Documenting Your Travels: 4 Ideas for Recording Your Next Trip

Photo Credit: Flickr/Elizabeth M.

1. Go Old-School

It seems hard to believe now, but for thousands of years humans recorded their travels without the use of the internet. If you’d like to pay tribute to the travel writers of yesteryear, grab and pen and paper and try some journaling on your next trip. There is something special and uniquely personal about looking back on journal pages filled with hand-written memories and doodles.

One note about materials: while any old notebook will work in a pinch, consider investing in a Rite in the Rain journal if you’ll be doing much writing outdoors. The pages are water resistant and the journal has a durable binding that will hold up to the abuse of long hikes or camping excursions, where other notebooks smear or fall apart.

2. Start a Travel Blog

Creating your own travel blog is a great way to document your adventures, especially if you’re a frequent traveler. One of the biggest advantages of this medium is the flexibility and customization available; because there are really no set-in-stone rules when it comes to creating your blog, you don’t have to worry about any formatting and can get as creative as you care to.

A blog is also a great option for those looking to interact with other travelers. Popular platforms such WordPress and Tumblr have large communities of users and can easily be tied-in to social media networks, allowing your friends to follow along with you on your adventures.

If you’re worried that all this documention is going to get in the way of actually experiencing your travels, then just take a more laid back approach. Rather than trying to record everything as it happens in real time, just snap a few pictures. At the end of your trip, you’ll have plenty of time to to look back and document everything.

3. Photo Collage

Maybe blogging or journaling is a little too much writing for your taste. If this is the case, a photo collage is a great way to document your vacation and create a cool conversation piece at the same time. Try organizing your photos onto a map, or use a polaroid camera for a retro feel. If you're in need of some interesting ideas, Pinterest is a great place start.

4. Highlight Videos

The photo collage of the modern era, highlight reels are a fun and shareable way to show off your travel footage. Make sure to keep it short and interesting; the idea is to show the "greatest hits" of the trip, not give a play-by-play of the entire vacation. While a little experience with video editing software will make this project easier, anybody with a little free time and a willingness to learn can put together a great highlight reel. There is no shortage of easy to use and beginner-friendly video editing programs, but Windows Movie Maker, Splice, and iMovie are a few of the tried and true options.

Jan 12th 2018