Do you keep a journal when you travel? How is this journal different to other journals you may keep? Have you always wanted to create a really meaningful travel journal but are not sure where to start? In this blog we explore some tips to help you get started or take your travel journal to the next level!
As best-selling author, filmmaker, and tour leader Phil Cousineau reminds us in his companion book to the Art of Pilgrimage, The Art of Travel: Journal, “by honoring our travel experiences through writing stories, poems, songs or creating sketches or other artwork, we can transform virtually all our travels, whether around the world or around our backyard, and make them more meaningful.”
Grab a copy of Phil’s inspirational book (more links at end), read our tips, and enjoy your travel journaling!
Choose your materials carefully
There are myriad journals and intuitive apps out there aimed specifically at the traveller, but when you’re embarking upon a more meaningful travel experience your choice of journal needs to reflect the aims of your own sacred journey. There are some practical considerations, of course – ensure the journal is big enough to capture your thoughts but not so big that it doesn’t fit in your day bag or becomes too heavy to carry after a full day of sightseeing. Beyond this, think about how you will be capturing your experiences – a journal with plain paper rather than lined, for instance, will allow you to sketch as well as write. A journal that has some form of pocket will give you a place to keep items of interest that you may to want to use in some form of collage on your return home. Think about how the journal feels to you – are you excited to write in it? Does it bring you pleasure when you open it? And what will you write or draw with? A good quality ink pen is always more pleasurable to write with than a cheap ballpoint. If you plan to sketch in your journal as well as write, do you have a good quality pencil or drawing pen?
Consciously set aside time for journal writing
Enthusiastically buying a beautiful new journal is one thing, actually filling it with your own thoughts and stories is quite another. Travelling can be exhilarating and also quite tiring, so ensure you make a conscious decision to set aside a little quiet time every day for journaling. It doesn’t have to rigidly be at the same time every day although 15-30 minutes before breakfast could well be the right formula for you. As you set your intentions for your sacred journey, take a moment to visualize using your journal on a daily basis as part of a more meaningful travel experience.
Think about where you write or draw best
Where do ideas come to you? Do you need to be alone so you can think aloud or do you prefer the stimulation of a busy coffee shop for inspiration? You will need to be flexible when travelling and won’t always have the ideal writing space, but if you think carefully about what you need in the moment, your body and mind will guide you towards the place you need to be to best write or draw that day.
Notice the small details
On sacred sites tours the organizational details are all taken care of leaving you more time to fully engage with the travel experience and focus on other kinds of details. Use all your senses – notice what you see around you, what you smell, hear, touch, or taste, and notice how you feel at certain moments. If you have a few minutes of quiet time at a café or restaurant take the opportunity to really look around you – let the experience seep into you. At sacred sites, be fully in the moment and follow the wisdom teachings or meditations, and afterwards take a few quiet minutes for yourself to digest and soak everything up. This is when you can take out your journal and see what comes. Note down the concrete details such as the day, where you are, what the weather is like, etc., and then let your body do the rest – write about what’s around you, what’s happening or happened, or about how you’re feeling in this moment. Draw what you see or what you’re seeing in your mind’s eye. Notice the people you meet – their physical appearance and also their energy – the more intangible elements of their character. How did they make you feel? How did they affect others or the natural world around them? What about the language they’re speaking – how does it sound to your ears? And the foods you’re eating – what colours are on your plate? What flavours do you experience when eating a particular dish – do others have the same reaction?
Let go of perfectionism
You may have the most beautiful travel journal in the world but that doesn’t mean everything that goes in it has to be perfect. Embrace the inherent imperfections in all creative pursuits and just go for it! You can edit anything your write or draw later – what’s important right now is simply to put pen to paper and express what’s in your mind. The act of writing (or drawing), in itself, is a way for you to process the many incredible sites you have seen and the emotional experiences you have lived through on your spiritual travel adventure. Stay curious and open to what flows out of you as you start journaling. Try not to judge anything you write or draw – simply enjoy the process!
As Phil Cousineau encourages us in The Art of Travel: Journal:
“If not you, then who? If not now, then when?
If not here, then where? How will you remember your travels?
As a blur or as a vision? As an unreal dream or as real as rain?
If you need any more encouragement remember what my first newspaper editor, Roger Turner, told me, ‘It ain’t real till it’s ink’.
Make it ink, make it real, make it now.
Write on.”
We would love to hear about (or see) your travel journals! Do you have any more tips or tricks to share? Leave us a comment here or on our Facebook page, and happy journaling!
If this blog has inspired your creative juices and you’re looking for more journaling inspiration visit our website – most of our tours include time for journaling and creativity. Phil Cousineau also leads sacred sites tours and writers’ retreats for us – sign up for our newsletter to be the first to hear about his upcoming tours! For reading inspiration, try The Art of Pilgrimage or Stoking the Creative Fires. Phil also wrote an introduction for Jim Currie’s The Mindful Traveler: A Guide to Journaling and Transformative Travel. A great read! If you’re looking for paper journals, the Moleskin range offers lots of good options, Muji has some simple, well-crafted pieces, and your local, independent bookstore is sure to have some great items. If you’re looking for an App to keep more concrete details in check, a good one to try out is Day One Journal.
~ Sacred Earth Journeys
