Journal Craft Inspirations

I would like to introduce Kolby Kirk a passionate traveller and journal keeper from Oregon USA

(Kolby’s biography follows at the end of this interview)

“I find that I am most alive when travelling and I want to make sure it is documented, not only for myself but my children and my children’s children. I’ve experienced some amazing things in this world and I want to make sure I can recall them when I’m older”

Welcome Kolby and thank you for sharing your journaling experiences with us…

How long have you been keeping a travel journal, and what benefits do you feel you gain from keeping a record of your trip?
I started carrying a journal on my first trip overseas: an 11-week backpacking trip through Europe in 2001.  I bought a small spiral notebook in Paris that was intended for keeping helpful notes, such as hostel suggestions from other travellers or directions to cheap Internet cafes.  It soon progressed into short snippets of thoughts and sights.  By the time I reached the end of the first notebook, some 5 countries and 20 days later, I was spilling my thoughts onto the page.  I ended up filling four journals (500+ pages) by the time I returned home to California.

Carrying and using a journal on that trip was significant to not only the journey but it had a profound effect on my life.  Prior to travelling to Europe in 2001 at the age of 25, I had never been on a long trip by myself, in or out of the country.  I ended up having some amazing experiences in Europe and if it wasn’t for my dedication to journaling, I might not be able to recall some of the details today or in the future.

Do you have a favourite type of journal, and what media do you like to use in it?
Since Europe in 2001, I’ve been on many more foreign adventures where I’ve carried a journal.  After trying out a few journals (and actually making one from scratch), I’ve gone with the Moleskine Pocket Plain Notebook as my travel journal of choice.  They are the perfect size for me to keep in my pocket and they are built to last during my rugged explorations.  I tend to use simple black Bic or Papermate ballpoint pens. My last few trips have been to warm and humid climates and the pens worked very well there, especially while sketching.  I do not like switching pens after starting a journal, so tend to pack a few backups.  I had learned this the hard way in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. My pen had run out and I searched for a replacement.  I seemed to be looking in all the wrong places for I didn’t find one after a few hours of searching.  In the afternoon, while talking to a man working at a hostel, I mentioned my pen plight.  Without saying a word, he darted out the store, crossed the street, and entered another business.  He returned with a black pen for me and would not accept any money for it. Interactions with locals and discovering their hospitality towards strangers is one of the many reasons why I enjoy world travel so much.  I wish everyone could experience it in their lifetime.

Do you have any tips for ‘journaling on the move’?
I’ve seen some amazing travel journals where artists have captured their experiences using small watercolour kits or colour pencils which are toted along with their journals.  However, my journal supplies tend to match the “roughing it” approach I take to travel in general:  I tend to travel with a hiking backpack, staying at campsites or hostels, and watching my expenses carefully, all with a journal and pen in my front pocket. I don’t want to ever find myself in a position where I would need to decide if it was really worth it to get my journal out of a backpack or daypack to write down a fading thought or fleeting experience.

Do you complete your journal entry ‘on-site’ or do you continue working on it when you get home?
I tend to define my journal as one moment in time, capturing thoughts, plans, and important information for a journey from the late planning stages to the return home.  On some trips, I can’t find time to write during the day, so I’ll spend an hour or so in the evening, preferably at a cafe, furiously writing down everything I can recall that happened since the last time I wrote.  When I’m home, the journal becomes a time capsule, its contents “sealed”. Nothing will be added or taken away from it.

Would you share a couple of your journal pages with us?
I’d love to share some of my pages.  (click on the images to view the original pages) 

Here’s the cover of my second journal, purchased in Cesky Budejovice, Czech Republic.  I tore off the ugly plaid cover and made my own: a list of where I went during the writing of this journal. 130 pages and 7 countries later, I filled the book.  I bought scotch tape in Paris and covered the book, protecting the writing on the cover from weather.

Here is another page from my second journal of my first trip to Europe. I was obsessive with writing down what transportation I took and when. For months after my trip (until I feared the information had become outdated), I was able to help other would-be travellers plan their trip with some of this information.

