“These Are the Voyages”...Supplement Your Memories with a Journal
01-06-2016
Author: in RVing Ruminations by Russel
Here's wishing all of you had a very happy and fun filled New Year. Now is the perfect time to consider keeping a journal of your travels. Even the first folks to cross the continent on A Voyage of Discovery, Lewis and Clark did so. What? You don't know how to spell or write—that's OK, as long as you can read it. You should see of the spellings used in the records they made of that 8000 mile journey. Such records are maintained right up into the future, remember the Captains Log and supplements that open Star Trek episodes.
But why should I keep a journal? Because human memory being what it is, can only remember so much. If one two week trip a year is the extent of your RVing, you probably don't need one. But if you're a full timer or close to it, trust me, down the road in a year or two you will be glad you did.
What should I put in this journal? In short, anything, you might wish you could remember later. Everyone's will be different. The most obvious, for those so inclined, is a log of things that actually happen to your RV and/or tow vehicle. Repairs, when, by whom and for how much; fuel expenses; oil changes; mileage statistics such as mpg or distance and time between places. Oh, you might say, I keep all my receipts for such things. Yes, that is good but what is easier, thumbing through the pages of your journal or a pile of receipts. By the way, a good place to keep those receipts is in an envelope with the journal itself. Places such as museums or other attractions that think you will never forget tend to disappear from memory over a couple of years and it is nice to be able to access the record of your visit; or if it is many years in the past even the names of them. Real handy if you want to share the experience with new found friends on down the road. How much detail you record is up to you, just try to think of what you might need at some point in the future. Most of us meet many people on the road and writing some of their names and contact information down may come in handy come Christmas card time or when you roll through their home base and want to say hi again. Which sounds better when showing off photographs? Here is a cool mountain we saw; or this is Jebs Peak, we had to go over a pass that was 12,400 feet high to see it?
A journal is a good place to keep track of the parks in which you stay along the way. One might include prices and other things about it good or bad, That way three or four years down the road when you are passing that way again you can be reminded of your experience there. Of course when planning a journey there is no finer tool available than the one found elsewhere on the site of this blog http://www.mobilerving.com/rv-trip-planner .
Include your pet in your journal, especially any vet visits or medications. Speaking of that, it is a good place to make note of your own medications (and when to renew them). If you are having mail forwarded, a journal can serve as a reminder of when and where to make the connection for that.
As you can see, there are many reasons for keeping a journal. Now a word or two about the journal itself.
One of the easiest ways to get started is to visit a stationary or drug store and look at the day planners. These come in a huge variety of forms and formats and many of them have ready made places for things like vehicle information. Many have covers or pockets in which to keep loose papers. Built in calendars have many advantages. HERE is a site that will give you an idea of what is available For the more literary inclined, there is a huge variety of ordinary school notebooks that might be purposed as journals. So, I would encourage you to first of all decide what kind and how much information you wish to include in your journal. Make sure the format you choose is going to fit very readily into a place in the RV or vehicle where it can be easily and quickly accessed. If it isn't those last two things you will be a lot less inclined to use it.
Which brings us to a final point. Your journal is only going to be as helpful as the information you put into it. Entries need to become an automatic habit and ritual of the lifestyle. If fuel purchases for instance are part of your log, the time to make the entry is before you pull away from the pump. It can be a fun ritual, if after a hard day of adventure and sight seeing you record some of the details of the day. If you wait until a week later, the details will be a whole lot less sharp or you will have forgotten many of them.
I have found the more information I can keep in one place, the more likely I will be able to access it when I need it. A journal is like having a big hard drive rather than half a dozen thumb drives scattered all over. In this day and age of electronic information exchange, doing anything on paper may seem archaic and outdated, but I think most of the time hard copy is handier.
If you have ever kept a journal I would love to hear your experiences with it, so please share in the comments section below. It's easy and your comments will be recorded for posterity.
Until next time, walk in beauty and keep it between the ditches,
Russel
Though from my travels I have come to roost
I hope my experiences will give yours a boost
About the Blog Author
Russel Micnhimer is retired after twenty-five years of full time RVing. During that time he was a sales representative for Southeast Publications selling advertising on Site Maps (aka Guest Guides) for RV Parks and Resorts and Fairgrounds. He traveled in a pickup truck and travel trailer primarily in the Western United States logging nearly 500,000 miles. In his blog he shares many experiences and insights in hopes they will be helpful to others who pursue the RVing lifestyle.
