Keeping up with the journaling habit when traveling

Maintaining daily habits becomes ten times harder when you’re away from home. During my recent island resort stay, I discovered that keeping up with my journaling habit required some creativity and flexibility. Rather than abandoning my morning pages, I adapted them to my new environment—finding myself writing poolside with two fountain pens and using music to timebox my session.

✍️ Pack light, write right

Two fountain pens were all I needed. Your writing kit should be minimal but reliable:

• One main pen and a backup – I recommend bringing a fountain pen that isn’t too expensive and/or sentimental like a 🔗 Lamy Safari
• A single notebook that fits your bag – you can opt to dedicate a thin notebook for when you travel: like 🔗 this Tomoe River one
• A simple case to protect your tools
• Travel-friendly ink solutions like the Pineider Ink Well

⏱️ Time boundaries without timers

Traditional timing methods can feel rigid when traveling. I used one album’s length to structure my writing session by the pool. Other natural timers include:

• Your morning coffee ritual
• Sunset or sunrise
• A single location’s visit
• Hotel breakfast hours

💫 Making space anywhere

Your writing spot might be:

• A quiet hotel lobby
• A local coffee shop
• A park bench
• A museum cafe
• A train journey

📝 Adapt your practice

From my pool-side experience, I learned that flexibility matters:

• Use background noise as ambiance
• Write during off-peak hours
• Embrace new environments
• Let location inspire content

🎯 Quick setup guide

• Stay open to interruptions
• Scout your spot the day before
• Have your tools ready
• Set clear but flexible time limits

Traveling doesn’t have to mean pausing your journaling practice. From my poolside writing sessions at the resort, I realized that adapting rather than abandoning my habit led to some of my most insightful entries. The sounds of splashing water, distant conversations, and swaying palms found their way into my words. Different environments bring new perspectives to the page.

Whether you’re writing in a café, on a quiet balcony, or by the beach, the essential elements remain the same: your thoughts, a pen, and paper. What changes is how the world around you influences what appears on the page.

And isn’t that discovery part of why we travel in the first place?