I’ve been looking through scrapbooks recently, and reading old travel journals, digging up the little details of foreign adventures that disappear in the weeks, months, and years after you return from a trip.
More specifically I’ve been looking back at my time in China. It’s been two years since I returned from Tianjin, and plenty of travel tid-bits have since slipped my mind.
I had forgotten that by the banks of the HaiHe River, I lit a traditional ruby-red Chinese lantern with my now-fiancé. I had misplaced the memory of East West, the cute Korean-style cafe near my friend’s flat in XiaoBaiLou, where we lesson planned with drip coffee, fruit smoothies, and baozi sneaked in from the stall around the corner. I can now recall relaxing in Beijing’s Rengdinghu Park during my first few days in China, as well as the fairground rides we laughed on later, in Xi’an.
Time travelling even further through the pages I find Paris, Prague, and Poland – even teenage scribbles from Turkey. It’s amazing how a few written words can kick-start the memory into remembering that rave-worthy restaurant, the interesting acquaintance you made, or how you felt on seeing that world-famous sight for the very first time.
I don’t log my adventures like this anymore. Instead I collect postcards, snap pictures, and write blog posts; but it doesn’t capture the essence of the experience in quite the same way.
When it comes to foreign forays, is it time to return to the old-fashioned pen and paper?
I love scrapbooking and make photo albums obsessively. It;s not just of my travels, either; I make an album every year with all the highlights. I collect ticket stubs, leaflets, etc and stick them in with my actually printed photos and jot down a few words. I think the biggest shame of the digital age is that people forget to print photos now. You’re hardly going to show your grandkids your old instagram account years from now, are you?!
I love scrapbooking too – I’m glad I’m not the only one collecting ticket stubs! And I completely agree with you on Instagram/Facebook etc with regards to photos; it’s so much nicer (and more permanent) to have physical reminders of fun times 🙂
I can’t remember the last time I did a scrapbook from a trip – these days I tend to rely on blog posts and digital photos but I do try and do the 21st century version, the printed photo book. They’re a bit more expensive to get printed but do look really good. Though they don’t quite have the charm of my old folders from my RTW trip 10 years ago with loads of old tickets and postcards stuck in.
Photo books are great too – I’ve been meaning to get one of my Tokyo trip for ages!
Still have the scrapbook from my year abroad in Tianjin like ten years ago. Unfortunately it was the only one I ever did. This year stills means so much to me and every now and then I have a look at the book and remember all the great stuff we have seen and eaten, and all the great parties we have attended to.
Planing to visit Tianjin since years now but there is always somewhere else to go first…