Life is full of other-worldly experiences that can only be gained through travel. But the little things you love about each place - the sights, smells, people, and the little scenes of nature you experience each day - sometimes tend to fade quickly.

Sure, you can always journal about it when you return home. But keeping a travel journal in real time will leave you with important details that go far beyond how ‘cool’ and ‘gorgeous’ a place was. Instead, you’ll be able to capture what it was that touched your heart and hold on to those moments that were unforgettable.

Incorporate some of these ideas into your next travel journal and you’ll create timeless memories of your adventures for years to come.

Selecting Your Travel Journal

After booking your Overland Yukon trip, the first step is to find a travel journal that works for you. You should consider what things you want to document from your adventure when making this decision. If you’re someone who typically writes shorter journal entries, it may be helpful to carry a pocket-sized notebook with you on your hikes so that you can jot things down along your explorations. Additionally, if you collect a lot of souvenirs, you should buy a larger journal. Next, the Yukon offers a wide range of places and experiences. Select a journal of durable material so that it doesn’t become tarnished along the way.

Now that you’ve selected your travel journal, let’s move to the fun part: what to include in it.

Journal Entries

Writing journal entries is essential if you want to capture the magic of your trip. But in a place like the Yukon where there's so much beauty around, it can be difficult to stop and take the time to write. Bring a small notebook on your hikes to quickly reflect on the magic of Yukon’s untouched beauty. Later, take advantage of the long scenic car rides to review your notes, including anything you want to add once you’ve completed your hike(s).

Senses: Smells, Weather, Sounds

Take some time to close your eyes, feel the sun on your skin, absorb the sounds of nature, and the smells of the fresh air around you. Most travelers don’t think to include these elements when writing in their travel journals, but they are the defining pieces of what make Yukon adventures so memorable. Featuring these sensory details in your entries will allow you to relive the freedom of the vast wilderness every time you go to read them.

Maps

Maps and other travel resources you pick up along the way will make for excellent backgrounds if you’re looking to add some aesthetic appeal to your travel journal. Mark the roads you travelled in your Overland Yukon rental vehicle, so you will always remember the route on which you made all those wonderful memories.

Photographs

Nothing tells a story better than a photograph. Nevertheless, most times when we take photos with our iPhones, they disappear into a folder, and we never see them again. Always get your photos developed and ensure they end up in your travel journal.

Details

Upon arriving back home from your Yukon adventure, you'll appreciate being able to recall the details of your trip. Write them down in bullet points: the highways you drove, your favorite mountain peaks, and capture the most important details of the people, places, and things that truly defined your wilderness expenditure.

hand-drawn Sketches

Although taking a picture is always a good idea, a sketch really shows what you noticed about a scene. Use words and hand-drawn illustrations to tell your adventure stories in a more complete way. The act of sketching a scene will help you to remember it better than anything else, and add some aesthetic appeal to the pages of your travel journal. Sketch anything that catches your eye or stands out to you, from the Yukon’s vast wilderness to the historic buildings of downtown Whitehorse.

Take some time to write at the end of each day while you’re back at your campsite. And remember, you don't have to write an amazing journal entry every time. Regardless of what you write, it'll always be worthwhile because you're the one who wrote it! Your unique perspectives are what make it special. So draw, write, bullet, or do whatever suits your style.

As with every other aspect of your Overland Yukon journey, you have the freedom to decide how to proceed.

Creative Inspiration: 5 Things to Include in Your Yukon Travel Journal