I'm preparing for a trip to Vietnam in a couple weeks with my boyfriend, and figured it would be a great opportunity to work on my travel writing, since how often do you get such great original material to work with? So I've been browsing travel magazines and such, and while I was in the bookstore I picked up a new book by Lavinia Spalding called "Writing Away: A Creative Guide to Awakening the Journal-Writing Traveler".

I have to say, it was fascinating. She starts with some ideas and tips for how to get started, pick a journal and motivate yourself to write regularly (which I definitely need - and she's got some good new ideas in there!), and then several chapters on how to really write well about your experience, and actually use writing to make your experience even more amazing. She argues that by sitting down and writing you really pay attention to the details of your everyday life, and can really experience deeper and travel more mindfully. She's got tons of prompts and tips and tricks, and I totally trust her on these things because her writing is great - it was definitely a fun read, not a boring/dry how-to book.

Also, I was surprised by her argument for the handwritten rather than the new travel blog. I've tried and mostly liked blogs in the past, but she put in some really good arguments for the good old fashioned journal. I'm definitely going to take one with me on this trip.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who will be going on a trip soon, or just wants to work on their writing - her ideas work just as well for the everyday writing, and help to motivate you to live mindfully by doing it. It's offered on Amazon.com or from the publisher, Travelers' Tales, on the website Writing Away - A Creative Guide to Awakening the Journal-Writing Traveler - By Lavinia Spalding. I'm going to buy a couple extra copies for presents - I figure that some of my friends will be going on trips soon too, or people I know who are heading off to college away from home or going abroad, or... there are so many people I could give it to!

~Becky