Travelers used to keep their journals in dog-eared notebooks or leather-bound books; however, as a modern voyager, you may want to keep your entries on your trusty laptop. Post your daily travel experiences on a blog or social networking site to share your adventures with others as it happens. Alternatively, if you are a more private person, choose a word-processing program and keep your personal travel diary to yourself. You can decide at a later date whether you want to share it with the world or not.
If you are not the writing type, consider keeping a pictorial travel journal so you have a visual record of your experiences to share with others. If you're artistically talented, sketch important monuments and scenery with charcoal or colored pencils. Set up an easel and paint the most beautiful sunset you've ever witnessed in your life. If art isn't your forte, grab your camera and click a plethora of photos wherever you go. Capture your hotel room before you unpack your belongings, photograph other travelers as they "ooh" and "aah" over amazing attractions and take photos of everything you want to show the folks back home.
Nothing can compare with recording your travel experience in words. Choose a special journal and your favorite writing instrument and take them with you everywhere. If you're a man or woman of few words, create a short, concise journal with factual information such as places visited, dates, admission fees and hotel rooms and your rating of them. If you love to write long, descriptive phrases and detailed accounts of your activities, go for it -- the more the better. That way you will be able to bring your trip vividly to mind years from now when you read over your account.
Some folks want to record every moment of their vacation. If you're one of them, take along your video camera, and you'll have movies to show the grandkids one day. Every time you watch your video, you'll be able to relive those special moments you captured. If video isn't your thing, consider a hand-held voice recorder and keep a running commentary of your activities and impressions. Choose recorders with tapes, so you can store them for future reference.
