Embracing Digital Travel Journaling: Crafting the Perfect Odyssey

When I encountered the vintage travel journals and notebooks as shown above, they truly inspired me. However, the challenge in our modern era is that we have a lot more to document. In the past, these journals might have contained just a few photos or sketches, with the majority of content being text-based. But in today's world, to fully leverage the capabilities of modern technology and media, our journals are becoming a blend of various forms - text, photos, videos, audio, and an array of hyperlinks that lead to useful information and further reading.

Above, you can see my digital journal, reminiscent of a physical Midori travel journal, which I've maintained since December 2019 during my trip to Cyprus and Malta. It closely emulates the feel of the physical journal I used to own and cherish. The only drawback is that, while it replicates the notebook experience, it remains page-based. While there's nothing inherently wrong with this, I believe that modern technology has a preference for digital mediums. They offer efficiency and a faster writing experience.

This digital journal provides a 'warm media' experience reminiscent of a post, allowing me to write directly on my mobile phone, a device I always have with me. I no longer need to worry about running out of paper since it exists in a paperless form. However, issues arise when I need to perform quick searches, as flipping through digital pages cannot match the speed of a digital search engine.

Here's another glimpse from my digital travel journal, which I carry with me and write in a Midori travel journal notebook-sized format. This may serve as a reference for those looking to adopt a similar style in the future. It's not about whether it's right or wrong; it's more about personal preference. I've discovered that this approach helps me write in a manner reminiscent of how I used to compose entries in my physical Midori travel journal in the past.

This is another entry from my collection of travel journals. If you've ever traveled in Japan, you're likely familiar with this type of journal. When visiting Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, the attendants can assist you in writing special entries in your notebook. However, once again, I found myself accumulating these printed materials during my travels. I've realized that the most effective approach is to take digital snapshots and incorporate them into a digital journal. This way, I can better preserve my memories and maintain an organized digital record of my experiences.

Naturally, I maintain a physical Midori travel journal, which has been my faithful companion on numerous journeys. It's become a part of my lifestyle, permitting me to jot down notes here and there, tuck in various paper mementos or small photo prints. Over an extended period, I've consistently kept and cherished these journals.

Here's a snapshot of my physical travel journal during my travels in Laos. I often select a few photos from the day, print them out, and affix them to the pages, allowing me to accompany the images with my thoughts. This process continues until I've filled one book after another, journey after journey.

I eventually discontinued this practice when I realized that it resulted in carrying an excessive number of items with me. In my pursuit of traveling light, I convinced myself that digital journaling was the ideal solution. This is precisely why I ultimately transitioned to the digital journal you saw in the earlier posts.

Previously, I experimented with creating digital sketches, printing them out, and then adding handwritten notes. However, I encountered issues related to managing physical paper. Along the way, I gained a clear understanding of what works best for me, and that's digital journaling. The key lies in finding a mobile app that seamlessly syncs with my laptop and tablet, or exploring alternative methods. I discovered that I eventually encountered local storage problems, and subscribing to maintain my own data in these applications didn't seem financially sustainable for the long term. Consequently, I decided to discontinue these digital products, including Day One, Journey App, EverNote, and even though I still use OneNote for office work, like a digital notebook.

AwesomeNote is visually appealing, but it's limited to iOS devices, which makes it non-cross-platform. After they discontinued syncing with Google Drive and only supported Evernote, I tried using it for a while but ultimately decided to stop due to concerns about local storage and synchronization.

I used to maintain my travel maps with Travellerpoint. However, it appears that they've recently altered their mapping engine. It has become rather time-consuming because it doesn't respond as efficiently as it did in the past when providing location information, whether GPS-enabled or not. Consequently, I decided to discontinue its use. Their mapping functionality used to be quite close to ideal, especially when traveling to numerous locations and dealing with overlapping places from different trips; it excelled in resolving such issues in their own unique way.

To capture my real-time travel journey, these days I primarily rely on Polarsteps.

In the past, I encountered unique print media when some of my submitted photos were selected for publication in photography magazines. Instead of preserving physical copies, I've transitioned to capturing a digital snapshot of those moments, finding it more convenient to store in today's digital age.

One of the primary reasons I transitioned to digital journaling is because I capture a greater number of travel photographs during each trip I undertake. These photos effectively convey the narrative of my journey on their own, so all I need is a suitable platform to give them a place to shine. I believe that a digital journal provides the ideal medium for me to narrate my travel stories in this fashion.

This is a photo taken by my wife in Valletta, the capital of Malta, during our 2019 trip to Cyprus and Malta. Ultimately, I savor the joy of traveling, aiming to minimize the items I carry to ensure I can relish every moment of my journey. I believe fellow like-minded travelers understand what I mean – traveling light is the way to go. In my forthcoming changes, I'm considering traveling with just a smartphone equipped with multiple lenses, which should meet most of my travel photography requirements. I'm aware that I'm not pursuing photography as a profession; I run a business to earn a living. Instead, I capture photos for the sheer enjoyment of the moment, allowing me to exercise my skills in capturing the decisive moments and framing scenes to snap them.

I've recently embarked on a fully digital sketching journey using an iPad Pro and Pencil 2. Although it's not as convenient as my previous sketching method, where I used it as a travel journal, I find it much easier to insert my sketches into my digital journal, alongside photos and images. I plan to continue exploring this approach to see how it evolves. Given the rapid pace of technological change, I'm considering that all I might truly need is a smartphone like the Galaxy Note with a pencil. With its compact form, I could sketch directly on it. I'll assess whether this could be the lifestyle choice I pursue in the future.

Here's another digital sketch created using my iPad Pro and Pencil 2. I've discovered that when I want to take a moment to slow down and truly capture the scene I've witnessed, sketching provides an alternative to photography. It allows me to revisit the travel scene in a unique way, going beyond just writing.

There was a time in the past when I used to take my travel photos and import them into Photoshop to carry out digital sketch processing. I found this to be an effective method for preserving my travel memories. In the end, it all comes down to what we see and how we choose to capture those moments. Whether it's right or wrong is a matter that only we can judge. It largely hinges on our individual lifestyle choices and personal preferences.

My early iPad-generated digital sketches may appear simplistic now, but they served their purpose in preserving what I had sketched during that period.