Recently, Aaron asked for readers to name their most treasured mementos. I’d have to agree with him that the journal has to be one of the best.

I’ve been a long-time fan of journaling, and I know that my style has changed over the years. At first, it was sequential and detailed, down to the food of each meal. Now, it’s usually just specific moments of revelation or intrigue—even if it’s non sequitur, like a few words of conversation with someone followed by musings on the refracted light in a cathedral. What ends up in that book are things that I intentionally want to remember (even if it’s for the worse), and on occasion I pick it up at home and I relive these stand-out life moments.

Dave Fox has a new book out on the subject—“Globejotting: How to Write Extraordinary Travel Journals.” It’s part inspiration and part practical advice. His chapters touch on everything from writing about the outer journey to writing about the inner journey; from eluding the inner censor to trying out creative techniques (I like his thoughts on ‘people-journaling’ and ‘a postcard a day.’).

A few of his general pointers:
• Look for short moments of downtime in which you can write.
• Show, don’t tell. Scan your five senses and be descriptive.
• There’s no such thing as a wrong emotion. Be honest with yourself.

Coming from a travel humorist, it’s no surprise that his book is a light read, full of tongue-in-cheek sidenotes.

The author also happens to have another book out at the same time—”Getting Lost“—a collection of his misadventures while traveling, largely through Europe. If you’d like the chance to win a copy of these books (plus some other travel gear), you can enter a travel story in the Getting Lost Humorous Mishaps Travel Writing Contest.

Or else, if you want to get the books the old-fashioned way, you can also buy them through Amazon.com or Inkwater Press.