journals — Econesting — Ronnie Citron-Fink

It is a nightmarish holiday season for European travelers. A high-octane storm blanketed areas of Europe during the peak of the holiday shopping and travel season. Huffington Post reports that Britain, Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark have shut down runways and posted cancellations or delays on many flights.

Scenarios like this can be so stressful for travelers. Stranded for hours and sometimes days, makes packing for the unknown challenging. What do travelers need? Matt Gross, author of the The New York Times blog, The Frugal Traveler believes travelers need to lighten up - "Waste is the antithesis of frugality, and unnecessary belongings can make travel more difficult than it already is."

A gift for a traveler should be: 1. Something that takes up very little space. 2. Something that would be a breeze to get through the scrutiny of airport security. 3. Something easy to carry.

When I asked a master adventure traveler, and the author of Black Smoke, Margaret De Wys what she always takes with her when she travels, her response was, "A journal to write in."

Giving a handmade journal is a thoughtful personalized gift that can be used for the culmination of an eco-globetrotting trip to save the world, or a place to store the utterances and frustrations of a day spent in an airport during a snowstorm.

DIY Travel Journal

Here is a photo journal tutorial from Photojojo (a fabulous resource). It can be made using sugarcane fiber, reclaimed or recycled paper, with inner pockets for storing maps, scraps of fabrics, coins and mementos. I like that the spine opens flat for drawing and writing across the pages.

Here are 10 Reasons To Write In a Journal and for 5 more DIY Journals CLICK HERE.

Photo: Photojojo

I had a chance to peek into the journals of friend, prescription composer, viagra order author, pharm and master traveler, Margaret De Wys. Margaret has made traveling a seductive art form and her journals inspired the book, Black Smoke: A Woman’s Journey of Healing, Wild Love, and Transformation. Margaret is game for just about anything, and she keeps track of her escapades by journaling. Some write journals knowing they will be published, but most people journal for themselves.

Journaling (or keeping letters or diaries) is an ancient tradition, one that dates back to at least 10th century Japan. Oscar Wilde once said, “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.”

10 Reasons to Make Journaling a Daily Habit:

1. sharpens writing skills 2. can help heal emotional experiences 3. helps keep track of ideas 4. writing is relaxing and it relieves stress 5. journals have unconditional acceptance 6. keep a document record 7. learn to reflect about yourself 8. to feel in control 9. for a creative outlet 10. to document travel or an event

Whether a journal is the culmination of a globe-trotting trip to save the world, or a place to store the ramblings of the day, creating a uniquely personal journal can fuel the body, mind and spirit. Do you journal? CLICK HERE FOR 10 DIY JOURNALS

Credit: Sugarpixel Design