I try to dedicate some time while travelling to sketch or map out my surroundings.  I find that drawing a landscape, a rough map of the city, or a layout of my room helps me see some of the details I might have otherwise missed.  This sketch is of a sobe, or rented apartment, I stayed at for a night in Montenegro.  Now seven years later, I can still picture the place and its furnishings.

I experimented a bit for my 2004 trip to Peru & Bolivia by making a journal from scratch.  I have a great respect for those who make books by hand after attempting it myself.  It took a lot longer than I thought it would and I was still designing the pages up to the day before I left, but the effort was worth it.  I included scanned pages from over 15 books, making it as much a journal as a guidebook. This spread consists of parts from the excellent book, The Art of Pilgrimage by Phil Cousineau, to be read upon my arrival to South America.  I recommend it to anyone about to go on a journey. It has been extremely inspirational to me.

I’ve learned to share my journal with others.  I travel solo, but never alone. I always seem to meet people and spend time exploring with them.  I’ve had a great time learning their languages and they would write down key words/phrases in my journal.  This is a map drawn by a shopkeeper in Marrakesh, Morocco who invited me into his shop for some tea.

Along with a page for people I meet to write down their e-mails, I’ve also reserved room in the back for important travel information such as flight confirmations, rental car booking numbers, and a small calendar to help plan my route (which I only really roughly plan before arriving to the country).  The back pocket of Moleskine journals is very handy for keeping items such as notes, receipts, maps, and interesting looking monetary notes.

Looking back at the travel journals you have kept over the years, what do you feel have been the most important things to include?
When I write in my journal, I always picture my future self years in the future reading what I’m writing. Similar to how a song might remind you of a significant moment in your life, I always try to write in a way that my future self can help bring back these travel memories.  I try to include details that might fade with time, such as the weather (if there are clouds, what do they look like? is it windy? what’s the temperature?) or my health (do I have any blisters? cuts? bites?).  I also try to concentrate on recording more than just the sights, but also the other senses.  What does Paris smell like?  What does a Nicaraguan jungle sound like?  What does alpaca meat from Peru taste like?  I’ve also written down songs I’ve heard and try to find them when I get home.  My journals act as a way for me to stimulate my senses while I’m travelling in the moment as well as a way to bring these memories back years later.

Do you have any unusual stories/anecdotes related to your Journal keeping?
Collecting postmarks have introduced me to some interesting postal workers around the world.  Acquiring a postmark in a book can be challenging, especially if you cannot speak the language of the postal worker and they cannot speak your language.  I remember when I was in the post office in Zagreb, Croatia.  After trying to explain that I wanted my journal postmarked but not mailed anywhere, he took the book and started skimming through it behind the counter.  The more he looked through it, the more he understood what I was asking.  In fact, he ended up showing my well-travelled journal to most of the other workers and picked out the best rubber stamp to use.  When it came to stamping it, I’ve never seen a postal worker act so carefully in making sure the mark ended up on the page just right.

The hardest stamps to get are passport stamps. I’ve only managed to convince one border control officer to stamp my book.

To finish, why would you recommend keeping a travel journal?
I find that I am most alive when travelling and I want to make sure it is documented, not only for myself but my children and my children’s children.  I’ve experienced some amazing things in this world and I want to make sure I can recall them when I’m older.  Studies have shown that simply the act of journaling helps put the memories of the moment into long-term area of your brain.  Keeping a journal includes having intrapersonal communication, which helps me discover more about myself.

Gill, I want to thank you for the opportunity to talk about travel and my journals.  I hope that this information can help others have as many great travel/journaling experiences as I have.
Kolby

Kolby Kirk - Brief biography
Born at a young age in Eugene, Oregon in 1975, Kolby Kirk got his first taste for adventure in family camping trips and Boy Scouts. He has explored four continents and over 20 countries in the last decade, trying to keep alive an annual personal goal of being in a foreign country for his December birthday.  Kolby plans on celebrating his 33rd birthday in Cambodia this year.  He currently works as a researcher for an international online matchmaking service but, ironically, he is currently single. Although he has a job as a researcher, he *IS* a world traveller, a photographer, a writer, and a graphic designer.  His work can be found online at kolbykirk.com.