Travel Tuesday: Travel Journal Ideas Inspired by Plastic Folders

Before travel journals were pretty… they were practical.

For years, my “travel system” was a plastic folder with plastic sleeves. Inside were flyers, directions, hotel confirmations, tickets, maps — anything I didn’t want to lose while we were on the road. It wasn’t fancy, but it worked. Everything had a place, and I always knew where to find it.

Along with that folder, I kept notes the entire trip. Little things. What we ate. Where we stopped. What didn’t go as planned. The stuff that fades fast once you’re home and back to real life.

After we returned, I took all those notes and turned them into a digital photo scrapbook — adding pictures, captions, and the stories behind them. Because let’s be honest… it can be months or even years before photos ever make it off your phone and into a scrapbook.

That scrapbook became the memory keeper.

Before travel journals, there was a plastic folder and handwritten notes. Photos capture what you saw — notes capture what you felt.

The folder was the survival kit.

And that’s where the idea for a travel journal really came from — something that could do both jobs at the same time.

This system eventually became the foundation for the travel journal ideas I still use today.

Why Travel Journal Ideas Matter While You’re There

Photos capture what you saw.

Notes capture how it felt.

A quick sentence written on the road will always mean more than trying to remember later. The funny detour. The restaurant you stumbled into. The place you didn’t plan on stopping — but did anyway.

That’s the part I never wanted to lose.

A Sneak Peek at What’s Coming

Last night, I made a mini version of my travel journal — a 6×9 size with 60 pages. Smaller on purpose, so it fits easily in a purse or carry-on when you’re flying.

Right now, it’s uploaded on Lulu, and I have a sample on the way. Once it’s in my hands, I’ll be sharing it here for an upcoming Travel Tuesday so you can see how it looks and feels in real life.

For now, this is just the story behind it — from plastic folders and loose notes to a journal designed to travel with you.

Because memories are easier to keep when you give them a place to land.

Tracy