Starting A Travel Bullet Journal for the First Time

Travel Bullet Journal

As I mentioned in my previous post “Start a new Bullet Journal with Me“, I’m travelling back to the UK at the end of August. While I started a new Bullet Journal this July, I didn’t want to take it with me. Not only because its a heavy B5 book, but I wanted to do something different to help document my trip.

After much deliberation, I bit the bullet and bought my first Travel Journal. I didn’t want to take my expensive Bujo with me, adding a lot of weight to my luggage. This was the best option. I went with the Notebook Therapy Hinoki ~ Into The Blossom set.

Daunting Aspect of Travel

I am trying my best to be more organised for this trip. As we are travelling with a 2 year old, I want to be prepared. It is also the first time I’m flying non-direct. So having a connecting flight is a little daunting. Yet my husband is more familiar with the process, so I hope I can just follow his guidance.

As this is my first time doing a travel journal, I am still unsure how to plan out the daily logs for the trip. I am sure inspiration will come to me sooner or later. Therefore, I still have time to browse and find inspiration. I also don’t want to plan a head to much as its more of a chance for me to spend time with my family rather than a busy sightseeing trip. So there will be days where there won’t really be much to write about.

Being with Family

This will be the first time I’ll have support looking after my LO. My parents are really ready to spoil my child and catch up on the hugs they have missed. So its the perfect opportunity for me to relax and unwind a little more. Which is totally needed as I have so stressed recently that I have found I snap a little more than I would like.

This trip is also special, because not only will I be going to the UK to spend time with my family, but my parents are travelling to Japan with us and will be staying with us for just over 3 weeks. Making it the longest time I have spent with my parents since moving to Japan. It feel like all the Christmases we didn’t spend together come together to make one big holiday.

Before We Go

To help planning the trip, I followed Masha Plans guide Plan With Me: Travel Bullet Journal. I wasn’t really sure what spreads I should put at the front on the notebook, and she gives some great ideas. Even though I really felt like I needed to have lists of all the important things, I just didn’t know where to start.

Writing lists and making these spreads have been a great help. Once I started, I felt a little more at ease for being a little prepared. Slowly working on writing things out on paper, rather than just in my head. However, it is daunting to have so much to do, but not a lot of time to do it in.

The before we leave checklist is still not up-to-date as there has been so much to deal with that I have to check things off. Yet, as we now only have a few weeks left, I will try my best to stay focused and use my time wisely. That is the plan anyway.

Travel Planning is Not Easy

However, when it comes to planning the trip, I have only really been focusing on the 1st week of the trip. My husband is only going to be with us for the first week. He has to return to Japan sooner due to work. Its the most important week and I want to show him around the Island where I grew up. So that has been my main focal point at the moment.

One difficulty about planning a trip with other people, is accommodating to everyone. My Husband wants to go explore London. Therefore, we are spending the day we land in London and to Harry Potter Film Studio Tour in the afternoon. It is really going to be a long day. But it is going to make the day feel super long.

Where as my Mother really wants to go to Mt Fuji while in Japan. Organise that has been a challenge, as its not that easy to get to, and travelling with a toddler is not easy. Modes of transport are limited with a Toddler and a buggy. It is unsure if the mode transportation I have chosen is the best. We will just have to wait and see.

Both of these examples means that travelling from where we are staying to these destinations are not as straightforward as one would think. Especially as it takes a couple of hours to get there, and transportation is making it difficult.

Materials

This is something I am currently working on. Making sure I have the best materials and supplies for my travel journal. While I have a lot of supplies on my desk, I am still unsure what would be best suited to take me. I know I shouldn’t go crazy and bring a lot with me, and I need to be careful with pen leakage.

So what would be the best options?

Here is what I have so far;

1. Canon iNSPiC Pocket Printer

This actually arrived this morning. I was looking to add photos to my Travel journal and this was the best option. I have been looking at pocket printers for a while, and finally decided to buy one. This will come in handy for printing out photos for my Mother too, to go in her Bujo.

2. Lihit Lab Triple Zipper Pen Case

I found this on Amazon and I glad I bought the triple zipped one. It has a lot of storage, but I must try my best to not fill it with just pens, I hope it will help store some stickers and maybe washi tapes as well.

3. Tombow PiT Air Glue Tape

These are very popular in Japan are they perfect for any pencil case. As it is refillable, you don’t have to worry about buying the whole thing again. I do need to buy the refills soon, ready for the trip as I plan to scrapbook a little in my Travel Journal.

4. Zebra Mildliners

I love how these are dual tipped, it comes in handy that’s for sure. The colours are what I liked best and I would love to take them with me

5. CLiCKART Pens

CLiCKART pens are what I use a lot when I’m journaling and I would really love to be able to take them with me in my carry on. They are felt tip marker pens, so I hope they will be ok. They are such great pens to use but I don’t want them ruined, but they are easy to buy again here in Japan if need be.

6. Uni-Ball One Gel Ballpoint Pen 0.38 and 0.5

These are great ball-point pens that I use to write in my Bujo. Again, I’m unsure if I should take as I also love using them that I don’t want them ruined but they make my spreads a little more colourful when writing.

7. Copic Multiliners SP; 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7

These are my current go-to pens for drawing boxes in my Bujo. I might also bring a 0.1 as they can add great contrast to the page.

As I said, I will also be bringing some stickers, coloured paper and maybe some Washi tape to help decorate my pages. So I know I might have to cut back on what pens to bring. In my stationery collection, I have some Pentel Brush pens and Tombow ABT dual brush pens that would be great to take too. Its just I need to be strong, and limit down my options. On the other hand, I don’t have to finish all the pages when I’m in the UK either. There is the option of leaving some things in pencil and then use the pens I want when I return to Japan.

Conclusion

While I am still trying my best to think about what materials are best to bring, I still have 25 days to sort it out. Limiting is really important! I really don’t want to go crazy, but at the same time, I want to save money and take what I already have with me.

Overall, I’m really looking forward to this trip! Having not seen my parents in over 6 years, and for them to meet their grandchild face-to-face, is going to make it all worth while.