Does anyone else re-read their own, old trip reports?
Mar 1st, 2008, 02:28 AM
#1
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Does anyone else re-read their own, old trip reports?
I just read one of mine from two years ago. Woh, what great memories. How long will they stay on this site? I really should print it. It was great to read and re-live an amazing holiday.
Mar 1st, 2008, 04:21 AM
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Actually I do the opposite what Ira said, I write the report in a word document and then post it here (sometimes you have to edit it a little to make things like quotation marks show up). I have a large, beautifuly leather covered book that I put all my trip reports in (print them out and paste them in the book). I love re-reading them. And my goal is to have the book full by the time I'm 80 or 90 and can't travel anymore and I'll sit in my rocking chair and re-read all my trip reports and gaze at my photos. The book is really big so I NEED to take a LOT more trips.
Mar 1st, 2008, 04:43 AM
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isabel, what a beautiful idea! Thanks for posting it.
A possible tip for typing ahead and then posting: If you are using MS Word, a lot of behind-the-scenes formatting happens automatically. For example, quotation marks. Look in the AutoFormat options and see if the box is checked for turning straight quotes into smart quotes (with the curly shapes). Turning off any AutoFormatting is one option. What I have also done is type in Word and then copy/paste into NotePad, which is a plain text environment; all the hidden formatting is gone, no place to exist in plain text. I fix any necessary appearances for paragraphs (the quotes will have fixed themselves to plain text straight quotes) and then copy/paste to the Web.
And for aussiedreamer's question: Yes, I have re-read my trip report (just one trip under my belt). It reminded me of things I posted as ideas for my next trip (coming this spring).
The question of how long they'll stay .. write the editors? My personal thought is they'll stay for as long as Fodor's carries this forum, but confirm that with a direct e-mail. Cheers!
A possible tip for typing ahead and then posting: If you are using MS Word, a lot of behind-the-scenes formatting happens automatically. For example, quotation marks. Look in the AutoFormat options and see if the box is checked for turning straight quotes into smart quotes (with the curly shapes). Turning off any AutoFormatting is one option. What I have also done is type in Word and then copy/paste into NotePad, which is a plain text environment; all the hidden formatting is gone, no place to exist in plain text. I fix any necessary appearances for paragraphs (the quotes will have fixed themselves to plain text straight quotes) and then copy/paste to the Web.
And for aussiedreamer's question: Yes, I have re-read my trip report (just one trip under my belt). It reminded me of things I posted as ideas for my next trip (coming this spring).
The question of how long they'll stay .. write the editors? My personal thought is they'll stay for as long as Fodor's carries this forum, but confirm that with a direct e-mail. Cheers!
Mar 1st, 2008, 05:30 AM
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I haven't written any trip reports on Fodors, although I admire those who do take the time to do that. I used to write in a travel journal when I first started doing major trips and everything was new to me, but I admit I've bogged down on that and don't now, even when going to a new place.
But I have read some of my travel journals from what I first went to Europe, from a perspective of 20 years later, and found them very amusing. Some of the remarks I made were kind of funny (I remember the complaints about the cost of a cup of coffee and talking about how tall everybody was in Amsterdam), but sometimes I am actually impressed with the comments and details and feelings I had, as I didn't remember spending that much time on them.
I like the idea of travel journals, which I think I got from my mother who first traveled to Europe just out of college (sort of that grand tour thing, she was from a comfortable family, but not super rich) with a girlfriend. This was around the Depression, and during a time when most people didn't go to Europe, anyway.
You should keep those travel journals, as I remember when she was very ill and just before she passed away at age 92, my mother wanted to re-read those journals of her trips when she was younger. They were probably somewhere in some boxes in the house, but my sister who had them couldn't find them, and that always bothered me that we couldn't have found them for her to read again and re-live those memories.
Some things never change, though, I remember her telling me that when they were in Italy (now this was around 1930), some Italian men tried to pick her up, and her girlfriend. I thought that was really funny, my mother using the word "pick-up", which she did, and talking about that, as my mother was pretty sedate and never talked about things like that.
But I have read some of my travel journals from what I first went to Europe, from a perspective of 20 years later, and found them very amusing. Some of the remarks I made were kind of funny (I remember the complaints about the cost of a cup of coffee and talking about how tall everybody was in Amsterdam), but sometimes I am actually impressed with the comments and details and feelings I had, as I didn't remember spending that much time on them.
I like the idea of travel journals, which I think I got from my mother who first traveled to Europe just out of college (sort of that grand tour thing, she was from a comfortable family, but not super rich) with a girlfriend. This was around the Depression, and during a time when most people didn't go to Europe, anyway.
You should keep those travel journals, as I remember when she was very ill and just before she passed away at age 92, my mother wanted to re-read those journals of her trips when she was younger. They were probably somewhere in some boxes in the house, but my sister who had them couldn't find them, and that always bothered me that we couldn't have found them for her to read again and re-live those memories.
Some things never change, though, I remember her telling me that when they were in Italy (now this was around 1930), some Italian men tried to pick her up, and her girlfriend. I thought that was really funny, my mother using the word "pick-up", which she did, and talking about that, as my mother was pretty sedate and never talked about things like that.
Mar 1st, 2008, 05:40 AM
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Yes, but I don't read them here. I have all mine on my website I started 10 years ago when my husband and I did a 9 month RTW trip. I've kept it up for a dozen or so trips since then.
We often refer back to settle a "discussion" or find a recommendation for someone. When looking for a specific detail, I find myself re-reading pages and pages and getting sucked in to a trip down memory lane.
