Documenting Your Adventure

      No one wants to forget their time abroad, that is why it is so key to take steps to document and immortalize your journey. In the new technological age, there are a million things you could do, from vlogs to old-fashioned journaling. These are the two I did:

Pictures - When I was in Japan, I barely took any pictures because I just wanted to experience it, not take my time worrying about taking pictures; however, now that four years have passed, I wish I would have taken pictures of my adventure to show others what I did and where I went. I vowed never to make that mistake again. I was armed with a camera and a phone, ready to take every picture imaginable, and I came back with a couple thousand to choose from, some of which I've posted on this blog, all of which I shared with my family and friends on Facebook so that they could see what I was up to, as I was not blogging while I was abroad. My cousin, Lisa, gave me a gift card for Shutterfly before I left, so when I got back I was able to put all my favorite/best photos into a book for me to keep and show people, because people want to see your adventure, and someday, when your memories are fading, you'll want to look back and see it, too.

Journals - I'm a writer, and so I'm an advocate of a good old fashioned journal for keeping your thoughts and documenting your days. My boyfriend, at one point over the last 5 years, gave me a TARDIS notebook, and it wasn't until I decided to go to London that I found the perfect use for it. I am a proud geek, and as such, I confidently carried my TARDIS journal with me everywhere I went to write down my thoughts, feelings, and observations around the city. Some days, it was just a few quick lines about what I did that day, others it was two pages about an interesting person sitting across from me on the tube. One day, I wrote, "There is a man across from me on the Northern Line, Charing Cross Branch. He's in a nice navy suit and slightly lighter blue tie. Headphones in, plugged into his Andriod phone that has a blue dinosaur case... That was the first thing out of place I noticed. Then, the neon purple and pink running shoes with black laces and the childish camo bag between his feet with bright yellow straps" (June 2, 2015 - 10:25am). I wrote about a lot of interesting people I saw on the tube, and often gave them stories, destinations, origins. I'm also an advocate because with a journal you are able to tape in all your tickets, pamphlets, and receipts you'd like to keep in one place.