I don’t travel often, but when I do I keep a travel journal. I record sights I see, people I meet or watch, and thoughts and ideas to keep the memory alive through photos and written words. By keeping a travel journal it becomes easier to recall little details you noticed and share them with others if you choose to do so. Travel journal plus photos equals well-rounded collections of memories of the story of your adventure.
Another part in my travel journal is jotting Scripture that I’m reminded of by what I’m seeing and experiencing. In 2018, my husband and I went on a cross-Canada train trip that took place over the course of two months. I journaled along the way, capturing thoughts, sights, and people I met to help me remember the details of the adventure.
After we returned home, I read through that journal and found I had almost fifty Bible passages or verses highlighted on various days throughout the trip. I used these verses and thoughts about them to write over forty devotionals which I published in a little book called On Track.
But a travel journal can also help with other types of writing than just devotionals. When we people watch, we get glimpses into character traits and what people might look and dress like. Travel journals become a wealth of research into characters, locations, travel methods, and how it affected you and might affect a character in one of your stories. How much time did it take to get from place to place? What did you see along the way? What interactions did you have with people or with guides when you were sightseeing?
One example of this from my travel journals came from standing on a high mountain in Jasper National Park and walking a little way to the summit from the tram station. I can look back at photos to be reminded of the scenery, but those don’t tell me how cold I felt. They can’t tell me how the wind felt like it might push me off the mountain if I left the path and went too close to the edge. Only through documenting what I saw, felt, heard, and experienced do I get the full picture of what a character would experience in that type of situation. It helps with believable characters, feelings, and emotions, as well as small details about the location.
Looking through travel journals for research purposes is still a work in progress for me. How about you? Do you keep a travel journal when you head out on an adventure? What have you gleaned from it by rereading it? If you haven’t kept a travel journal, I encourage you to try it. You might be surprised at the wealth of research information and how it jogs your memory as you share your stories.
Thank you, dear Carol, for sharing some wonderful ideas for capturing special travel moments.
ReplyDeleteAnd what a great idea to publish a devotional inspired by your cross-Canada trip.
Blessings.
Thank you, Wendy. I also keep a travel journal and love re-reading my experiences. Your idea of publishing a devotional based on your trip across Canada is a lovely one.
ReplyDeleteDear Carol! Forgive me for writing the incorrect name in my comment. No excuses.
DeleteWhenever we travel I keep a journal and have gone back through them many times when I can’t remember details. What a wonderful idea to add scripture! Might have to incorporate that during our next journey. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! I actually do this, too and find they are invaluable later on when trying to remember details about where one was etc. But beyond that, I see the application for future writing, as you so eloquently expressed here. thanks Carol.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your strategies for travel journalling, Carol. I, too, do this, now with more detail than I did in earlier travels. Including scripture is an excellent addition!
ReplyDeleteI loved hearing about your travel journal as you rumbled across the country by train. Also loved how your journal writings became fodder for future publications. I'm taking notes. Thank you, Carol.
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