We need to talk about ‘Insta’. Because c’mon, we’re all thinking it. Life shouldn’t be viewed through that prism of perfection; manicured, edited, and photoshopped into oblivion. Hotfooting halfway across the world just to see it through a lens…well, the irony isn’t lost on us. Holidays are meant to be about getting away from it all, right? Putting the screens down, seeing a different way of life through the lens of reality, and learning to look up again.
Indeed, international travel is all about the new sights, people and experiences you encounter along the way. And while the temptation is strong to post every last detail of your trip, sometimes a more personal, individual documenting of your trip can be far more interesting. With that in mind, here are 4 IDEAL ways to uniquely document your travels.
KEEP A HANDWRITTEN DIARY
It may seem a bit old fashioned, but the act of writing with pen and paper somehow carries more gravitas than typing. What you write, doodle or note down is uneditable and therefore, precious. Don’t be self-conscious about what you’re writing or think that it has to be a work of literature; you are capturing a moment in time, so be candid about what you’re thinking and feeling. Buy yourself a small but high quality notebook and some pens that are easy to write with, and by the end of your travels, you’ll have a book of memories to treasure for life. Magical stuff.
START AN ONLINE BLOG
If you’re more digitally minded, travel blogging via your own website is a great way to not only document your experiences but also share them with friends, family and anyone else in the world who discovers it. Build a website with a professional hosting service like Krystal, and you can post words, video and photos on your blog for the public to enjoy. Some people even manage to earn an income from their blog or use it as a portfolio to help them start a career in digital marketing, giving you the perfect reason to travel more and spend less time in the office. If you like the sound of this, there are lots of different ways that you can start your own blog via platforms like WordPress and Wix. There are myriad hosting options, such as WP Engine (you can read the makeawebsitehub review if you’d like to learn more) or GoDaddy, to help get you started in creating your own personal travel blog.
DEVOTE ALL YOUR PHOTOS TO A THEME
It’s highly likely that you’ll be taking photos and videos during your trip, but have you thought about making a creative project of them than simply sticking everything on Instagram? It’s all about theming things with a rigorous devotion to consistency. For example, you could take a photo of your feet when you step off the plane in each new country or as you dip your toes in the ocean on every new beach.
Alternatively, take a toy or object with you and position it artistically in each landscape shot or even have it hidden in the background for followers and fans to find.
SEND UNIQUE POSTCARDS
To combine the ideas of a physical, paper document, amazing travel photography and sharing your own thoughts, views and experiences with family and friends, you could create your own postcards. Now that’s unique. There are apps that enable you to transform your travel photos into a printed postcard with a message and send it anywhere in the world with a few taps on your phone. Your family and friends will love receiving them, and you could even send some to yourself so you have a collection when you get home. And with that, bon voyage!