Memory is inherently fallible, and without the means to record life's most precious moments, we risk letting them slip into the abyss.
Journalling is a wonderful tool that not only helps us work through overwhelming emotions and experiences but ensures that we record memories both big and small, no matter how insignificant they may seem at the time of writing.
This tactile, meditative habit becomes all the more important when travelling. Whether you’re embarking on a weekend-long sojourn within the UK or backpacking across South America, there are bound to be moments throughout your trip that you’ll wish you jotted down the details of when the exact anecdote escapes you.
That means writing about the seemingly mundane; including inherently boring travel days, the moments when your health isn’t 100 per cent, and the days when you’re feeling rather homesick. Those quiet pauses in between incredible cross-country locations are where you’ll find the time to process the tidal wave of emotions that travelling tends to bring on.
It’s easy to look back on time abroad with rose-tinted goggles, but reading through the full spectrum of emotions that you felt over that period away from home will remind you of your strength of character, independence, and resilience on the days when you need the reminder.
When it comes to reliving the more positive memories, you’ll be able to flick through dated pages with ease, giggling with nostalgia at all your international antics. You might even opt to keep a colour code, which tells future you just how fabulous a day you were having.
It’s important to remember that journalling looks different for everyone. For those who don’t feel that they have a way with words, quick notes and bullet points will certainly suffice. Likewise, artistic types who prefer to sketch their memories across double-page spreads may take a more visual approach to travel journalling.
Scrapbooking can be thought of as a happy medium between written and visual journalling. Collecting ticket stubs, photo booth pictures, Polaroids, receipts and other memory scraps can be accompanied by short captions which tell a story of where you’ve been and where you’re going.
If you are truly dedicating yourself to journalling while abroad, it’s best to do it properly. We’ve curated a selection of the best travel journals on the market so that you can journal, sketch and scrapbook your way across the globe.
See below
Off Piste Travel Journal
For those who tend to take the road less travelled by à la Robert Frost, this Papier travel journal is for you. Inside, you’ll find an ‘about me’ page, travel wish list and trip ideas, space for six different journey plans, packing lists, itineraries, journalling space and highlights. The A5 hardback journal makes a brilliant travel companion and can be personalised with your full name or initials.
Buy now £24.65, Papier
Embossed Flower Leather Travel Journal
Available in an array of sizes and colours, this gorgeous journal has been crafted from embossed cowhide and is entirely hand-stitched. No matter the size, each journal contains 192 lined, blank or grid pages depending on your preference. You can also choose between a lovely selection of copper ornaments to attach to your journal binder. Our personal favourites are the compass, postcard and feather.
Buy now £20.15, Etsy
Stitch Your Travels Journal
One of the most innovative and creative travel journals we’ve ever come across, this brilliant option offers a two-pronged approach to recording your international memories. Though currently only offered in journal form with a map of Europe, it’s the perfect accessory for those who are interrailing across the continent. Made from vegan leather, you can cross off each country on your list by sewing a colourful ‘X’ before writing about your experiences in the inner journal.
Buy now £30.00, Etsy
Tombow Creative Journalling Kit Pastel
Complete with all the materials you could possibly need while on the move, Tombow makes creative journalling a breeze with this fantastic kit. It includes a clothbound A5 notebook with 160 numbered pages of 120gsm, dotted paper. There’s also a mechanical pencil, four dual brush pens, a Fudenosuke brush pen and a MONO edge highlighter, all from Tombow’s beloved stationery range.
Buy now £35.00, Cult Pens
Leuchtturm1917 Sketchbook Master Hardcover A4 Port Red
If you’re someone who prefers sketching your way through travelling, the Leuchtturm1917 hardcover sketchbook is sure to delight. Suitable for all artistic levels inside are 96 pages of high-quality 180gsm paper. It also features a classic gusseted pocket for additional bits and bobs, as well as a handy ribbon page marker.
Buy now £28.50, London Graphic Centre
Personalised Vegan Leather Embossed Notebook
Customisable with a maximum of four characters, these lovely personalised vegan leather notebooks would make a brilliant gift for someone about to set off on an extended period of travelling. Choose between eight colours and a selection of stationery accessories before deciding on an A6 or A5 notebook. Get the best of both worlds with lay-flat spiral binding and a chic vegan leather cover.
Buy now £19.95, NOTHS
MOO Hardcover Notebook
Another luxurious hardback option for our stationary lovers, this hardy and colourful notebook by Moo is sure to fulfil all your bullet journaling dreams. However, this hardback journal is not like other hardback journals. It is bound with an extra special Swiss binding so that it is able to lay completely flat for your writing comfort and convenience.
It measures 130mm x 207mm and comes in an array of colourways, though we’re particular fans of the deeply romantic wine red and lavender combo.
Buy now £18.00, MOO
Artists Watercolor Sketchbook | A5/ A6 / A7 Handmade Art Journal
This breathtaking, handmade watercolour journal would make a brilliant gift for the artist in your life. It’s crafted with recycled cotton rag paper and is suitable for watercolour, inks, gouache and acrylics. Choose between heavyweight 150gsm paper or an even heavier and ultra-luxurious 320gm – the latter being better suited to wet mediums which require multiple layers.
No matter the quality of the paper in question, artwork crafted with wet mediums can warp inside sketchbooks. We love how this option comes with a pretty ribbon for keeping paintings flat and in place.
Buy now £11.00, Etsy
RHODIA 193039C - Spiral Notebook
For a spiral bound notebook with extra flexibility, this Rhodia journal is the way forward. It comes in at an incredibly reasonable price point of just over a tenner and can be scooped up in either A4 or A5. This dotted journal also includes 160 pages of PEFC certified and totally vegan paper.
Made in the Rhodia factory in Alsace, the iconic and authentic brand is your go-to for a classic and highly functional bullet journal.
Buy now £11.46, Amazon
3-Pack Dotted Notebook
For ultimate customisability, artists will rejoice for this simple dotted notebook with a frosted, transparent cover. Ideal for the creative bullet journal addict, this three-pack of 160 page notebooks will keep you going for months and months on end. With 100gsm acid-free paper that is smooth to the touch and a sturdy spiral binding big enough to hold your favourite pen, there’s not much this journal can’t do.
Buy now £10.99, Amazon
