation of your travels, or it can be a nice reminder of home if you use one that was given to you as a gift.
  5. Journaling adds something special to the travel experience. I don’t journal in my every day life so for me it is one of the fun things about being away.
  6. It helps you keep a record of everything you have done and prompts you to remember little stories. It is also usually a more accurate reflection of what you saw and how you felt at the time. Even if you wait a week to come back and write about your experience, your memory will be slightly different or influenced by other emotions.
  7. Your handwritten notes are something you can look back on in many years time along with photos and souvenirs.
  8. Even if you don’t end up journaling, having a pen and paper in your luggage is always handy for taking notes or writing directions.

Do you take a journal when travelling or do you just like to keep memories?

Categories: Packing Lists, Travel Planning

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24 replies »

  2. Yes I do this too! I journalled weekly when I went to Kenya for a month and it was my reflection time where I could just chill out, which was nice (I was leading a student trip so not much chill time haha). When I went there for a week beforehand I also journalled daily and then wrote it up when I came home and bound it into a hand-drawn cover, so I’ve always got those memories of my first time in one of my favourite countries.

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  3. I agree. One thing forget to write down though is the food we eat and it’s not always clear from my photos! It’s great to look back though and remember

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  4. This is great 😊

    I take a journal with me everywhere but it’s more because I get very fidgety and unsettled when I’m on a plane. I will pack my tablet with films and series, my phone with games and music and I will bring a journal to write/draw/doodle!

    I have to be doing something all the time otherwise I suddenly realise I’m in a sardine tin and I just want to stand up haha!

    You’re right though, writing definitely has a nice feel to it! It makes me feel creative when I get my pens out 😊

    Great post,

    Jess (coffee and corfu) xx

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  12. I love to keep a journal when I travel. Before I leave I start by putting my accommodation itinerary information at the front. I even have a daily budget section mapped out so that I can keep track of my purchases and make sure I don’t blow the budget while I’m away! Hahah. Then at the end of every day, I write about the things I saw and did. So much fun.

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  13. I write in a diary every night before bed. I start with the date, weather, where we are, etc and add things we do, where we eat. We travel, usually, for 3-5 months at a time. I would NEVER remember what we did or where we went by the time we got home ! That is a good idea Fiona Whiley to write down purchases, I may start to do that.

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