Let's talk about

a real, honest-to-goodness traveler's notebook - 

But first, please stop - and say a little prayer for the people in the path of the storm[s], I know they've weathered them before, but this thing is HUGE people - may God be with them - 
 

This is the TNI took with me  while we were in 

Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. John.

I put it in a little bag with a pair of scissors, a few markers, stickers, and washi tape - as well as REGULAR clear tape, because I'm all about easy -  

So I'll share a bit of my process here today - 

and just tell you up front that I'm loving it already - 

This 'cover' page / first page was not completed until we got back home - 

It's just a favorite photo along with a few stickers, 

washi tape, and words from travel fliers -

I went ahead and divided the book up into daily sections 
and added a few rub-ons [above] and stickers before we left...

 

Then each day I simply did a bullet list of EVERYTHING we did that day - 

I left blank spaces for photos as I journaled -  

and filled in the borders with washi and stickers  -

 

I added bits of the STUFF we all save while we're on vacation - 

Like this menu that listed all the delicious Puerto Rican foods 

we had on the buffet at the hotel -  

I just taped it right in - 

I also taped in maps from the tourist books...

adding a bit of wash to cover the advs. - lol

And I cut titles from those books too!

 

Another map with washi tape border...

These maps were a little too big, so they are 

folded on the edge to fit into the book -  

 

I taped the bug warning to the back - who knew there's be 

SO MANY mosquitoes ON THE BEACH?

 

This is the layout and activity schedule of our hotel - again, just taped in -

I really liked having this little book with me where I could corral all of this and not have it get lost in a an envelope of STUFF once we got home...

... blurry... but you can see I used words from an adv about the rain forest - 

it really was spectacular...

 

I put a favorite photo on the back of the menu card from Craig's banquet..

[We had to rush in from the rain forest 

and get spiffed up for the closing banquet - it was all good.]

 

You can see that I also included observations and other tidbits 

that I wanted to remember in my bullet journal...

I trimmed this map down and just taped 

it in to a two page spread...

 

I added the photos a few days after we got home.

Had to trim them a bit to  to fit -

 

 Photos were taped in, secured with washi...

[This tip-in is the card with sailing info on it -] 

Repeating a few colors of washi throughout gives it a little unity -

 

I also typed out a few things [dates / place] and

added it right on top of my photos with clear tape...

 

 This is the receipt for the ferry -

[Side note - WHO KNEW there were so many free-roaming animals on St. John? 

I'm talking donkeys - cows - sheep, etc. 

AND IGUANAS EVERYWHERE.]

 

This water is addicting.

That is all - 

Let me clarify that this is NOT my scrapbook for this trip - 

but it will be the BEST reference ever when I make the scrapbook!

It has all the things we enjoyed [and maybe didn't enjoy] as well as names of restaurants, stores, hotels, etc. that I will want when I start making layouts...

 

I also include a couple of pages comparing the places we stayed - and some additional thoughts of our trip that we talked about as we traveled home, as well as a list of some of the funny things that happened, recipes we want to try and re-create, and the things we bought

[including a little bag taped in the last page with all of our receipts.] 

I hope it inspires you to take along a little TN with you the next time you travel -

It's not bulky or time consuming 

and really is a great way to keep up with the tiny day-to-day 

details that we all want to remember!