July/Travel Journal

Dare I ask, what is a travel journal?

I will be the first to admit that I ventured down this road without the slightest clue as to what I was getting into. Back in June, as I turned-in my IRB application and took a break from dissertation writing I decided a change was in order. Not a permanent one, oh no. Just a small change lasting the entirety of the month of July (give or take a few days). That is how I began down the path of making the journal.

Initially I referred to it as my July Journal. The one I would toil over the course of the month of July and my pending travels (to the country of Texas and back to my humble Florida). My very first was last year at this time, that book was made in an accordion style from 1 sheet of paper. In it I documented the events surrounding the AATA 2013 conference in Seattle.

The nitty-gritty: book measures about 7.5”x3”x?(its still growing)

Cover: I used cardboard sections cut from a found box for the cover & chose to cover the back cover with a decorative paper scrap. I ran lengths of cotton string through the sides of a candle to 'wax' it.

Guts: The pages are in 4 sections each of a different color and paper type. Added pockets form discarded envelopes. Used coptic stitch to bind it all together (this was my 2nd time at that too so it came-out loose. The Stress Relief Recepie Book was my first coptic endeavor.). Tutorials can be found all over the web (ie. try YouTube).

As I later found-out a travel journal is just as indicated by the name: a journal where the adventures of a specific nature are brought together. A collection of visuo-sensory memories. To that I would add, that this collection of memories stands separate from the otherwise ‘daily’ journal.

A quick browse through Pinterest can lead to a myriad of styles and ideas for gathering travel memorabilia. I’m quite certain it can be accomplished post-trip, however I think the fun and challenge of it all is to have the journal on site. To have it exposed to the energy and hazards of the trip. To have it catch the coffee stains and greassy drippings from that awesome pizza or handpie from that place you’ll yearn to visit again (or avoid like the plague).

This July/Travel Journal which was started in Florida and traveled to Dallas then by means of Austin made it to San Antonio. We made it back home to Tallahassee soon enough.  As it is still a work in progress it will continue its adventure seeking ways.

Completing a travel, time limited, or otherwise themed journal can extend into the work place, internship sites and even the classroom. 

Here's some ideas to get the creative juices flowing:

• using only recycled (or found) materials (ie. using cardboard, cereal boxes, mailers, used envelopes, old art, cloth swatches, etc)
• using items acquired during a trip (making the book after returning)...binding the items themselves to each-other versus buying a book and then adding them (nothing wrong with that either)
• creating a book of specific dimensions (ie. extra long, or square, or triangle, etc) 
• brown paper bags of varying sizes.. colors.... they can be bound as-is or opened-up, cut, and bound
• using naturally died paper (as posted previously)
• using maps, postcards, etc