TRAVEL TIPS

JOURNALING

What did you notice today? How did you feel? What did you see or thought you saw? What overdelivered or underperformed? What ignited a spark in your mind or maybe something even deeper in your soul? Who was next to you? Who was around you? Who were they? What were their stories? What made you think differently? What made an old belief get ground in even harder? What scared you? What brought you joy? What do you want to say in this short time to reassess and be you? What did you notice today?

The beauty of journaling is that it ties together your travel experience. 

Pictures preserve a memory, journaling preserves a feeling. 

You can journal anywhere, honestly you should. But being able to preserve your state of mind, your internal when you’re in a different external, like a new city or country—that is a reward you’re gifting yourself for life. 

Leave some soul on the page

"I write in my journal as I prepare to leave New Zealand and map a new and extended course of travel: My spirit is fiercely free today, whatever I do in the future must allow for this type of feeling more often than not . . . I shed demons here and came to my
own mountaintop of understanding. There is a better way to live, one of not just belief in the self but of embracing what’s in front of you. Of learning, appreciating, and being. And if what is in front is beautiful and worthwhile, it just makes it easier."

- Look For Me There, Chapter 10, New Zealand

BEST PRACTICES FOR JOURNALING

  • Put a pen to paper. Typing on a laptop is great, but it's not journaling. Feel the words, and rub your fingers over the ink on the page.


  • Get a pen you can trust. Write with something that flows freely and gives you a good sense of balance.


  • Ask yourself starter questions to get going. The old "Who-What-Where-Why?" lets things pour out naturally. It's your journal, and your mind is the guide.


  • Journal in a place where you can focus inward. Lock up your phone, and tune out the external world, unless it acts as a muse for you.


  • Be observant. Journaling in a bar or cafe and people watching is a great exercise.


  • Commit to it, and even if you can't write pages, jot down bullet points from the day to jog your memory later on.


  • If you wrote down something profound, take a picture of the page with your phone—journals can get lost and it's beyond sad!


  • And journaling is almost always better with wine :)

JOURNALING SOLO

Writing a journal is a great exercise to center yourself. Take advantage of the solo time to put yourself down on a page.


If you want someone to talk to, there's a good chance if someone spots you journaling at a bar they'll offer up an inquisitive, "What are you writing?" It's a fun game to play.


Limit Social Media.

While it's fun to share photos and posts on Instagram, and you absolutely should...be mindful of what the travel is actually for—live in the literal world...NOT the digital world.


There's no point in traveling if you stay inside the digital world you curated for yourself back home.