Many travelers wait until they return from a vacation before putting pictures and thoughts into albums. Keeping up with the events as they happen will insure a more descriptive look back at the trip. A travel journal is small enough to carry along and can be made easily and inexpensively.
Supplies Needed For a Travel Journal
- Spiral bound drawing tablet
- A variety of scrapbooking papers
- Travel themed stickers
- Embellishments
- Acid free markers
- Quotes or fun facts about the destination
- Glue stick
- Small envelopes
Putting the Journal Together
No matter what the destination is, the basic construction of the journal is the same. It can be as simple or as elaborate as desired.
To make the cover, print a colored map or other image from the computer onto card stock. Use that as the background for the cover. The image will probably need to be cut to size. Glue to the front of the drawing tablet. For good adhesion, Mod Podge is a good choice.
Next, place themed stickers or other images on to the cover. For example, for a trip to Florence, Italy, a journal cover can consist of a color map of the city with a location sticker over the top of it.
Inside the Journal
While most of the pages can be left blank for journaling purposes, adding a few embellishments (like pockets, stickers, facts, and quotations) can make the book more personal.
Travel Facts and Quotations
Not all words in the travel journal have to come from the traveler. Facts about the destination can add interesting sidebars. Quotations can add the same kind of flair. To find facts or quotes, simply type in "facts about (name of location)" or "quotes about (name of location)" in the web browser and begin the search. Print and glue them on the pages or simply write the information directly into the journal.
Adding Pockets to Travel Notebooks
Traveling always results in itineraries, the collection of ticket stubs, and brochures. To make sure they are not misplaced, a couple of pockets or envelopes glued into the travel journal will provide easy storage options.
To make a pocket, measure a piece of paper against the journal page. It will only need to cover about a third of the page. Add a quarter of an inch on three sides and fold that extra paper over to form tabs. Once unfolded, the two corners will form squares. Cut out those squares for a cleaner fold and glue the tabs to the page. This will form the pocket.
A simpler way of forming a pocket is to attach a small envelope to the page. The ones for small note cards work best for this.
Finishing the Book
While the basics to the book can be completed ahead of time, other things, like photographs and actual journaling, cannot be finished early, but they are easy enough to do during the trip.
With the popularity of digital cameras, printing photographs has gotten easier. Pictures can be made while on the trip and placed right into the book.
Journaling should also be done during the trip while the experiences are fresh. Make the writing more detailed by addressing the senses while journaling. The sights and sounds of a location are more memorable if described completely.
A travel journal is simple to make and easy to carry around on a trip. By making the book ahead of time, filling it with quotes and facts, and embellishing it with themed stickers, all that's left for the trip is to just add words.
Doris Keeler - Doris is an 8th grade language arts teacher who specializes in teaching students the art of writing. Under her direction, the writing plan ...
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