Tales from the Trip

Writing my thoughts has been a way to sooth myself and wind down from the day for as long as I can remember. I wouldn't slide between the sheets on my bed as a teenager before opening my spiral-bound journal. That journal was nothing fancy as a notebook, but within it covers held my deepest thoughts, feelings and ideas. At that time, it was the best friend I'd ever had. It never let me down, it was always there for me and it never failed to make me feel a lot better.

Although I am not very good at daily journaling anymore, I am a diehard travel journaler. Wherever I go, my travel journal is always close-at-hand. I write down the most mundane things that probably wouldn't matter to anyone, but some of those mundane details are what bring back to mind the richness of my travels.

After a 2-week trip to Africa during which time I was constantly writing my observations and feelings, I had a notebook full of just that: Thoughts and feelings. A fellow traveler with whom I made friends kept no notes at all. Yet, about a month after our safari, I got a group email from her. It was her travelogue. As I read through it, I was amazed at the level of detail and history present within her travelogue. She hadn't written anything down whatsoever during the trip. How had she remembered so much detail?

What lacked in her travelogue, however, was the richness of her thoughts and the softness of her feelings about the journey. Her travelogue, while complete, read more like a textbook. In comparison, mine was more of a romance novel, warm and full of love for Africa. Every feeling I felt while on that trip was present within the pages of my travel diary.

Is my travel journal something that is worthy of being shared with the public? Most of it is; some would be of no interest whatsoever. For the most part, though, it reveals my love of travel, my sheer eagerness to learn about a new culture, the amazement when things are so much different than I expected, and the humor I feel when things go so wrong.

Whether or not to journal while traveling is an individual choice. Those for whom writing is an essential aspect of being alive will certainly want to record all thoughts and feelings while traveling. Some of the smallest details that get recorded within a journal are the spark that light up wonderful ideas for future travel articles. To me, my travel journal is like an American Express Card. I wouldn't leave home without it!