|

Travel Tip – Daily Notes

Last November when I returned from Paris I struggled with remembering all the details of the trip. Same thing when I went to Central America in December.

On my most recent trip to France I decided that I did not want to (a) miss any details of my trip and (b) that I did not want to have a huge amount of work to do to prepare posts when I returned.

I thought about it ahead of time and figured the best course of action was to take daily notes.

During the fifteen days that I was away I took daily notes even if it was just jotting down meal details and the names of the towns we visited. That way I wouldn't forget any of the anecdotes as the days started to blend (and they always do!).

I took notes in a moleskine as well as in a Word document on my laptop. I did need to rely on the internet, which was unavailable in several places we stayed, I could take notes whether in the car or in our room.

What a difference it made!

Coming back it has been much easier for me to organize posts and just drop photos into them. Even if I choose not to write about everything I did, I still have a record of my entire trip that I can refer to in the future.

What about you? How do you make sure to capture all the details of your trips?

Related
How To Avoid Travel Drama, Disruptions And Issues

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

12 Comments

  1. In the beginning I made sure to write down everything! Now, I mostly rely on my memory, which seems to be particularly acute when traveling. I can’t wait to hear about your trip. I missed your blog while I was away!!!

  2. I have a good memory, and yet on trips days can blur together – unless I take time to reflect on them before going to bed each night. In addition to a Moleskine, I now carry a little digital recorder. I ‘jot’ down brief spoken messages to remind me of things. I also take photos of placards, restaurant signs and even menus, as memory joggers, too.

    Great post!

    Btw, I found you via NaBloPoMo’s blog roll. I’ve been Nablo-ing for a few years now and find it so inspirational and a fun way to make new blogging pals.

    I’ll be back throughout the month to see how it’s going for you!

    Tui

    1. @Tui, love email address, although only I can see it! I have been doing NaBloPoMo for almost two years straight missing only a few days – it is a great incentive and a fun way to meet bloggers, looking forward to checking you out!

  3. I’ve been journaling for many years and whenever I go on a vacation, I purchase a new journal to record the visit. I usually recapture the previous day’s events at breakfast. I also save the various ephemera (maps, napkins, pamphlets) that I accumulate to help illustrate the journal. So with a journal, a pen or pencil, and a glue stick, I have a permanent record of my journey.

    1. @Cherie, I think it is a fun part of the ritual which I wish I did previously. I spent 17 days in Italy i 2007 and sadly cannot remember all the details which is a shame.

  4. Oh, I ALWAYS carry a notebook when I travel. Just jotting down a few thoughts/ideas at the end of the day (or during the day ;)) helps so much with jumpstarting my memory when I look at photos again or try to write up a travel blog post!

    1. @San, me too. I am constantly looking back in notebooks and finding blog post ideas!

  5. A travel journal is well worth the effort, even if you just do bulleted lists. I like to note the restaurants and sights. In addition, I keep margin notes on things that provided atmosphere, whether it is church bells, farm animals, the call to prayer, street signs, and such. Recently, I had to list all my trips outside the US for the past 7 years in order to get a US government security clearance. I would have been lost without my journal.

    1. @Anne, funnily enough my hubby had to list his trips outside of the US the last 7 years for his US citizenship and we used my email and my notebooks to get it done!

  6. I am definitely a note writer! I have gone on 2 mission trips (so far), and have kept a ‘journal’ for both of them. I am so glad I did- sometimes I pull them out and read them, and say ‘oh yeah, I forgot about that!’

    1. @Judi, may you can convert the books to a blog, or do a blog on your next mission. I love looking back at old notebooks too!