Travel journaling is always something I’d wanted to try. The endless pins of beautiful bullet journals full of doodles and perfectly marked squares put me into a blind shopping trance, and I spent an embarrassing amount of money on journals and supplies that eventually gathered dust in the bottom of my desk (I may be a planner by career choice, but I had to cultivate that side of myself before I felt really confident and organized). 

Short story shorter, the traditional bullet journal lifestyle didn’t work for me. I just don’t have the drive needed to draw out perfectly squared-off information blocks. Also my handwriting is about 1% better than a first grader – not near pretty enough for the pinterest-worthy journal pages I longed for. 

So when I started travel journaling, I went a completely different direction. I did something a lot more realistic for myself, and want to share some similar options with other perfectionist wannabes that want to start a travel journal (or journal in general), so I’ve put together this list of travel journal tips for Type B personalities.

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Type A versus Type B

We’ve all heard of Type A Personalities – they love having everything sorted out, they live for organization, and color coding information is like a hobby to them. Full transparency here: I am not that person. 

I wish I was blessed with the genes of a Type A person. I’m solidly Type B, and proud. We get a bad rep sometimes, but both A and B have their strengths and weaknesses. 

If you don’t know the difference between the two, this hilarious comic will break it down for you. In a nutshell, if you’re genetically predisposed to being 15+ minutes early, you’re probably a Type A. If you tend to be 5 minutes late everywhere you go unless you set five alarms (I’ve gotten down to three lately!), you’re likely a Type B. 

For those of us that are more than a bit intimidated by the traditional bullet journal layout, these travel tips will hopefully inspire you to start your own travel journal! 

Choose a travel journal with an organized layout.

By selecting a journal that comes pre-organized for you, you’re setting yourself up for success. Gone are the days of searching for a ruler so that you can draw straight lines, evenly dividing each category on the page (I quit bullet journaling after literally one day of this).

One of my favorites is the Erin Condren Petite Travel Planner. 

This planner comes with a few great sections to keep your reservations, booking, and budget sorted out. However, the best feature (in my opinion), is the daily journaling layout. 

There are a few areas to fill in each day, to make sure you don’t forget any of your favorite moments. It’s quick and easy, which means you’ll actually WANT to do it.

If you’re looking for something with a little more room for creativity while still providing some structure, this cute journal from Lamare will be your BFF. 

Invest in a pocket printer for that added dose of nostalgia.

I found this Polaroid Zip Mini before I went to Paris last year. It’s rechargeable, connects to your phone via bluetooth, and tad bit smaller than a standard iPhone (not the plus). 

Did I mention it prints 2″x3″ photos that you can peel the back off of to make a sticker for your travel journal? I legit didn’t discover this until I was already in Paris. I even scotch-taped the first few photos in before realizing this (I don’t read directions well). 

**Pro Tip** If you get the Erin Condren Petite Travel Planner, there is a spot on the daily journal pages that is the exact size of one of these stickers. A perfect place to include a snapshot of your day! 

Test drive some erasable pens.

Pencils smudge, and regular pens can smear, but erasable pens will save your life. 

I mean, not literally save your life (I mean, maybe, I don’t know your life), but at least your sanity. 

As a Type B person, I change my mind a lot. I also make a lot of typos (write-o’s?), and scratch things out. The creative juices start flowing, and I start thinking faster than my pen can keep up. Erasable pens are my BFF. Particularly anything in the Frixion line. 

A travel-blogger friend (check her out for travel anxiety tips!) recently introduced me to their new marker-pens, and I’m in LOVE. These fineliners are soft colors, and write like a dream, and they’re erasable. Basically they’re perfect.

Stick to it.

I am a huge fan of including bits and pieces of my day in my travel journal (in addition to photos). My Paris/England journal has bus tickets, post cards, business cards, menus, ribbon from a box of macaroons, and even my Oyster card (from the London Underground). 

I used scotch tape for that particular trip, but these glue dots would have been a huge upgrade visually. They come in a little hand-held roller, and you just roll them out on the back of whatever you need to hold in place! I ended up ordering a pack when I got home, to use on my next trip. 

Whatever you use, be sure to test it out and make sure it’s sticky enough to hold your memorabilia in place without oozing out to cement your pages together (I’m looking at you, Elmer’s). 

Keep it together.

One of the hardest things about packing for a trip is staying organized. I was living out of a carryon for two weeks during the trip I keep referencing, and was limited on space. 

My solution was to find a cute organizer. I ended up using a cosmetics case for my pens, tape, mini printer, power bank (we’ll chat more about that later), and phone charger. 

You could take it a step further by finding a functional planner folio. Erin Condren makes a medium size and a large size, in case you’d like to stick a tablet or small laptop in as well. 

Just do it.

To take a page from Nike’s book, just do it. At the end of the day, a travel journal is for you and you alone. It doesn’t matter if yours turns out picture-perfect, or a bit messy and unorganized. When I read through mine, I’m immediately transported back to where I was when I wrote/taped/glued stuff into it. And THAT is why we journal.