Why I like to Journal & Vacation!!!

I'm on vacation! Yay! Happy Dance!

My husband and I are heading to Glacier Park in Montana, next week. We will be staying in one of the lodges. He actually called and found us nights we wanted. Sweet!

I've always taken a journal with me. I usually bring a separate one to put down our travels. But lately, I've just been bringing the Daily Journal, as I may not fill the whole thing out.

Just so you know, I've kept a journal since 1973. I wish it went back much further, but I doubt I would have been able to stand looking through it. I began it as sort of therapy (not intentionally thinking this would be good for me to get things off my chest, but I basically found that it helped me deal.)

But I like to look back to see what I've been up to, given any year or even month. I like the spiral note pad that has the spiral at the top (like the one above). I fill it out on one side, and when I get to the end, I turn it over and fill out that side until I'm done. What's neat about this is that if I want to look back and see what I was up to, say a few months back, I flip it over and begin to read that page on the other side. I did this last night and found myself reading what I was up to in November of last year. That was cool. I'd been sent my edits of the second book, a short story had been accepted by Dark Moon (anthology), and a few other things going on that I'd forgotten about. I realized I'd been working very hard on a lot of writing projects, both while I was off of work and during the time I was working, as well.

So, I've just about filled up this journal. I usually end one at the end of a year and begin a new one, on the first of the year. But it isn't working out that way. At the moment, I don't care.

We are about to go on this vacation. It is the first long road trip we've had in 2 years. And the last one was bittersweet as Dennis' mother was in a hospital. She later died that year. So, this one has a better feel to it. We are going back up to Glacier. The last time we were there, we camped--the last time we tent camped, in fact. It was a little crazy tent camping in grizzly territory. They have you pick up everything if you leave you camp site for even a moment. You get a ticket if you don't.

But this year we are going to be staying in a lodge for the first time ever! Nice! Glacier Park Lodge will be 100 years old next year. We don't remember seeing this lodge, but I'm sure it is perfect! Looks great, doesn't it?

So, the reason I began this post about Journaling, is because that's what I love to do. I keep things we do, see and so forth in my diary esp. when we travel.

Do you keep a journal? What about it do you like best?