You’ll never forget your favorite trips if you keep a travel journal
For most of us, RV adventures are the trip of a lifetime. There’s so much to see, hear, and do on the road. Between beautiful scenic vistas, cozy campgrounds, and meeting new friends, you never run out of entertainment and excitement.
All of the fun activities gets crammed into a few short days or weeks, and after a while, it’s easy to forget the little things that made you happy. The feeling of warm coffee in your hand as you watch the sunrise, the funny stories you shared with that new couple you met around the campfire.
Immortalize your memories in a keepsake journal, and look back on it for years to come.
Why should you keep a travel journal?
You may think you don’t need to keep a journal, especially if you already have photos of your vacation. But, it’s still a good idea to jot down your memories as you go. It doesn’t have to be in-depth – you can write bullet points of the highlights and your favorite things.
To remember the way you felt during your adventures
Photos are great, but they don’t always tell the whole story. A landscape picture might not convey how breathless you were on that long hike, how crisp and clean the air smelled, how tired and aching and triumphant your legs felt.
These details can get lost over time, and nothing brings them back like words on the page. When you open that journal 10 years later, those words will take you back instantly to that sunny hike.
To give you something to do
Seasoned RV-ers know, this lifestyle isn’t all excitement and adventure. Don’t misunderstand, most of us love the lazy mornings and quiet solitude.
If you RV long enough, you’re bound to run into the occasional rainy or cold day that doesn’t invite outdoor play.
In these moments, having a hobby to do in the comfort in your RV turns boredom into creative fun. Keeping a journal is a great way to sit down and enjoy yourself even if you can’t be outside. Paste pictures into your journal, write out poems or silly stories, do whatever makes your journal feel unique to you.
What should you journal about?
If you’re not already a frequent writer, it may be hard to get started. If you need some inspiration on what to include in your journal, here are a few favorite ideas.
Planning out details. Use your journal as a place to dream up your ideal trips. Great destinations, campground options, travel gear, and any other planning details can all be brainstormed in your journal. Write about your goals and hopes for the adventure, and look back later to see how it measured up!
Recapping fun events. Record your trip through daily or weekly recaps. Include the places you visited, the people you met, where you stayed, and what you did. Make notes about any favorite eating spots, good recipes you tried in your RV kitchen, and your least and most favorite details.
It helps you remember your feelings and fun, and also serves as a guide for the next time you want to plan a trip in that area.
People you meet. You’re sure to meet lots of interesting folks along the road. RV enthusiasts love to get together over cocoa and campfires, shoot the breeze, and share tips. After all, our great RV people are one of the reasons we started RV Advisor – to connect all of us online!
Unfortunately, it’s easy to forget the people you meet on the road. It’s not that you’ll forget them entirely, but their names and faces might get lost over time, which is a shame. You might be somewhere else a few years down the line, when you suddenly remember a really inspiring conversation you had with someone, but can’t place their name or where you met them.
So, it’s always nice to keep a few notes about the friends you meet. This way, you can look back fondly on the time you shared together.
A travel journal keeps your memories alive
Have you been convinced to start a travel journal? There are so many benefits to journaling your trip; we hope you’ll give it a try!
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