Author: Caroline Dienes

Program: Cambridge Study Center

I know keeping up with a journal isn’t the easiest thing to do. It starts with one night where you forget to write in it. That one night turns into two nights. The next thing you know, you forgot an entire week’s worth of things you’ve done. And finally, you give up. If you plan to study abroad, or just travel in general, I highly suggest keeping some kind of journal. You won’t regret it.

I personally have had three ways of journaling with my time abroad. The first is video blogging, where I have been taking a 5 second video each day. The little videos range dramatically, from walking under the Eiffel Tower to trying to open frozen mac and cheese. You could also create a little video blog through Snapchat now, thanks to the option to save your memories. This has been a lifesaver.

dienes-fall2016-journal2A second, and more conventional way I have been journaling is with an actual journal. I received this journal as a gift from a good friend before I flew away in August, and it was intended to just be a book where I kept tickets, brochures, and receipts. However, this little book turned into quite the stuffed book, full of those three things, but along with descriptions of what happened each day I was abroad. Not a day went by where I didn’t jot down tidbits of what I did every single day.

The third way of journaling is probably the easiest way to journal ever. It is called a one line a day journal. However, you write in this diary for 5 years. You can write as little as you want each day, and the diary repeats itself for 5 years! So you’ll have 5 years worth of memories, and, in my case, one of those years will include my time abroad. I cannot wait to read all that I’ve done in the future.

Deciding to journal was a monumental decision. Flipping back to the earlier days dienes-fall2016-journalabroad makes me recall the little things that happened those days. Not only did I write down the major things that occurred each day, but I also scribbled down funny things my cohorts said or noted times where I felt truly content with what was happening. I know when I look at these different journals down the road, it will be as if I am reading a book. The story in the book will be my story. The characters will be me and the rest of the Cambridge cohort. The adventures outlined in the pages will be indescribable memories. Journal. When you really think about it, you are writing yourself a personal autobiography. That’s something I would love to read.

Stay Fresh,

Caroline