This is how to make a seriously awesome travel journal.
**Remember to pin this post for later!**

I love writing. Well, I love anything creative…but especially writing. It’s how I reflect on stuff, expand on ideas and share my life (this is a personal blog, after all).

But I also love traveling. So naturally, writing + traveling is a win!

Travel journaling is an epic way to make your trip more memorable and creative. It also feels sort of nostalgic and almost like an act of rebellion (against the TikTokification of pretty much everything and all the hyper-polished robotic automations). Some things should be kept slow and human…and maybe a little messy.

A travel journal can be anything you like. It can be full of purpose…or be aimless af. It’s nothing more than a private collection of notes, thoughts and things. A snapshot of your life and an artifact to look back on one day.

But more than anything, a GOOD travel journal should feel expressive, creative and fun.

This is the ultimate guide on how to start a seriously kick-ass travel journal.

Let’s do this!

Table of Contents

What Is a Travel Journal?

A travel journal is a collection of notes, writings, doodles or anything that documents your experiences, mood and reflections from your travels and trips.

It can be a physical book or a digital one.

They capture moments like a photo does…but it’s different, isn’t it?

It’s like regular journaling, but with the backdrop of culture, language and exploring.

Why Start a Travel Journal?

You’re a modern Jack Kerouac scribbling notes from abroad. Or Walter Mitty discovering yourself.

Who WOULDN’T want to play these roles?

Are we not characters in our own life movie? (plus the director, the writers and the producers)

We totally are. Life is definitely a movie and we’re in control. And travel journaling is an awesome way to script part of the plot.

Documenting your life makes everything feel more intentional and romantic.

It’s also easier to appreciate things and practice gratitude. Getting good at the art of noticing is a side effect of journaling.

I jot down off-the-cuff thoughts and personal quotes I think sound cool (at least, they sound cool to me lol). I make doodles too…my journal is half sketchbook.

But I also like to work through personal projects (like songwriting or new blog post ideas). Sometimes, my notes turn into full articles or lyrics for my music

(or narrations for a travel video I’ll never finish…)

Anyways, here are some other reasons to start a travel journal:

Improve your self awareness
Make your travels more creative
Be more present during your trips
Improve future trips through reflection
Capture your travel moments for future nostalgia
Improve your travel planning, goals and itineraries

How to Start a Travel Journal (3 steps)

**Why complicate things?**
Follow these core steps to start a GOOD travel journal.

1. Choose a Travel Journal ‘Vehicle’

Your journal vehicle is where you’ll actually be journaling.

A basic notebook works here…technically. But honestly, those are sort of generic and multi-purpose, so they end up feeling, well, generic and without a clear purpose.

With travel journaling, I always look for something that sparks inspiration. I need a book that has one obvious purpose.

Using a unique or specific travel-inspired journal boosts motivation, engagement and helps you actually stick to your journaling habit. So when deciding on a journal vehicle, choose something that’s personally inspiring for you.

This can be a physical or a digital journal. That’s a personal choice.

(but let’s be honest, a physical book hits different)

By the way, I make my own custom designs for travel journals. The script-style fonts are my actual handwriting, the sketches are original drawings and the photos are straight from my camera roll (no AI or stock assets). Check out my travel journal designs here!

2. Choose A Theme for Your Travel Journal

There are tons of different ways to journal. And having a clear style for your travel journal creates a theme, which makes it easier to just write, create and find flow.

For example, you could lean into doodles and sketches. Or you could make it more like a scrapbook. Or you can focus on text-only classic writing.

Anything goes.

If you’re looking for inspiration or you’re not sure which style to go with, check out my post on the best travel journal ideas for inspiration.

3. Start Journaling (like right now!)

I talk more about this below, but travel journaling isn’t just for traveling. It’s for all the parts leading up to the trip (starting with the initial spark to even plan one) and afterwards.

Start writing in your travel journal right away.

Talk about your plans and love for traveling. Or places you’ve been before. Write about your travel goals and why you love exploring so much. Fill your pages with custom quotes and travel thoughts before you ever go through the airport security line.

A good travel journal should look used and even a little messy. Half-finished thoughts and low-theme writing are welcomed here.

6 Travel Journaling Tips

1. Journaling Is More Than Just Writing

Journaling doesn’t necessarily mean oooonly writing.

Add cutouts, artifacts from abroad, doodles, Polaroid pictures, stamps…add anything that inspires you and fits in between pages.

Think outside the box and get creative. Make it aligned with your vibe and style.

There’s no wrong answer here (and if it only writing, that’s fine too).

2. Make It a Realistic Habit for You

You don’t need to journal everyday. You need to find a routine that works for you. This is what makes traveling journaling work (and actually enjoyable): building a realistic habit.

Maybe you prefer a weekly ritual…heading to a cafe to reflect on the stuff you did. Or may journaling is a way to collect artifacts and make notes about your trips.

Whenever (and however) you decide to journal, try to make it a regular part of your day/traveling.

But if you’re serious, bring your travel journal with you everywhere you go.

And if you’re not having fun with it, try a different journal style or look for ways to make it more relaxing.

3. Use Travel Journal Prompts

Stuck staring at a blank journal page? Try using a journal prompt to get ideas flows.

You can ask ChatGPT for some ideas. Just remember to add lots of context to get better results (like what type of traveler you are, your goals, preferred journaling style, where you’re going, etcetera).

4. Use It Before, During + After Your Travels

Travel journaling isn’t only for when you’re traveling. It’s fun to write in it before, during and after the trip. This keeps the travels alive.

It builds a truly holistic adventure-life too because being a traveler isn’t something you just do once. It’s a core part of who you are, even when you’re not off exploring.

(psst, want travel to be full-time? Learn how to become a digital nomad here).

Travel journaling when you’re not actively traveling makes the lifestyle part of your life even when you’re back home, planning your next trip. This makes the whole travel journaling routine feel more consistent and important.

It keeps travel top of mind too, which leads to more travel in your life.

I’m always planning my next move, looking up plane tickets or researching new cities and things to do there. It’s fun. And this stuff is perfect for putting into a travel journal.

5. Include the Date + Location On Your Entries

The coolest part about travel journaling is you’re creating a snapshot of a moment. Looking back (in a year, in 10 years…30 years), it’s fun to see the exact time and date you were experiencing something.

It’s a dated glimpse into the past, showing exactly where you were (physically and mentally).

6. Be Creative + Have Fun With It

Have fun and get creative with your travel journal. It should feel more expressive than anything else. Treat it like an art project.

Add stickers and stamps and doodles and whatever comes to mind.

And don’t take your travel journal tooooo serious. Otherwise, it gets stressful. Perfection isn’t the goal here; creative expression and life reflection are.

So don’t worry if you miss a day or the grammar and spelling is freaking terrible. It’s all good. Keep it fun :)

Alright, that’s I’ve got for this one…

Later ✌️

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