My upcoming release from Cerridwen Press, Wanderlust is set in India. You might wonder why I mention this since my title is about diaries. For me there’s a definite connection, since the only time I write a diary or journal is while I’m traveling.
I recently hunted out all my travel diaries, especially the ones relating to our overland trip from London to Kathmandu and India. When I flicked through them all the small details came back to me, the good and bad. I was reminded of the wonderful temples and natural scenery, the people and the not so good things such as being hellishly sick while in Turkey and Iran. I started to come right about halfway through Iran, having existed on rice for quite a few days, and still remember the cheese omelette I had that tasted absolutely amazing. I remember the markets, the vivid color and friendly people, even though we spoke different languages. Hmm, I’m suffering from a definite case of itchy feet after reading my diary entries.
Do you write a diary?
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I never even kept a diary when I was young.
by Estella March 10th, 2008 at 12:40 pmI must admit, having a younger brother and sister kept me from keeping a diary when I was younger. They were SO nosy!
My grandmother always kept a diary, and sometimes she’d read it to us. She made even small things sound funny or amazing, having a real way with words. I remember an entry about jetboat riding and how Frank had to wipe his head with his hanky because they got so wet.
by Shelley Munro March 10th, 2008 at 1:22 pmI used to keep a journal. Until my mom discovered it and read it. That was the end of my journal writing.
by Tempest Knight March 10th, 2008 at 1:35 pmI often kept a diary in my teens and early twenties. I love reading through them. No matter how good your memory is, there are always little details that get lost over time. And diaries bring it all back.
by julia March 10th, 2008 at 3:46 pmI don’t keep a diary as such but I have hundreds of letters I’ve written about how I’m feeling, it helps to work out what’s going on to write it down. I wouldn’t know where half of them are. I love the idea though.
by Rachel C March 10th, 2008 at 8:25 pmRachel
PS. Loved Playing To Win.
Tempest – LOL, Mothers and diaries aren’t a good mix. That would have stopped me writing in one, too.
Julia – yes, that’s exactly why I keep a diary while traveling – to remember all the small details.
Rachel – what a great idea. I think these days a lot of us use a blog in this manner as well. Thanks! I’m so glad you enjoyed Lane and Kate’s story.
by Shelley Munro March 11th, 2008 at 2:02 amMine was more a journal than a diary.
It was my “lightning conductor”, the place where I could muse on all the things not politic to say aloud in an isolated environment where circumstances magnified every small slight. It gave me the power to analyze events and get rid of petty annoyances before they grew out of proportion and was written more on a needs basis than daily (some entries were several pages long, others a few lines).
They sit on a shelf in my library, some thirty of them, and I sometimes take them down and live again my reaction to complex events when they were my only confidant.
Amy
by Amy Gallow March 11th, 2008 at 10:04 amI kept a travel diary, but not a personal one.
At some point the text became less in relation to the pics, though. My blog is actually a way back to the old form, and I can share it with more people than just my parents.
by Gabriele March 11th, 2008 at 10:57 amLol Tempest, my mom read mine too, I didn’t find out though until years later and told me she knew my high school secrets.
by danette March 11th, 2008 at 12:05 pmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7291501.stm
by connie March 12th, 2008 at 10:23 am