You'll Want To Pack These Travel Journals On Every Single Trip You Take

These journals (by Axel and Ash) each ask for just a few minutes every day to record the travel memories that'll last you a lifetime. Don't worry, Instagram will still be there when you're done.

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When I was living in Thailand, I had a friend who taught English with me, and she would journal EVERYTHING. Even though I blogged about every trip we took, I loved the fact that she had so many detailed, handwritten memories. But I'd never really been into journaling. Until now, that is: thanks to a series of really inspiring travel journals I've recently discovered.

Taylor Fuller / BuzzFeed

It takes a lot for me to sit down and write about the things going on my life, because as a travel blogger, I do it regularly, as my job. Spending yet another hour each day writing things down really isn’t super appealing to me when there are a ton of other more exciting things I could be doing (like going to the beach! Or bingeing a new show on Netflix!). So when I heard about a series of travel journals by Axel and Ash — My Bucket List, Swept Away by Wanderlust, and Life’s a Road Trip — I honestly thought the whole concept behind them was too good to be true and to be able to stick with.

But after a quick browse through their pages, I discovered that it really wouldn’t take me very long to fill them out each day while on a trip after all: Ten minutes or so to put aside for writing is something that's definitely manageable for me, and, I'd assume, most travelers (who aren't already blogging about their trips to boot). The best part is that each journal in the series has a different theme, which helps narrow down the things you’ll end up writing about. They also all have some really cool pages throughout with inspirational — and not at all cheesy — quotes and tidbits about people to inspire you (e.g., Colin Wright's "You have exactly one life to do everything you'll ever do — act accordingly" next to an old camper van on an open road, which it doesn't leave you cringing because it's actually relatable as a traveler). Plus, they make excellent coffee-table books and even better conversation starters.

Depending on your preferences and lifestyle, you may be drawn to one book more so than another — Swept Away by Wanderlust is my personal favorite, tbh — so here's a quick rundown of all of them!

Swept Away By Wanderlust, a fun way to keep track of your favorite memories during a specific trip.

Taylor Fuller / BuzzFeed

I travel *a lot*, and unfortunately, most of the memories I keep track of are the names of restaurants and tourist attractions so I can create city guides on my blog, Travel Colorfully. So I was pleasantly surprised when I cracked the spine on this journal and opened it up to discover that each chapter is intended to document a specific trip with sections like "In the Air Before" and "My Travel Lists" (where you literally just list the best parts of your trip).

I brought it with me on a trip to Mexico a few weeks ago and started filling out the “In the Air Before” section on the plane ride, answering questions like “I started to plan this trip…” and “I can’t wait until…” Then each day, I just filled out one page. I scribbled down my first impression of my destination when I arrived, how the food was, and how I was enjoying my friend's company. There's a section to write about your expectations and one to write about how your days were spent. It was actually really fun to bring the journal to the beach with me and take 10 minutes to jot some memories down.

This one is my favorite because you don't have to spend a million hours writing. It's perfect for anyone who, like me, wants to keep track of the small details of a trip but doesn't want to spend the whole time writing things down.

Get it from Amazon for $23.41, Barnes & Noble for $25.65, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

Life’s a Road Trip, a journal that's perfect for the ~road warrior~.

Taylor Fuller / BuzzFeed

I went on a two-week road trip back in December around the Southwest, and since I typically don’t take a ton of road trips, I decided to use that as a model to fill out the first chapter of this journal. This one was fun to use because the first few pages prompt you to write about your story right now. You write about how your days are spent, what you’re passionate about and what you're terrified of, as well as want you want to learn in life.

Each chapter is broken down by the trip, just like Swept Away by Wanderlust. It asks you where your road trip started and has you note where you’re stopping along the way. It took me maybe 30 minutes to fill out the entire chapter, but since I completed this after I'd already taken the trip, I had to think back to several months ago — so I couldn't imagine it taking more than five minutes a day if done the proper way, during your travels.

There’s an awesome road-trip bucket list in the front of the book too. I was able to check off things like “Find a local market and sample produce,” “Visit a vintage store,” and “Talk to an animal.” There are also adventurous prompts like “Find a natural hot spring and melt away,” or “Get a picture in the middle of a deserted road.” This is a super-fun journal for anyone who enjoys exploring the world in a car, camper van, or bus.

Get it from Amazon for $34.71 or Barnes & Noble for $27.88.

My Bucket List, a great choice for someone who has a laundry list of all the things they want to do in life.

Taylor Fuller / BuzzFeed

This last journal is great for — spoiler alert! — people who have a massive bucket list. It's an easy way to keep track of the biggest moments in your life and during your travels. And while this isn't specifically a travel journal, there is so much space to write about the things you'll experience on your adventures.

First you fill out a page called “Before – This Life Is About to Get Wild.” And then you can go ahead and complete “101 Things I Want to Do With My One Wild and Precious Life.” After that, each chapter is dedicated to one of the items on your bucket list. You’ll answer questions like “This idea popped up when…” and “What’s stopped me from doing it thus far.” Then there’s room for you to write about it after you’ve completed it. There are also cool pages where you can attach photos or look at a world map or even read interviews from successful, inspiring people (like Kayla Itsines and Tara Wrinkler).

I think My Bucket List is awesome for someone who doesn’t necessarily do a ton of traveling but who has a concrete list of things they do want to do and goals they want to achieve. It’s a really fun way to document your most cherished memories, including those that tie into your travel goals.

Get it from Amazon for $24.53, Barnes & Noble for $26.48, or a local bookseller through IndieBound here.

Journaling your travel adventures will not only help you look back on cherished memories that were detailed as they happened, but it also may inspire others! And with these journals in hand, all you'll need is a few minutes a day — it'll be totally worth it.

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