The Soulful Expedition: Enhancing Presence and Self-Awareness with Travel Journals
Presence, to me, is the feeling you are in your body and you are where you are. It’s the relative absence of thoughts and worries; you are awake to the moment you live, feel at peace, and feel connected with everything around you.
Somewhere, while I travel, I’m trying to bring myself back to the present through writing and photography; I’ve been using them to stop thinking and start being present in beautiful details I find unique or stand out from the noise around me.
The results are different when I embrace reality with a curious mind, trying to capture the essence and focusing on the message and its results versus when I’m just present and there.
With presence, I can make better sense of and appreciate the little details, moments and scenes making the place or experience unique, and I can mainly capture them through my writing and lens.
I’ve talked to travellers who say they have to go weeks without picking up the notebook or the camera to feel present in everything they’re witnessing. But I will always write and take photos, which makes me more present. I use them to appreciate and acknowledge the uniqueness of the experience and what I recognise in places, moments, people and things.
This is the humble advice I give myself when I need it to practice presence.
Switching Off
Leaving your phone at home or turning it off can help; you don’t have to answer your emails or check Instagram for the next little while.
Let’s Pause and Enjoy the stillness
Try to take just a few moments to centre and stop your whining mind before you walk into wherever you’re noting or taking pictures. Close your eyes and clear your mind as best you can. This is especially important if you’re meeting someone inside.
Drop expectations
Expectations and judgment kill everything. Go in with the idea that if you get the shots you like, you get them; if not, you can return again.
Don’t read your notes or check your photos while still there. A few learnings made me not even look at the material until I get home or get too critical; it kills it for me ultimately; care and non-judgment.
Just Be
Just be in the space before you pick up your pen and camera. Give your travel some attention and experience the space as you would share it without the notes and camera in your hand and face.
Inspiration
You will notice things you want to capture and express about the place. Wait for the moments and scenes to present themselves to you a little.
Don’t Force It
Don’t try to look for things to write and photograph. To move into presence, stop thinking and try to sense the reality around you. What makes the experience feel unique? What stands out to you?
Spend Time Appreciating
Move around the space gently, appreciating what you can see and what is unfolding you. Capture what you appreciate.
Another benefit of being very present while taking notes and photographs is you can be alert to the moments if you let them flow.
Acknowledge The Process
Acknowledge you might not appreciate the material you’re gathering at the moment.
Wait until you get home; even give it a few hours before you look at your content. You’re not a subjective viewer; you create these experiences through writing, imagery, or moodboards. Once you’ve created space to become objective, you might see them for what they are.
Edit and Publish without delay
The longer the wait to make sense of the material, produce it and put it into a story, the less connected the experience.
I get further away from the memory of the moment as time passes. It can make the process more labour-intensive as I try to put myself back in the moment.
