How to Write a Travel Memoir

If adventuring is in your soul, you are dreaming of your next big trip the minute you arrive home. It can be easy to forget the small moments that have brought you joy when you are caught up in the drudgery of real life – the constant whirr of the washing machine as you try to empty your suitcase can drown out the blissful memories of the melody of unfamiliar languages or the crash of water tumbling over the crest of a waterfall. Take time to record your travels so your magical times stay with your forever.

Keep a Diary

Keep a diary as you travel, making notes of places you go, the food you ate, and the people you were with. You don’t need to write reams – bullet points can work just as well. Whether you decide to transpose your jottings into a full-blown memoir or keep your thoughts as minimalist notes is up to you, but by taking just a few minutes to put pen to paper, you have logged your trip. When you look back at your travel diary, you’ll be surprised how many memories are evoked!

Start a Travel Blog

A blog is a fantastic way to record your memories and share recommendations with other travelers. With free templates available on sites such as WordPress you don’t need to be a technological genius to start your blog. Blogs allow you to post photos alongside your memories adding an extra element. If you post regularly, friends and family can follow your journey in real-time. You could go one step further and share your video highlights on YouTube so you will have your own personal travel documentary to look back on fondly in years to come. Buy a laptop for cheap to take on the road and you are all set to start your blogging or vlogging career!

Read Travel Memoirs

From Elizabeth Gilbert’s ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ to Tony Hawks’ ‘Round Ireland with a Fridge,’ reading books about other people’s journeys will encourage you to record your own as well as teach you the skills to effectively capture a sense of place. Read with a critical eye, making mental notes on what you like or don’t like about the author’s method. Vivid descriptions can give depth to what may otherwise seem one-dimensional, so be aware of how successful travel writers describe food, landscapes, and buildings so you can bring the same evocative feel to your writing.

Write!

Whether you create your memoir as you travel or wait until you’re back home, you need to put in the hours if you want to write a travel book. Use your notes and photos as prompts, particularly focusing on the senses and how each place made you feel. Encapsulate both the ups and downs of your journey for an honest, well-rounded result.

You might choose to publish your memoir. You may prefer to keep it for yourself. Either way, travel writing is a whole new world, so get out there and explore it!