Why writing about your travels is good for you

What happens when you travel? Most of us would answer: you’re transformed. For those of us who are lucky enough to travel, we’ve been able to take a step outside our homes and experience a different way of life. We’ve seen how other people live and learned about their culture, which can cause some serious reflections on how you live your own life. That’s why I feel so strongly that writing about your travels is good for you.

A reflective time capsule

Writing about your travels gives you the time and space to reflect. And not just reflect on the events that happened — but more so, why they happened.

Ask yourself: How did your day fall into place? What was the series of events today that led up to sitting down to write?

And dive deeper: What am I feeling in this moment? What does my view look like today?

When you write down a reflection of your thoughts and emotions, in the future, you’ll be able to access that moment again, just like it was yesterday.

I like to think of reflecting as sort of a cleansing process. While it’s important not to stay stuck in the past, some reflection can help you learn how to move ahead — and savor what once was.

Self-discovery

You can gain a deeper understanding of yourself by writing about your travels. Learn your likes and dislikes, understand your motivations, and get in touch with your strengths — and weaknesses.

Did you miss the train – twice? Mistakes happen. Write about them! Talk about the accomplishments you’re proud of, and also what went wrong. Write about how you’d wish it’d all played out instead. Or say why it all went exactly as you envisioned.

When you write, you’re free to share a stream of consciousness without being embarrassed, especially if you’re writing in a private journal.

As far as journals go, I like this one by WANDRD. It gives you space to plan out 12 different trips — one for each month of the year, right?

It’s also not too big – so it fits perfectly in your bag, even when space is limited.

I haven’t tried it out myself yet, but it looks like it includes space for itinerary planning, packing checklists, and free pages to write down your experiences while you’re on the road.

I like the yellow version, since it’s easy to find when you’re searching through your backpack.

Share with others using a blog

It can be extremely fulfilling to share your experiences with others by writing about your travels.

You’ve just had the trip of a lifetime. It’s natural to feel excited about encouraging others to seek out a similarly transformative experience for themselves.

That’s a big reason why I was so compelled to start Jen on the Run, actually.

It brings me a lot of joy to share stories with my family and friends who aren’t able to travel with me. More than likely, it will be the same for you.

The most wonderful thing about the age we live in today is the endless opportunities to share with one another on the Internet. If you love writing about your travels, start a blog!

You can use your blog as a personal journal, or as a way to share your stories and inspire others.

It’s rewarding when I’ve spent a lot of time researching, and then I write about it. That information will be useful to someone else who’s planning a trip, too.

If you are considering starting a blog — go for it! It’s better to start now rather than spend the next year dreaming of it.

Where would I be now if only I’d started blogging five years ago? But you know what, I did get started. Now I’m over a year into blogging, and I love it.

I recommend starting a blog on WordPress. It’s by far the best place to build a blog. Even if you just want a place to record your adventures digitally, WordPress is the way to go.

And, if you’re building a site, you’ll also need web hosting. HostGator offers a 45-day money back guarantee, so if you give blogging a try and realize it’s not for you, then there’s very little risk.

Get 20% off all New HostGator Hosting plans with Coupon: SNAPPY.

Their customer service reps are also super friendly and make the process easy. Which is particularily helpful if you simply want an simple place to write online, without all the fuss 🙂

Record memories

Moreover, writing about your travels is an excellent way to keep a record of your day-to-day experience. Need some prompts to help get you started? Head on over here.

When you’re on the go with activities planned from 8:00am to 11:00pm, it’s easy to forget what you did on which day.

Even jotting down a few bullet points of the things you love, or didn’t love, from that day can be worthwhile.

It only takes 5 minutes. I know firsthand that it’s easier said than done, though. Sometimes getting into the habit is difficult, but once you do, it’s worth.

It’s also a good method for travel writers to implement when it’s too hard to spend ~5 hours writing an blog post or article while you’re on the road.

Use your bullet notes to recall details, sights, and sounds of the place you visit on your trip.

Later, when you get home, you can reference your bullet notes, close your eyes, and be transported back to that moment.

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This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll make a tiny commission which helps me run this blog, at no cost to you.