Handwritten Travel Diary
My Travel Notebooks
As mentioned on my About page, all my travel diaries were handwritten in travel notebooks. I know there is a mobile-phone app called Travel Diaries and I can type my daily travel experience on my laptop, but I feel handwriting is much more personal. It gives more freedom to express myself. Or maybe I am a bit conservative to change the habit.
When PhoTrablogger challenged us to post our handwriting in our native language, the challenge made me realize how chaotic my travel diaries were written. I wrote my diaries in total chaos in term of linguistic.
I wrote in two or three languages at once as depending on what happened on that day. Mostly I wrote in Indonesian language, my mother tongue, but very often the diary also written in English, perhaps I had to speak English for the whole day by then. On the recent travel experience, I mixed my writing in Indonesian language with Dutch just because I spoke Dutch with some Dutch scuba divers whom we met during our holiday.
In short, my handwritten diary was a chaos but it showed the freedom I had when expressing my thoughts on that day. Here’s one page as example of how chaotic it was. Creepy handwriting.
The diary page as showed was written on the first of January 2014 in Bangka Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The owner of the dive resort invited us, the guests, to join her to visit the villages at late afternoon to greet her staff who had day off as New Year celebration. I took the invitation as it was a great opportunity to see the villagers plus, not every dive resort owners I met were that humble to their staff.
The first day of the year turned to be a special celebration day on the island. The villagers were celebrating by having “street parties” called as “circus”. The men were walking around the village with music instruments, they were singing and greeting their neighbors of Happy New Year meanwhile the ladies were dancing from house to house. Visitors like us were welcomed to join their celebrations. Reading at this diary again (thanks to PhoTrablogger’s challenge), I remember how fun it was on that day.
Please join PhoTrablogger in this interesting challenge and visit this post to participate – Write Now..Yes Right Now..
indahs: dive, travel & photography 
Sometimes writing something by hand fills a certain indescribable need. I should do it more. But many times it’s quite inconvenient.
Hugs! 😀
Totally understand Teagan, currently mobile-phone is something inseparable to us, so typing in mobile phone is also very handy 🙂
I love a hand written journal – although I do less and less of it and have t try and remember to do a page here and there – but there is a way of writing on paper that cannot be duplicated with typing – and then there is typing that has its pros! and your photo of the penned words is beautiful!
also – the dive resort owner did sound way cool – and that makes traveling so much better. I recall being in vermont for a wedding and well, the whole thing was great – but the one of the owners was working the desk and he was such a crabby crank. Funny that 9 years later I can still remember his carboy side – well we heard they sold the vermouth B & B a year after that – and not surprised – so I realized he was just likely in a mismatched job and who knows what other pressures….
anyhow, I REALLY enjoy your travel shares. ❤
Thank you so much Yvette!
Aha, I have to tell my mom about your view on my handwriting! My mother recently complained that she could not read my handwriting on the Christmas card that I sent 😀 😀
The dive resort owner there was very friendly and humble..actually I met her in the Netherlands before I was finally visiting her resort. She really loves what she is doing and that helps a lot! I guess that crabby crank might not enjoyed his work at all – not a good sign for tourism and hospitality industries…
Have a wonderful Tuesday!!
that is funny about your mom complaining – but legibility does not always have to be considered with such fluid, artistic penmanship! ha!
Indah!!! Very neat, interesting ! And three languages!!! I agree about wanting to hand write your travel diary! I like to write best with pencil & pad……I say the best writing I do is with the eraser!!!!! Sounded like a wonderful New Year’s 2014 in Indonesia!!! Looks like on Trablogger only one person posted a photo & wrote on “Write now..Yes Right Now..” Very nice post! Phil
Thank you so much Phil..ohh, the trouble with my language skills is two of them is far from perfect – still struggling 😀 Eraser is truly handy when writing with pencil! 🙂 Have a wonderful day!
I wrote a diary trip with handwriting but just in one language ;(
Malah rapi toh Mbak..ini aku acak kadul gak jelas bahasa apaan…hahaha..
Waah, aku nggak pernah nulis catatan perjalanan, langsung nulis di blog aja.., kecapean langsung tidur aja biasanya sih…
Indah, di Sulawesi Utara ada pulau bernama Bangka juga? aku hanya tahu Bangka yang di prop Bangka Belitung
😀 itu malah cepat banget..aku lelet soal kalau nulis di blog langsung 😀 – mikirnya kebanyakan hahaha…
Iya Mbak, di Indonesia ada dua pulau yang namanya Bangka. Yang di Sulawesi Utara itu lokasinya dekat Pulau Bunaken. Lebih kecil dari Pulau Bangka Belitung tapi lebih besar dari Bunaken 🙂
You know Dutch also! That’s great.
Writing with a pen, on a paper makes us open our heart with much ease. 🙂
My Dutch is still far from perfect unfortunately 🙂 Thank you so much Maniparna, that’s a wonderful opinion!
Hey Indah, the way you write your notes looks similar to mine. Sometimes I also draw simple sketches to remind me how certain things look like. Speaking of handwriting, it’s sad to know that some young kids nowadays can’t write well because they’re so used to using gadgets.
That’s awesome Bama and such pity with young kids who can’t write well! They should watch the Indiana Jones movies, maybe that will inspire them to start using pen and paper to write and draw their thoughts or what they have had experience. We don’t need battery to write with pen and paper! – The grail diary story in Indiana Jones has inspired me to keep notebooks during my travel 😀 – even if I forgot to bring a notebook (yes, it happened :D) then I usually buy locally.
Writing with pen and paper surely has its own beauty, and we have to introduce it to young kids, plus suggesting them to watch inspiring movies like the Indiana Jones. 🙂
lovely sentiment
Thank you 🙂