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What type of travel journaller are you?

Keeping a travel journal is a habit that I’ve had for a long time, and it’s a nice way for me to keep track of my trip and have something to look back on after the trip. I usually buy random blank journals to fill up on my trips, but last Tuesday I headed down to Notabilia‘s place for my first lesson on book making so I could learn to make my own journals instead.

Making my own travel journals

It was a cosy little gathering of 6 girls (all fellow bloggers *waves*) and a lone guy as the wonderfully talented Notabilia gave us a little background on book making and we even got to make a really cool one for ourselves!

Notablia Book Binding

We’re making a Concertina Book with accordion book folds here

See her much prettier pix here!

One thing she mentioned that got me thinking was about how books should be appreciated not just as convenient mediums for stories and words, but rather how the book and its structure is an art form in itself and should enhance its content, which ultimately got me thinking about travel journals and how people chronicle their travels.

It got me thinking about what types of travel journallers there are out there:

Types of Travel Journallers

The Constant Chronicler

You’re perpetually taking notes of your journey, keeping records of every moment and writing every free opportunity you get. Your journal goes everywhere and goes through everything with you, your constant companion.

The Night Noter

You bring your journal along on trips, but writing is usually an afterthought, at the end of a long day when you find a moment to gather your thoughts, or while waiting for your connecting flight in the transit lounge.

The Aftermath Assembler

You gather and collect like a squirrel throughout your trip, but you only put together your notes and journals when you’re back. Hardworking ones do it immediately after, others like me do it only after an extended period of time, if ever at all!

The Serious Scrapbooker

You go all out to commemorate your trip – photos are printed, accessories are bought, and all scraps and memorabilia are painstakingly crafted and assembled into beautiful scrapbooks which everyone else is super jealous of!

Travel Journals

Travel bundles more than travel journals

What type are you? I’m a cross between the Night Noter and the Aftermath Assembler – the ephemera I collect usually ends up in bundles in boxes along with my journal which I lug around with me and try to faithfully write before I go to sleep. Sometimes I sketch, I don’t usually get around to prettifying anything or printing photographs out nicely. (You can see evidence with my Taiwan journals here!)

Do you keep travel journals of your own? Tell me a little about your journalling type.

Here’s why you should be making travel memories and how to go about it.

Flora

Tuesday 19th of April 2011

I'm a cross between the aftermath assembler and the night noter. Except I often travel with my laptop so I write, save links and upload photos that way. I WISH I had the patience to be a serious scrapbooker. I keep all kinds of ephemera from my travels and never know what to do with it.

See you in class tonight!

Jac

Tuesday 19th of April 2011

I totally wish I was a serious scrapbooker, but I'm just... LAZY. I'm wondering if I could develop a type of journal that works for assemblers like us! Maybe class will provide some inspiration =)

Alientyc

Sunday 10th of April 2011

I an a lazy travel writer, snap with iPhone, upload to blog, backup then Zzzzz...

Jac

Sunday 10th of April 2011

heh the iphone really makes things easier! I'm too lazy to use a proper camera when i'm on the go sometimes!

notabilia

Saturday 9th of April 2011

This post makes me so happy. I am glad you had a great time in class and that you are thinking about content and form. See you soon!

Jac

Sunday 10th of April 2011

No thank you, and hope to learn to make more great books soon! =)