I was browsing through travel journals and the cover of this one caught my eye amongst the more traditional ones.
It has colorful drawings of a strange variety of things, like a pencil worn down to the nub, a barber’s pole, a couple of taxi signs written in different languages, and tubes of toothpaste.
The title says I Was Here: A Travel Journal For The Curious Minded.
I wondered if this was a blank Moleskine type journal that just had a strange cover or if there was something a little more to it.
A peek at some of the pages showed that it really was something more than your average travel journal, quite a bit more, and is a lot like what you’d get if you mixed a travel journal with an activity book.
For example one of the pages has a picture lineup of toothpaste tubes from around the world and underneath reads:
“At a local convenience store, purchase a toiletry brand that you do not recognize. Start a collection of this particular item and search for more on future trips you take.
Treat them as souvenirs.”
Another page has a big blank square in the middle marked MAP, with instructions to:
“Ask people you meet along your way to draw you a map to a place they love in the neighborhood.”
So from what I can tell this is a Wreck This Journal style travel journal.
If you don’t know, a Wreck This Journal is a journal made for people who have a hard time finishing a journal or want something more to work with than a blank page. It’s definitely not a conventional journal and unlike most conventional journals people don’t seem to have any problems writing in it.
A Wreck This Journal is a catalyst for activity, and on each page are instructions to do all sorts of unexpected and fun things like “crack the spine”, “document a boring event in detail”, or even “tear this page out – put it in your pocket – put it through the wash – and then stick it back in.”
I know a couple of people who have gotten Wreck This Journals and they gleefully follow the instructions practically from the moment they open it.
I’m guessing the I Was Here travel journal hopes to be an interactive journal along the same lines.
Judging from the pages that I saw I’m not sure if it quite lives up to the fun of a Wreck This Journal, but still no doubt for most people it would be leaps and bounds more fun than a blank journal. And plus, it would give you ideas for experiences (and travel stories) on your trip you wouldn’t have had otherwise…and give you a one-of-a-kind keepsake to take back with you.