There’s a lot that goes into traveling. From the hotel reservations, flight plans, finding the best spots, not trying to get lost and everything in between, it’s safe to say that no two vacations are the same.
If you’re looking to move somewhere else permanently, planning a honeymoon or just taking a weekend trip, each experience will leave you with countless memories and experiences that you’ll want to store and potentially share with others.
Below are some of the best ways to document your journey, even if it’s just remembering the location of the great cafe you went to.
The Old Fashioned Way
While writing letters and sending mail be be in consistent decline, there are still plenty of people out there who enjoy writing on paper with their favorite pen or pencil. Go into any bookstore and you’re bound to find a row of journals and small notebooks that are easy to take with you.
If you’re traveling with small family members, it can be a great way to get them into the habit of writing and making their own memories. Additionally, it may give you a bit of peace and quiet from the constant “are we there yet” questions.
The best parts about carrying around a journal are that it requires no internet connection, it’s very portable and you’re always going to have a place to write something down. On the con side, you may not want to carry it around and if it ever gets wet or damaged, it could be done for good.
Keeping up with the Jeffersons
There’s a perfect way to kill two birds with one stone and that’s through email. If you’re going on an extended trip, your family and friends might want regular updates from you. Not just to see what you’re doing, but to also make sure you’re still alive.
This is a great way to not only keep in touch with your family and friends, but also a way to keep a running journal. Every few days, you can email them with all your latest activities and endeavors. Send a few pictures as well so they can see your smiling face.
At the end of your trip, you can return to your emails, print them all out and put them in some kind of journal or notebook. Even though you’ll be reading emails addressed to other people, it’s a great way to remind yourself of everything that you’ve been doing.
Start a Website
It seems that everyone and their dog has a blog these days, so why shouldn’t you? A blog is another great way to keep everyone updated on your travels as well as publishing content. Make sure your perfect blog name isn’t already taken, and then get to making your site!
Many people end up taking their love for traveling and making into a blog/travel idea website. Think about that, you can make money off of your vacations. You can recommend restaurants, tour groups or just give simple advice.
If you’re going away on a study abroad semester or moving abroad, you can advise people on the application process, legal hurdles or tips for adjusting to your new lifestyle. At the end of the day, it will be your blog, so make it about something you enjoy and you think other people will enjoy.
Photo Journal
Lots of people use their Instagram accounts to track their travel progress, but if you’re not big into social media, you can still use your pictures. Everyone is taking pictures these days anyway.
Unless you still have a flip phone (and if you do, consider donating it to a museum), your phone has a pretty good camera on it. You’re already going to be taking pictures, but make sure they’re being stored somewhere else.
Make sure you have a good cloud-based photo storage system. There are tons of free options out there with premium options, in case you want to store more photos. You might lose your phone or have it stolen, and you don’t want to lose all your precious photos with it. Make sure you’re backing them up.
Whenever you get back home, take your favorite ones and have them developed. You can go buy a photobook and put all the photos inside. Not only is it a cool way to remember your trip, but it’s also a great conversation starter!
