On my first trip to London in 2010, I tried out a new journaling method. I wanted to journal my trip but knew I would be too tired to write a lot down. I decided to write down five things from each day, one for each sense. Looking back at the journal now I really love it. It has some things in it I would have never remembered, like the time my Dad accidentally squirted ketchup on my Mom at a pub (he got the Mom glare for that!). It is a great method for me to get the gist of a trip in a short amount of time. Here is a page from my London journal. (I apologize about the messy handwriting.)

I added things collected during my trip such as ticket stubs, pamphlets or interesting food wrappers and added them during my flight home. I have used this method ever since.

Here is a sneak peak into my travel journal from my trip to Amelia Island.

Sight – Historic District

Amelia Island Historic District has tons of personality. Brightly colored houses, historical buildings, and interesting architecture. We had some fun looking around in the antique stores and all the unique shops.  There is the cutest bookstore called the Book Loft that you need to check out. There are lots of places to eat, most serving the local seafood. Don’t forget to walk to the dock and watch the sunset.

Taste – Shrimp at Timoti’s

Amelia Island is known for their shrimp and oysters. You must try Timoti’s Seafood Shak in the downtown historic district of Fernandina. It’s a small, casual place with indoor and outdoor seating. The shrimp is amazing! The gentleman taking our order suggested getting the shrimp blackened and said that I could order it lightly blackened so it wouldn’t be too spicy. (I am weak when it comes to spices; how did he know that?!). I ordered a lightly blackened shrimp basket that included hush puppies, coleslaw, and fries. He was right, the flavor of the seasoning went great with the shrimp. So yummy!!

Hearing – Sounds of Nature

Sounds of the birds while we were kayaking through the salt marshes in the Talbot Islands.  We saw a bunch of different types of birds during our trip. The kayaking wasn’t easy but it was rewarding. The salt marshes are beautiful.  We were even able to stop at Kingsley Plantation and do a quick tour. We rented the kayaks from Kayak Amelia and they were awesome. So friendly – I would recommend renting from them.

Smell – Paper Pulp

There’s a stinky smell around Amelia Island and apparently it is the pulp from the paper mill nearby. It’s a bad smell but it isn’t everywhere. Just keep the air recycler on in your car and you should be fine.

Touch – Seashells

The beaches of Fort Clinch are covered with shells. When you walk you can even hear the crunching of the shells beneath your feet. The area has lots of oysters; their shells are all over the beach, in the walkways and even mixed into the concrete of the buildings!

Here is what the page looks like.  I used colored pens to make it more fun and tried to write as neat as I can. I cut up a map we used during the trip (yes we used a map!) for the left side and cut the top of my receipt from our kayaking trip to add interest.

Let me know if you decide to try out this journaling method on your next trip.  Amelia Island is definitely worth a visit, so many beautiful things to see and journal about!

Melissa P.

Want to see more from my travel journal? Click Here

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