Why You Should Document Your Time Abroad
Before leaving my London flat to explore the world (and myself) on the longest journey I have ever embarked on, I had promised myself to keep a diary of my adventures, feelings and emotions as the time and the countries went by. I wanted to fix in time and document my memories abroad.
About half way through, I checked the entries on my digital journal and there were just over a dozen notes about my experiences. I had been weak and lazy and perhaps too busy exploring and eating the world rather than taking notes of it. However, as places started to melt into my mind and eyes and as I was ready to jump on yet another plane, I made a second, stronger promise to myself to shift this bad habit.
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A post shared by s a b r i n a ANDREA s a c h s (@the_storyteller) on Jul 5, 2015 at 3:40am PDT
There are moments in our life, both at home and abroad, that need to be fixed in time. Emotions and feelings that cling to our mind for a second or two but that would disappear if not framed on paper. I learnt this in India, while I was sailing on the peaceful backwaters of Kochi, Kerala and in the complete silence, I could hear sentences and full paragraphs forming in my head and soon vanishing.
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Once I got my feet on the mainland, I headed to the lovely bookstore in the old town and got one of those beautifully decorated Indian notepads with a leather strap attached to it. That night, I tried to write down all the stories and emotions I had lived earlier in the day, it was hard, but memories were still fresh and I managed to grasp most of it on my brand new diary. Since that day I managed to fill that little notebook along with other five or six, nicely numbered and sent back home. I shifted to smaller and smaller notebook and basic long-lasting pen, that could fit in my funny pack, something that nowadays, I carry with me almost 24 hours a day so that I always have what I need when the inspiration arrives.
If you are not the type of handwriting, you can always rely on your smartphone which -regardless of the brand- surely has a notes app where you can unleash your thoughts and memories for the day or the week. It’s super handy, and it’s always with you. If instead, you are keen to share memories, rather than writing them for yourself, why don’t you start a travel blog or a vlog? It’s never been as easy as it is today, so just jump on WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr or even Youtube – the options are endless.
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A post shared by s a b r i n a ANDREA s a c h s (@the_storyteller) on Jun 21, 2016 at 11:37pm PDT
Words are safe – what about photos and videos?
Extra cautious?
Perhaps, but today I no longer worry too much to lose or break my laptop, my hard-drive or my camera, everything is always available online.If you love printed pictures instead and want to keep them for you and your friends, why don’t you make your own on online printing services and publishing houses like Artifact Uprising which is a beautiful platform to save, share and perhaps sell your memories on the go.
I’ve already made a couple of photo books through them and sent them as presents while I’m also working on a photographic memoir of India which will be out next year. You can easily create a book of your amazing times in Madrid or your internship in London, just by downloading the app and create your own great photo-diary on the go.
If that’s not for you, but you are still a visual person, why don’t you make a scrapbook with all your plane tickets, movies nights, baggage tags, letters and photos? I’m doing one here in OZ and loving it!
And don’t forget about maps!
A post shared by s a b r i n a ANDREA s a c h s (@the_storyteller) on Dec 19, 2015 at 9:41am PST
Everybody I’ve met who loves to travel had a soft spot for maps.
Maybe it’s the reassuring feelingof checking the exact location of a future destination on a map, or the feeling that it makes it more real, but I do love large, small, old and new, physical and digital maps. I have about a dozen map apps on my phone to help me keep track of where I’ve been and where I’m heading (or dreaming of).
On Google Maps for example, I save all the places I’ve been with a little yellow star so if friends ask me about a great cafe in Calcutta, I can easily pull the address out of my map (rather than my rusty brain or my messy scraps and notes).
I also collect little city or parks’ maps that are handed out for free at information centres around the world. I stick them with some glue along with airplane tickets, postcards and cinema tickets in my scrapbook.
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Remember that after the trip itself, the next best thing is living those moments again, especially checking your old notes after a year or two. Sharing these memories by reading them loud to your family and friends will have all a new flavour, a much more intense feeling than a couple of Facebook statuses and albums.- - - - - -
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