There was a time when we used to travel without laptop or a smart phone. People might have snapped a few photos over the course of a trip with a film camera, develop them when they returned home and popped a few hardcopies in a photo album to share with friends and family. Or sent a good old post card – remember those? How times have changed…
So how to differentiate what you share with what you’re trying to capture the moment of as keepsakes and memories.? All while trying to make sure you’re present enough to enjoy the experience while it’s in front of you? Try these alternatives:

1. Keep a travel journal.

You can document your memories sitting down in a cafe with a simple notebook and pen and let your thoughts flow with the caffeine. No wi-fi required. Just carry a notebook. Someone will loan you a pen. Boom – another momento!

2. Use phone notes.

If you have a smart phone or a tablet, make use of the notes section. Like a paper journal, you won’t have to rely on wi-fi. If you’re always on the go, you won’t need to remember your notebook or wait until you’re home to record your memories. Stuck in a bus, on a flight, or maybe just waiting for your travel companion? Those moments make excellent opportunities to type up a few notes while they’re fresh in your head. You can expand on them or turn them into a different format later.

3. Start a blog.

If you’re planning to write regularly and publicly about your trip, a blog is a great option, especially if you’d like to share your adventures with your friends and family at home. WordPress, SquareSpace or Wix are popular options for platforms.

4. Start a vlog.

If writing and photography aren’t your preferred way to communicate your stories, starting a vlog (video blog) is a fantastic alternative. You don’t need fancy equipment – the video camera or recording function on your phone will do the trick and you can use simple, and a free program like iMovie for basic editing. YouTube and Vimeo are the most popular platforms for posting and building your audience.

5. Keep a sketchbook.

If you’re an artist or just like to doodle, capture your experience of a trip in a sketchbook. You can literally illustrates your way around the world! You could then use your sketches in other ways by scanning or photographing them to incorporate on a blog, your Pinterest or Instagram posts, in a scrapbook when you return home or, who knows, maybe even an exhibition later down the track?

6. Send postcards home.

Traditions are nice. If you’re a fan of snail mail, a different way to keep track of your memories is to send yourself postcards so they’re waiting for you when you arrive home. Choose a postcard, scribble a memory on the back and pop it in the mailbox. When you return home, they’ll be waiting for you. You can bind them together or pop them into a photo album for an instant scrapbook. I used to send postcards to my Gran, and have kept up the tradition with my nephews – writing them messages from all the places I want them to see one day!

7. Create playlists.

Sometimes sound can bring back the best memories when you return home. Think about the songs that are meaningful to your journeys. If you hear something local or obscure and you’re not sure what it is, use the Shazam app to identify it. You can create playlists with Spotify that are shareable. They can also be embedded into your blog to add a new dimension.

What are your favourite ways to document your trips? Pop over to Instagram and let us know: #StoriesAboutThatTrip