Travel Journaling: A Timeless Tradition
Brief History
It’s kind of weird when you think about it, but today, people can travel wherever they want. If you have the money for it, you can be in Buenos Aires, Dubai, or Seoul in a couple of days. However, even before today and all our technological advancements, people still traveled. We’re talking tens of thousands of years ago, people migrated sometimes across multiple continents. Our ancestors didn’t have a lot of information about the world, didn’t know where they were really going, or what might happen to them as they migrated. Yet they still moved, they still traveled (often on foot).
Since those early years, people have continued to travel, to migrate, not only in search of a better living condition, but also through a sense of adventure and curiosity. Travel journals of scientists, philosophers, businessmen, government officials, and wealthy aristocrats documented the sometimes-arduous experiences people went through to get where they were going. And today, we are fortunate enough to have access to travel articles, blogs, videos, social media accounts and even news directly from just about every location in the world! So why does this world need another travel influencer? Why should you make videos of your travels (and your life in general)?
Lifetime Student and Traveler
I’ve owned a passport since the age of two and have been slow traveling my entire life. Born in the US, as a child I’ve lived almost five years in Japan, and the other 12 years in seven U.S. states. While attending the University of Georgia, I realized that travel, but especially slow travel (where someone lives in a new location from months to a few years) was the lifestyle I sought, and after surviving three years, dropped out of UGA to join the Navy where I was sure to find the adventures of my dreams. The Navy did not disappoint! 20 years of service and I’ve visited countless countries (mostly in Europe but also Asia and Africa) and even got to live a few years in Naples, Italy. Upon retirement, I did a little bit of van life, then three years in Mexico before returning to the States so my son could complete high school.
In my 48 years of life and travel, what have I ultimately learned? I’ve learned the joy of sitting in coffee shops people watching: Seeing the similarities, the differences, the familiar and the confusing. I’ve learned that it really does take years just to understand the visible depths that exist in every location – and appreciate that it takes decades, perhaps even multiple lifetimes to understand all the layers beneath. Lifetimes that no one person can ever have.
I’ve also come to adore those who are willing to take time out of their beautiful and often chaotic lives to document even part of their existence and perspectives for the world to gain insight. If it weren’t for people who documented their lives, how little would we know today about the Roman Empire or Ancient Chinese Dynasties? How much more can we appreciate the horrors of World War II because a little girl named Anne Frank took time and precious resources to write about her days?
Focus for this Website
My hope is to encourage the viewers not only to travel and learn more about the world around us, but to pay it forward by documenting their lives, as well, even if they consider it boring. The truth is our world can sometimes feel uneventful or mundane because we’re the ones living it. Yet to an outside viewer, the way we live may be incredibly insightful! I personally watch a lot of YouTube channels where the creators occasionally admit to living a boring life, all while I sit here aspiring to emulate even a portion of their inspiring days.
There are so many ways we can choose to document our lives and travels! While I prefer video, others prefer articles and photographs, and still others create audio-only podcasts or artwork! The platforms and methods we choose to document aren’t overly important – getting our messages, our perspectives out there, is important. While many vloggers use fancy, expensive cameras, as a traveler, I choose to pack light and just use my iPhone for videos. I started with an iPhone 8 and it served me well until it inevitably died and now I use my iPhone 14.
Ironically, travel content doesn’t have to include actual traveling. You could simply talk about travels you’ve done in the past, or trips you’d like to make in the future. You could comment on someone else’s travel experiences, or even just explain the pros and cons of where you live now, especially if you’ve lived there a significant amount of time, so that others who are planning a trip nearby can gain some helpful insight!
Impact for Today’s Society
While the number of content creators and even travel-specific creators can make the space feel saturated, the fact is that most of those creators aren’t producing well-rounded content. This isn’t to say their content lacks value because there is great value (and brand success) in focusing on only one or two aspects of a location or travel such as budget, aesthetics, tourist attractions, solo travel, etc. But it does mean that there are aspects each creator either doesn’t notice or chooses not to publish, leaving room for other creators. Additionally, the world is always changing. What may have been true in Naples, Italy back when I lived there from 2001 through 2004, is potentially no longer relevant today.
Now it’s true that just because you created it, people may not read or view your documentations. But it’s also true that some websites and videos take a while to get discovered. So don’t create expecting millions, or even hundreds of views. Create because your perspectives and experiences are valuable and needed in the world. And then keep documenting. Over time your process will become easier and smoother, and your content will be of higher quality especially as you stop worrying about the process. As a side note, I wish I would have started sooner, especially when I look back at my earlier videos and I see my son while he was still so young! Documenting is amazing not only for what the world gets to see, but as a record of the amazing lives we have led!