But why should I keep a journal? Because human memory being what it is, can only remember so much. If one two week trip a year is the extent of your RVing, you probably don't need one. But if you're a full timer or close to it, trust me, down the road in a year or two you will be glad you did.
What should I put in this journal? In short, anything, you might wish you could remember later. Everyone's will be different. The most obvious, for those so inclined, is a log of things that actually happen to your RV and/or tow vehicle. Repairs, when, by whom and for how much; fuel expenses; oil changes; mileage statistics such as mpg or distance and time between places. Oh, you might say, I keep all my receipts for such things. Yes, that is good but what is easier, thumbing through the pages of your journal or a pile of receipts. By the way, a good place to keep those receipts is in an envelope with the journal itself. Places such as museums or other attractions that think you will never forget tend to disappear from memory over a couple of years and it is nice to be able to access the record of your visit; or if it is many years in the past even the names of them. Real handy if you want to share the experience with new found friends on down the road. How much detail you record is up to you, just try to think of what you might need at some point in the future. Most of us meet many people on the road and writing some of their names and contact information down may come in handy come Christmas card time or when you roll through their home base and want to say hi again. Which sounds better when showing off photographs? Here is a cool mountain we saw; or this is Jebs Peak, we had to go over a pass that was 12,400 feet high to see it?
A journal is a good place to keep track of the parks in which you stay along the way. One might include prices and other things about it good or bad, That way three or four years down the road when you are passing that way again you can be reminded of your experience there. Of course when planning a journey there is no finer tool available than the one found elsewhere on the site of this blog http://www.mobilerving.com/rv-trip-planner .
Include your pet in your journal, especially any vet visits or medications. Speaking of that, it is a good place to make note of your own medications (and when to renew them). If you are having mail forwarded, a journal can serve as a reminder of when and where to make the connection for that.
As you can see, there are many reasons for keeping a journal. Now a word or two about the journal itself.
One of the easiest ways to get started is to visit a stationary or drug store and look at the day planners. These come in a huge variety of forms and formats and many of them have ready made places for things like vehicle information. Many have covers or pockets in which to keep loose papers. Built in calendars have many advantages. HERE is a site that will give you an idea of what is available For the more literary inclined, there is a huge variety of ordinary school notebooks that might be purposed as journals. So, I would encourage you to first of all decide what kind and how much information you wish to include in your journal. Make sure the format you choose is going to fit very readily into a place in the RV or vehicle where it can be easily and quickly accessed. If it isn't those last two things you will be a lot less inclined to use it.
Which brings us to a final point. Your journal is only going to be as helpful as the information you put into it. Entries need to become an automatic habit and ritual of the lifestyle. If fuel purchases for instance are part of your log, the time to make the entry is before you pull away from the pump. It can be a fun ritual, if after a hard day of adventure and sight seeing you record some of the details of the day. If you wait until a week later, the details will be a whole lot less sharp or you will have forgotten many of them.
I have found the more information I can keep in one place, the more likely I will be able to access it when I need it. A journal is like having a big hard drive rather than half a dozen thumb drives scattered all over. In this day and age of electronic information exchange, doing anything on paper may seem archaic and outdated, but I think most of the time hard copy is handier.
If you have ever kept a journal I would love to hear your experiences with it, so please share in the comments section below. It's easy and your comments will be recorded for posterity.
Until next time, walk in beauty and keep it between the ditches,
Russel
Though from my travels I have come to roost
I hope my experiences will give yours a boost
About the Blog Author
Russel Micnhimer is retired after twenty-five years of full time RVing. During that time he was a sales representative for Southeast Publications selling advertising on Site Maps (aka Guest Guides) for RV Parks and Resorts and Fairgrounds. He traveled in a pickup truck and travel trailer primarily in the Western United States logging nearly 500,000 miles. In his blog he shares many experiences and insights in hopes they will be helpful to others who pursue the RVing lifestyle.
Comment
imapoettooJanuary 9, 2016 | 05:54 PM
I have kept a journal since I was 13 years old. There are pages and pages of poetry, inspired by life. There are thoughts and activities, Deaths, Births. Some years I use only one notebook, others I have used as many as six. I am not an RVer but I have gone camping and have visited most of the states. I have been to Germany and visited castles there. Does this count? I consider life to be a journey of discovery. Thanks for inviting me to join your blog group, Russel. Happy Writing.
Author: Russel Micnhimer