I've also created scrapbooks with photos and bits of my journal for my Mother for the trips I've gone on with her. Those are also nice too look at and I'm sure someday will be mine.
We often refer back to settle a "discussion" or find a recommendation for someone. When looking for a specific detail, I find myself re-reading pages and pages and getting sucked in to a trip down memory lane.
I've also created scrapbooks with photos and bits of my journal for my Mother for the trips I've gone on with her. Those are also nice too look at and I'm sure someday will be mine.
Mar 1st, 2008, 05:52 AM
#9
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My Italy report. When I need a laugh, or someone needs some info on Rome I go back to it. It was my first real trip report here on Fodor's and I got tore up one side and down the other. But the hard knocks made me learn a lesson. And to know you have to have tough skin on fodor's or some people will eat you up.
Mar 1st, 2008, 05:58 AM
#10
Except for my last trip, all my trip reports are on my web site (I need to rearrange things to make room for the last one). I do go back to look at them when I'm answering questions on fodors, and quite often I then wind up reading more than I need to. I figure you can enjoy a trip at least three ways - once while you're planning, once during the trip itself, and again afterwards when you go through your photos. But if you write a trip report you can keep on enjoying it....
Mar 1st, 2008, 05:59 AM
#11
Oh, yes. I write them in Word and paste them here. I love to read them. I am grateful to this site for giving me the idea of writing them at all. But I am mostly writing them for me; I certainly get more enjoyment out of reading them than any of the other people upon whom I foist them.
Mar 1st, 2008, 06:25 AM
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Welllll, I have a trip report on here from 1984...
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34873874
Actually, I keep a notebook with me on trips, and usually only use about a third of it, so I alternate the books and take one from a few years earlier on my "new" trip. It's at that point that I mostly reread them, rather than on here, but I do use the ones on here for giving people references.
I love reading over my old trip journals; makes me wish, almost, that I kept a daily journal like my grandmother did, but the trip ones are enough to go through.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34873874
Actually, I keep a notebook with me on trips, and usually only use about a third of it, so I alternate the books and take one from a few years earlier on my "new" trip. It's at that point that I mostly reread them, rather than on here, but I do use the ones on here for giving people references.
I love reading over my old trip journals; makes me wish, almost, that I kept a daily journal like my grandmother did, but the trip ones are enough to go through.
Mar 1st, 2008, 06:54 AM
#14
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In 2005, I put a trip report on New Zealand on the Australia site, and now it has became <i>impossible</i> for me to find by regular searching. I found it by right-clicking on my name and going back from there through 1800 posts.
So I suggest that in addition to your report, you save the URL of your post, in case it gets lost on Fodors and want to refer to it later.
So I suggest that in addition to your report, you save the URL of your post, in case it gets lost on Fodors and want to refer to it later.
Mar 1st, 2008, 07:37 AM
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I do like the tangible and always carry a travel journal in which I write. As well, I love sending (and receiving) postcards - hand-written ... a lost art, I believe! And yes, I love rereading our travel stories. I am immediately transported to faraway places and reality is suspended for that short time!
Mar 1st, 2008, 08:32 AM
#16
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I also write mine in Word and then cut and paste it to Fodors. Although I hope I'm giving people information for their trips in the reports, I'm really writing them for myself as well. I love to go back and reread them. And as others have said, if I refer back to one for information for someone, I usually end up reading much more of it than just that part.
Mar 1st, 2008, 01:04 PM
#17
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what a great response, thanks. I will definately save them in 'My Doucuments'. Some great ideas, I also keep a travel journal, from which I attempt to write my report.
I would hate to lose either.
Happy Travels (about 8 weeks 'till our UK driving holiday.........
)
I would hate to lose either.
Happy Travels (about 8 weeks 'till our UK driving holiday.........
)
Mar 1st, 2008, 01:28 PM
#18
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I keep a travel journal on each trip, sometimes with complete accounts, sometimes with just outlines and notes. When I get back, I usually type up the journal into a trip report, and save them on the computer. Sometimes I post them on Fodors (have posted 5 or 6, I guess), and when I do, I email the link to myself and file it in a folder in my email software.
I refer to my journals and trip reports very frequently, when planning another trip, or giving advice to others, or just to re-live the memories.
After my Romania trip, I used www.blurb.com to create a beautiful hard cover book (with dust jacket!)with my journal as text and my photos. I've had relatives, friends and even acquaintances ask to order a copy of the book!
On our first family trip to Europe my girls (then 11 and 13) kept little travel journals. Their observations are insightful and often quite funny. I recently typed these up and plan to make a blurb.com book for them, incorporating our pictures and scans of some objects we collected on the trip.
I refer to my journals and trip reports very frequently, when planning another trip, or giving advice to others, or just to re-live the memories.
After my Romania trip, I used www.blurb.com to create a beautiful hard cover book (with dust jacket!)with my journal as text and my photos. I've had relatives, friends and even acquaintances ask to order a copy of the book!
On our first family trip to Europe my girls (then 11 and 13) kept little travel journals. Their observations are insightful and often quite funny. I recently typed these up and plan to make a blurb.com book for them, incorporating our pictures and scans of some objects we collected on the trip.
Mar 1st, 2008, 01:58 PM
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I also write it in a Word doc and then post it here and yes I read mine again and again. Sometime just to remember the name of a street or hotel but it's always fun to me. I also then make a 100 page color book from www.mypublisher.com with the entire trip report and images. They have a 100 page limit so I actually had to split my trip into 2 book.
