12 March 2011

A journal! Ha. What a novel idea!

Life happens.  I know you already know this, but it's incredible when you can open a book and review dates, times and the five W's of your life, isn't it?  It doesn't matter if it's in our everyday life or during that week long vacation to the sunny south, writing in a journal is a wonderful way to document your adventure. 

I'm not a diligent journal entry person, I'd have to say that I'm not one, except for when I leave for vacay.  Aside from detailing the occurrences from the planning stages of a trip until departure, my journal captures the names of who I'm tavelling with and who we've met, the smell once I get off the plane (ie:  the smell of  Dominican is sweet and mouldy, Costa Rica's would be described as earthy and flowery, like a green house (very damp and tropical) and Madrid Spain, smelled like fabric softner, perfumy) and all the little funny, crazy, odd, nice, wonderful things that happen over the course of a week or two.

My journal becomes a scrapbook, hosting things like tickets stubs, napkins from restaurants, beer labels, invitations etc. It details the dates, times and events of my vacation from start to finish.  It's not that I can't think back and recall a certain moment in time, I can, but I can relive my adventure entirely when I review my journal (oh the stories hehe).  The play by play of how the event unfolded, how I felt (that raw emotion from living it and not just remembering it) and the outcome. How a day really was, not just that it was sunny and hot or dark and rainy ... but the happenings that made this day, Saturday March 12, 2011, a significant one.

I guess not every moment makes it to paper when travelling, just the highlights.  Fortunately I'm a digital camera fanatic (understatement really) so I tend to capture the rest of the adventure there. I'm sure my travel companions see blue spots long after our vacation ends from the shear number of camera flashes.  I tend not to purchase things while on a trip.  Not much of a shopper really.  I instead make use of the pics, videos and journal notes to create DVD's that I can share with my travel pals, family & friends and treasure as my very personal keepsake of the places, people and events that I've been so fortunate to have shared. After my video application for a vacationer position (found at the end of this blog page, powered by YouTube) I'm now trying to incorporate video diaries or intros to creatively enhance what I do already.  Combine all these methods of record keeping, and viola, you've got Holiday Heidi's complete collection.  This is what I'm hoping to share with you.

Like for example, I had a run in with a very angry ocean back in 2009.  From the look of the pic below you'd never suspect that these beautiful waters knocked me down and pulled me under, would ya (stupid undertow)?  Raped by an ocean.  Perfect.

Sosua, Dominican Republic

Just let me review my notes and I'll get back to you with a few more travel stories, adventures and moments.

- - - - -
Results of the Weekly Survey: How often do you write in your journal or diary...
0% of you write daily
18% update your journal occasionally
25% only write during a special event
and a whopping 56% of you who responded said that you "NEVER" write it down.

1 comment:

  1. I love that you are doing this. It is so great for those of us who never get to travel. You make it almost as good as being there. :)

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