|
Norman Clyde
|
South Seas Journey - 1839
Enrich your travel experience by documenting it with stories and drawings, perceptions on culture, reviews of hotels and restaurants, notes on museum and historic sights such as ruins, temples and cathedrals, and reminiscences of conversations and encounters with locals and fellow travelers along the way.
Benefits: On travelogue writing
Don’t rely on the transient quality of memory. Have you ever returned home from a wonderful travel experience only to feel the details slipping away as soon as you board the plane? Each day of planned vacation can be jam packed with experiences profound & trivial. Don’t let the subtle parts evaporate. Help yourself remember the people you spoke with. Describe the especially romantic sunset or brilliant sunrise colors on water from the balcony of a rustic or majestic setting. Get it in writing!
Format: The Touring Journal
Enrich your travel experience by documenting it with stories and drawings, perceptions on culture and reviews of hotels and restaurants for your own or for friend’s future use. Make notes on museum and historic sites such as ruins, temples and cathedrals and glue in the ticket receipts of your favorite places and exhibits. For the purposes of nostalgia, record humorous, educational or poignant reminiscences, conversations and encounters with locals and fellow travelers along the way. Some of the people you meet, and the stories they tell, may be the memories that last the longest.
How:
Before choosing a touring journal first question yourself about the practical side. How much are you willing to carry; size & weight? Are you also using camera gear? Do you plan on utilizing the journal throughout the day or assigning a time during the day or evening for journal entries? Is it strictly for writing or will you also include paper ephemera such as ticket stubs, menus, postcards, etc. Above all, choose a journal that will stand the test of time.
Format: The Collector
If you identify yourself as a ‘foodie’ or wine collector and your travel experiences typically involves plenty of hedonistic pleasures such as restaurant hopping and wine tasting. You’ll want to document restaurant and winery names, the locations of specialty wine and food shops, estates or regions known for their specialties, recipes (should you be so lucky) as well as portraits of winery estate owners or guides, descriptions of meals including aesthetics or anecdotal information. Who knows, you might do so well you’ll come home and start a blog!
How:
Depending on your emphasis you’ll need a lined journal at the very least or a format that provides for tasting notes or recipes. Again, size is a consideration. Will your notes require stealth or a compact size for handy referencing or will you need generous page counts and a larger page format? Since the pages may be exposed to food and liquids you may want to consider an ivory shade of paper rather than dead white.
Format: The Photographer’s Journal
In the digital age even the most amateur photographers may take hundreds if not thousands of images on a single travel adventure. With this many images to consider, it’s easy to imagine losing track of where or when a photograph originated, especially landscape or people shots with no discerning signs or markers.
How:
We suggest a small or compact journal, easy to access and use while handling camera equipment. Develop a personal system of notation that includes: date, and place with individual photo numbers or groups of photos in a numbered range. You may want to include stories attached to the images or the addresses of people who gave permission to be photographed in trade for photo copies.
Format: The Adventure Journal
Are you about to experience the trip of a lifetime such as scaling Mt Everest, boating on the Amazon River, rock climbing, sailing, bicycling across New Zealand, running in the Sahara! This kind of experience can be life altering and a true test of one’s endurance and flexibility. It may be a test of courage and the ability to be both fiercely independent and dependant on others should the need arise. Document your most challenging experiences for yourself and future readers.
How:
Decide if you will use this journal in action or in quiet moments. Whatever appeals as a memoir page structure with a rugged exterior would be a good choice!
|
