Travel Journaling – It’s Easier Than Ever

I’m not sure who, or what, prompted me to keep a diary during my trip to France in 1979, but I’m sure glad I did. Without it, my book, French Illusions, My Story as An American Au Pair in the Loire Valley, probably never would have been written.

My diary from France, 1979.

It really doesn’t matter what kind of diary, or journal, you choose to take with you on your travels, just make sure it has plenty of space to recount a busy day on the road. Today, there are lots of different options available.  

Day One, for example is a highly-rated app for your iphone or Mac. This award-winning software believes travelers should “Journal from here, there, everywhere.” Another option is Travel Diaries. This software allows travelers to create their own travel diary so they can capture and share their travel experiences. A third option is Driftr. This popular app lets you plan, record and share your travel adventures in a single space. Driftr “connects you with the people you want to meet and the stories you want to hear.”

The main thing is, try to journal every day (or other day). You might ask yourself, “How will I find time for that?” Often, the opportunity will present itself while you’re en route, traveling on a train, for example. It only takes a few minutes to record the events of the day. When I traveled back to France in 2001 with my family, I kept a journal, and this approach worked well for me. Make sure to include the date, the names of places you visited, restaurants you dined at, food you ate and people you met. By all means, chronicle unusual events.

First page of my diary, August, 1979

Have I convinced you to journal your travels? I hope so. Below is the opening entry from the travel journal I brought with me to France when I was twenty-one years old. 

If you would like to read more about my experiences in France, you can purchase my eBook or paperback at Amazon by clicking on this link, French Illusions, My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley  The audiobook version is also available at Audible.com.