Hello Friends!  This is Amanda aka @shenoteditall from the Archer and Olive Ambassador team!  Today I’m bringing you a blog post to give you 10 tips to help document all the incredible road trips, vacations, and other travel adventures you make have this year!  Next to being creative travel is one of my top joys in life and I try to do it often, so being able to connect the two in my journals is even more special!

This post was born because I feel like everyone, whether you travel often or infrequently, could use some good travel journal ideas and inspiration.  Luckily the tips I've included in this post can be personalized for all kinds of travel journals (or travel notebook, travel diary, adventure journal, whatever you may call it!), and all kinds of adventures, from around the world trips to local day trips. I hope you find them useful!

Before we get started, here are some of my favorite products I use for travel journaling:

• Washi Tape
• Traveler size (TN) Notebook
• Pocket sized Notebook
• Pen Storage Pouch

 So, without further ado here are my 10 tips for travel documenting!

1. While you’re traveling take notes! I’m serious, write everything down.  Especially if you’re moving around a lot.  That way when you go to document something later you don’t have to rack your brain or do a google search to find the name of the obscure site your visited or the name of the restaurant you ate dinner at.  I use my pocket sized Notebook to take notes while traveling.  It's the perfect size to keep in my purse and pull out when I need to make a note! 

2. Save any ephemera you come across. Maps, brochures, tickets, coasters, stickers…You may not see the use for it at the moment, but when you go to document these experiences later it can be fun to be able to pull from these elements.  You don’t have to use it all (or any of it really), but give yourself the option.

3. If an item you want to use in your journal doesn’t fit because of size, thickness, etc. Make a copy of it and put that in your spread instead.  I recently traveled to Germany where I collected a few coasters from establishments I visited.  The coasters themselves were way to large and thick to put in my journal, so instead I placed the coaster on a copier and copied it at 1/3 the size and it was perfect!  This technique can also be used for other items that don’t journal well, like seashells for example.

4. Travel stickers are a fun way to add memories to a spread. I’m not talking about a sheet of stickers you can find at your local craft store (although those can be fun too).  Instead, the kind of sticker I’m referring to is one you can pick up while you’re traveling.  A sticker that maybe represents a specific site you visited or even just one for the country as a whole.

5. Decide on a color theme before you leave on your trip. This is especially important if you’re going to be traveling with your journal and journaling as you go.  By choosing a pallet of just a few colors to use throughout all of your creative pages you limit the number of pens you have to travel with.  This approach also gives the entire trip a cohesive look/feel.

6. Include lists in your spreads! Packing lists, itineraries, things you want to see.  The options are endless.  Make your plan a part of your memories on paper.  You will appreciate it in the future!

(On a side note, later in this blog I have created a free printable with 3 sizes of checklists to print out and include in your journal if you’re short on time!)

7. Include Maps in your spread! You can draw it out yourself or include professionally created maps.  These are great for showing overall where you went on your trip or the fun places you visited.  They don’t just need to be country/city maps either.  There are maps of theme parks, hiking trails, the options and possibilities really are endless.

8. You know that ephemera you collected in step 2? Consider using the items in fun and nontraditional ways.  On a recent trip to Hawaii, I found that my hotel had free postcards with a really fun print on it.  Instead of keeping it as a straightforward postcard I decided to cut shapes out of the prints and include them into my spreads.  This can also be a super fun way to include maps in your spread.

9. Utilize collage apps to help you print smaller photos for your spreads. I often get asked how/where I print my photos and the first thing, I always say is I make my photos smaller using collage apps.  Typically, I’ll create 2 full collages (2x3 or similar dimensions) and then go a step further and collage two of my original collages together and have them printed out as a 4x6.  These allow for the perfect sized photos for most notebooks.  Can you use bigger photos?  Absolutely!  But if you have a lot of memories you want to fit into a small place, printing those photos as a collage is an excellent option

10. Be true to yourself and have fun. It’s fantastic to be inspired by other journalers, but don’t sacrifice who you are and elements you love because you’re stuck trying to imitate someone else OR you don’t think others with like what you’ve made.  In the end these spreads are for you and you alone, so enjoy the process!

And there you have it.  10 tips to hopefully help you document your next adventure!  I have also created a YouTube video on the Archer and Olive going over all these tips if you would like a more complete explanation.

Oh and you know that free checklist printable I talked about above?  You can find it below.

For more travel journal inspiration check out these past A&O travel themed blogs:

-Travel Themed Page Ideas for Your Bullet Journal

-Bullet Journal Travel Page Spread + Doodles

-The Ultimate Travel Packing List for Your Travel Bullet Journal

- How to Travel With Your Journal Supplies + Travel Packing Spread