Journal With Impact: Travel Research

Workshop: Six Conversations for Writing Creative Journals

“What we see less of and what we need more of these days is travel journalism, people in a new place deliberately seeking out stories of interest and of import.”

                                                                                                                  James Durston

Preparation for Planned Trip

(Also works for organizing material re memoir locations only going backwards into memory.)

Carve out your niche.

Read ahead with travel books. Particularly notice what is missing. What do you want to read information on that’s not there? Study maps. Look at online photos. If possible read some local newspapers or journalists who blog for that region to get a flavor for the community. Begin to focus on your destination from the inside out instead of as an observer to get a deeper insight.

Don’t just describe, Durston says. “Give me its stories, reveal its spirit, cut open its gut.” Look for the connective details that will influence your curiosity and search.

Consider a simple diary outline that matches your personal goals to briefly fill in key words as a reminder to keep the days from blending together when they might overlap. For example: places to eat, specific locations, bits of history, the unexpected, music heard, a conversation.

Decide how while on location you will keep mementos of each day’s outing such as ticket stubs, or menus, any free giveaways. If you take several photographs, will each day’s content go into its own folder or another category? Later when you review, you will be reminded of which day the weather changed, or you might notice repeating themes through each day.

Prepare for the active logistics: currency, timetables for transportation, safety measures, phone numbers in case of emergency, basic language translations for any country you visit. And although the new tech apps now available are compact and helpful, keep a paper copy as well—both for yourself and another copy for someone at your home base in case of loss.

  

Action Steps:

1. Return now to your dream journey questions and let them become your foundation for organizing your logistics and itinerary.

2. Pare all the common details down to the simplest format so that it will be as ordinary as a daily commute for you.

3. Choose how to copy or send your daily adventures into a backup file while traveling.

Share: What preparation had you not considered before your research but will include on your trip?

            Or what specific advice has been helpful to you on one of your previous journeys?

Read deep, marcy