Down with travel journals

Seems lots of travelers keep a journal. The hard-core ones, at least. You'll see folks over in the corner, writing down their day's events.

I don't. I've tried. Just can't be bothered, I guess. And I have a degree in journalism, was editor of the university newspaper, etc... I do keep a blog, which I update with a decent amount of regularity for the folks back home. And I enjoy that. I think that's because, as opposed to a personal journal, I'm in the position to inform and/or entertain an audience, which is what makes it all worth it for me.

So... Why do you not keep a journal?

Okay, the journal dorks among us can chime in too. Spill your guts on your diary, notebook, journal...

Same reason that I take pictures. That way, I can look back on it later and remember the good times. The blog exists solely as a way to keep my family up to date on where I am and what I'm up to...the modern version of the letter home. I don't expect an audience. The journal is updated more frequently, since it's more convenient - something to while away the hours on the bus - and I don't have to worry about my parents reading it.

I'm actually surprised you don't do a journal...usually people who actually blog for an audience like to keep the journal and write in it throughout the day, so that their blog can have more detail.

Also, about half the content in my journal is actually notes and so on of things I would like to do, places to go, email addresses, books I want to read, random stuff like that.

My photos are my journal. I can't/don't want to write. My pictues bring back all the memories with much less effort than reading; and no psychiatrist will be able to analise my diary when I die. The memories are mine alone (or maybe shared among those with me at the time).

As far as keeping a journal to have more detail for blog posts, that's exactly what I don't want to do. I know I don't like to read 2,500-word descriptions of daily activity, and I'm sure my readers aren't interested in that either. They want a few nice photos and a couple funny or unique insights or anecdotes.

Now, some people's journals have produced some great stuff. I'm thinking of jv's Pigs in the Toilet, in particular (the site's been down, for some reason. Renew it Jeff!!)

I kept a journal for my first overseas trip and found that I really had nothing interesting to say. I may still have it somewhere but I never look at it because it was terribly dry and boring. The blog works a lot better for me....it's so much easier for me to type up an interesting story than to write it down. And that way I can share it with my family/friends.

Haha. Jesus, justin, you are really going for the jocular, hu?



I'm with you. I don't write a journal because I usually am attracted to other things than sitting down and writing down mundane stuff. Also, I know, I would never ever read it again. I haven't read The Brothers Karamazov twice (yet), why would I want to re-read my travel journal?

Heh, you can take what I say only half seriously, EA.

In all honesty, I wish I had the discipline to write more about my personal experience. I envy those who can actually write down something meaningful at the end of each day.

I'm not consistent on whether I keep or journal or not. I didn't on my recent trip to Israel, and I didn't miss it because I was so busy.

I'm much more likely to keep one when I am traveling alone and have time on my hands. It's a relaxing thing to do in the evenings or when sitting in a cafe. I also like to stick stuff like beer labels into it. It gives me a convenient scrapbook, plus a place to doodle or draw scenes from my day.

I really do enjoy looking back on them and remembering the trips. It's like a photo album, it captures the moment.

A lot of writers tend to ditch the journal in favour of a notepad that takes down basic details that set scene and can't be filled in with research later.

I stopped recording daily events a few years ago. It was usually pretty boring stuff. I do always bring along a notebook though. It just gets filled with the more random things that being away from home seems to make more accessible.

On our travels I think I tended to follow markus' approach. I had a little notebook where I wrote things like where we stayed, prices, details of the trip that we could either share later or recreate on our own if we chose.

I tried my hand at a few prose entries as well, but I generally found them lacking (I worked as a writer as well.) Everyone thinks they're Bill Bryson these days.

quote:

Originally posted by skobb:
Everyone thinks they're Bill Bryson these days.

Haha...so true. I'm sending email updates to friends as I just feel too lazy to write a blog.

My pictures bring back memories as well.

I can understand that the journal thing works for some people. As for me I am probably to self-concious to write down all my emotional feelings day-by-day.

When I think of people keeping a journal I always have a mental image of JD from Scrubs...

Dr Cox: My god is that a unicorn on the front cover?

JD: No, it's a horse with a sword on his head. He's there to guard my hopes and dreams.

I usually keep a journal, especially on longer trips and/or when I travel alone. I think it's mostly sort-of-therapeutic, when I'm in strange surroundings, unable to speak my native tongue, etc. It beats talking to myself out loud Also it gives me something to do on long train or bus rides, which feels more like doing something than reading or listening to music. And it is fun to read afterwards, some little details you probably won't remember afterwards if you don't write them down. I have used pieces of my journals in short stories later on, though I don't really write with that in mind, unless I'm allready working on a story that's set in the place I'm visiting.

I keep a journal (well, really I just write down bits anywhere I can find a blank corner of paper) so that I remember the gory details for later retellings. And because I DO look back at my journals years later. I like to remember, and writing things down saves me the trouble of forgetting.

Plus, they're such good stuff to reference for that novel I'm going to write someday...

LoL I was considering keeping journal while I travel in the future too

But mine would be more of a Sketchbook cum Journal (Like 10 pages sketches for every 1 page of 'journal entry')as I am more inclined to doodle stuff I see rather than describe it with a 1000 word journal entry. Not to mention pictures(that can be put into a scrapbook in future) are great sources of memories and stories and FAR less boring to go through.*flip* *flip* *flip* :P I want to keep a journal because it is always amazing for me to go through my 'younger' self again and see how far I have come (Intellectually, Emotionally, etc). Not to mention how much better I have become at writing!

I plan to have a blog on the road too as I don't think I can be bothered to write dozens of emails every other day to keep my family/friends up-to-date on what I am up to. Mind you, I prefer the individual emails to my loved ones as opposed to mass mailing. Mass mailing seems too...Cold. Ya know?

P/S: I am a Journalism major too! LoL!