Although our memories may be beautifully photographic, our minds lack the ability to extract those thousand words that are so often said to lay within the perimeters of such a photo, especially when our mind is stamped with the footprints of innumerable journeys, hundreds of mental photographs, and the clutter of everyday responsibility.

Truth be told, although we may always remember the beautiful way the sunset over the Tahitian shoreline, or how soft and pure the sand was on the coast of southern France, or the abstract and colorful architecture of a Russian landscape, we will never be able to truly remember the most minute details that made the trip all-the-more fascinating.

Perhaps the lattes in Prague were rich and frothy and of a nature that you've never experienced- and perhaps while sipping one and admiring the beauty of cobblestone streets and architecture left untouched by World War II, you witnessed an unexpecting tourist get nailed in the head by a stale roll- (a tradition at a particular cafe in Prague). And unless you wrote about how the laughter you experienced in that moment exhilirated you and caused you to clumsily spill that delicious latte into your lap, you'll likely lose that moment in the avalanche of time. It's little moments like these that evaporate with the continuance of time-and writing about them mummifies them. Travel journals are a means of preservation- in moments in life when in need of uplifting, invigoration can be derived from reading your own fantastical journeys; rather than seeking outside inspiration, you can seek inspiration from your own tales and descriptions. Maybe you'll laugh; maybe you'll cry- either way you'll be alive.

Preservation is also a means of passing memories along long after you're capable of reliving moments and reminiscing with loved ones. Writing down the little moments that opened your eyes serves as a way to teach others to recognize the small things- to appreciate the moments in life that are often overlooked.

Along with photos, tales of travel fully animate the experiences which you've had, even those that were astonishingly terrible at the time. Truthfully told, while looking back, all experiences will be worth a smile. So take the opportunity to make your own memoir- filled with miniscule details that were so abundant and meaningful at the moment, and in their very essence and root, taught you one life lesson or another.

Learn more about this author, Ashley Halligan.
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