Explore New Places

If you are a planner like me, you like to explore new places before you actually get to the destination.  I like to research the activities and restaurants and set out on a trip with a general idea of what I want to do when I get there.  While staying flexible is important, you can accomplish more and actually reduce the stress of having to decide what to do next or what to have for dinner in real time.  Often when we think about travel journaling, we think about sketching and painting on site. What are the possibilities available to you if you don’t have the time or resources to go on a trip of your dreams? What if we expand our point of view and journal about a dream trip BEFORE we arrive?  This is a fun way to explore new places and dream before you actually pack a bag. 

Dream

First, start with a list of places that are on your bucket list.  List 5-10 locations that you have always wanted to experience. It can be fun to add a couple that you don’t think you will actually ever get to visit.  Dream big!  Maybe you add space exploration to your list and research what is currently going on at NASA. There has been a lot of activity recently in space exploration so this can be a fun one just to educate yourself on! Underwater adventures could be another broad topic while expanding your knowledge of this beautiful planet that we call home.  Plus, if you like color, the journal pages would be gorgeous!

Once you have your list created, choose a location and create a dream board on Pinterest or maybe a physical one.  Give your board a fun name, such as #Explore New Places! Travel blogs or site specific websites are a good place to do research and collect beautiful inspirational images.  Food blogs are helpful for researching the best local dining spots.  This is a fun step so enjoy the process and really allow your dreams to go wild. This is where you can capture the best of the best without budget constraints!  Local guide maps are nice additions to any travel journal so including one in your dream board will give you a roadmap for exploring this new place. 

After you have picked your location and created a dream board, the next step is to create a virtual agenda. Think about what you would like to explore on a 5 day, 7 day or maybe even a 14 day vacation. Include daily sightseeing, excursions, shopping and all of the things you’d like to see and do.  This step really brings the virtual trip to life and allows you to start to visualize how the trip would feel and what the experience will be like, minus the tired feet!

Start Journaling

Now that you have completed the preparation, it’s time to unpack your art supply bag and bring your “Explore New Places” journal to life.  You likely won’t be able to include every activity that is on your agenda. However, you will want to include a variety to add interest to your page. If you are using a 1 page layout, pick about 5 things to include.  My art journaling freebie offers a few options for laying out the page, especially if you are new to visual journaling.  

An interesting page layout may include 2 sightseeing illustrations, a food illustration, a small map sketch and a detail sketch such as cobbled streets. By using this formula, you will be able to capture the spirit of the locale, while keeping the overall page simple enough to fit in everything you’d like to include.

I recommend a small icon that identifies the specific location, maybe using a banner or sign format.  Again, making the design true to the place will be another small detail that helps pull the page together. Your goal in this step, as with all travel journaling, is to really capture the spirit of the place. This is much easier to accomplish when you are actually there and your senses can take over by seeing, hearing, touching and smelling your surroundings.  However, using the stories and beautiful photos that you have collected, take a minute to close your eyes and put yourself in the scene.  How does it feel?  Is there a breeze? What colors do you see? 

 Hand lettering

If the language is different from your own, including a few simple words in the native dialect can be a beautiful addition and give you the chance to incorporate hand lettering into the spread.  Your personal handwriting, calligraphy or hand lettering is the best way to add your personal stamp onto any journaling page.  Even if you do not like your handwriting, I encourage you to include it, even if it’s only a few words.  This simple step makes it your own and elevates a page to something that is personal and unique to you. Hand lettering is similar to sketching in that with consistent practice, you will see improvement quickly. 

The final step in exploring new places may be to start a savings plan so that you can visit all of the places you dream of!  You cannot accomplish a goal if you do not voice it, so if your desire is to visit the beautiful, magical place that you have researched and journaled about, then put a plan in place so that you can save a little each week. With consistency, you will be able to make your dream come true!  In no time, you will be packing your journal and paints and setting off on a new adventure.

On the days that there doesn’t seem to be anything interesting to include in your journal, take the opportunity to explore new places virtually. You will expand your knowledge of the world and start to visualize the travel possibilities. The world is really a very small place in today’s connected environment.  Use the resources available to you, whether it’s books, magazines, or the internet and allow your dreams to grow wild, as you explore new places, along with those beautiful journaling pages!