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Tools of the trade: my journal

27/10/2014

5 Comments

 
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I never embark on a cycling trip without it. My journal is my most valued possession. I use it to record my thoughts and observations during my journeys and from this I create my blog posts and travel features.

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It is a moleskin journal with lined paper. I like the feel of it in my hands- not too heavy, not too light. I can also bend it easily for storage.

Inevitably it ends up in the back pocket of my cycling top, so that I can easily reach behind and whip it out to take a quick note. My pen is always stored inside the journal, easily held in place because the book can be sealed shut with the built-in elastic strap. It also has a built-in bookmark which makes getting to the page I want easy and quick. It performs well when confronted by the worst of Scottish weather or oily hands from its owner. A good all rounder, I would say.

I only started taking notes on my cycling travels in 2011. Cycling trips prior to this live on in memories, but without the richness in detail that comes with writing about it.

I am now onto my second moleskin notebook and soon to be my third. My writing devours pages and I love to record absolutely everything that I see, everything that happens to me. This does mean that I am a slow cyclist because I stop often to write in my journal and to take a closer look at things, but this is the way I like it.
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When time is short and I need to cycle fast I sometimes have to abandon the journal until I reach the end of my journey. This usually means staying up late and writing up my notes, using my photos to jog my memory, which can be exhausting after a day on the saddle. I worry that I forget things, important things that could really make a travel feature shine. Even if I am in a hurry and there is something that happens or something interesting that I see I will pull over and write it down to prevent me forgetting.

I hope that my blogs and travel features are richer and more interesting as a result of my journal, my most valued possession.
5 Comments
Richard link
23/11/2014 05:07:03 am

Neat writing you have there! My wife got me a similar travel journal for my birthday - I tend to draft my blogs posts in it on the train to and from work, then type them up at a later date.

Reply
Colin
26/11/2014 09:52:27 pm

Thanks Richard! It is good doing it the old fashioned way with pen and paper isn't it? I suppose one day in the future we will all be using mobile devices for our notes.

Reply
Johanna Bradley link
21/12/2014 12:07:53 am

I use a notebook too but nothing like so grand, Colin :) And photos to jog the memory when I get home. Just hopped in to wish you merry Christmas and to say thanks for visiting. I love to see you on there. Off to view your Copenhagen pics now- it's on my list :) All the best for 2015.

Reply
Charmaine
1/9/2017 03:36:56 am

I keep a journal also... though I wrote in it at the end of the day, capturing highlights. It's also fun to read them years later! :)

Reply
Colin
1/9/2017 10:00:30 am

Thanks Charmaine. Yes, it helps you to remember everything and look back on memories

Reply



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    My name is Colin Baird and I want to see all of Scotland by bicycle. Follow my blog on Facebook:

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  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Route Map
    • Journeys published on Simonseeks website
  • Where to go in Scotland
    • Aberdeenshire
    • Angus
    • Argyll and Bute
    • Central Scotland
    • Dumfries and Galloway
    • East Lothian
    • Edinburgh and Midlothian
    • Fife
    • Islands
    • Perthshire
    • Scottish Borders
    • Sutherland and Caithness
  • Advice About Cycling in Scotland
    • What kind of bicycle?
    • What gear to buy
    • Taking your bike on the train
    • Coping with traffic
    • Best cycling guide books
    • Best novels about cycling in Scotland
    • Jobs in Scotland
  • Travel Writing Projects/Working with Me
  • Beyond Edinburgh Bike Tour
  • Best Cycling Books