Journaling & Blogging

What's the difference between a journal and a blog? Well, maybe a journal is essentially private, and a blog is a pubic record of your experience. Many of the same principles of thinking and writing about what's going on inside of you while you are overseas apply whether you are keeping a journal or writing a blog, so please have a look at these tips about journaling, and see more information specific to blogs further down this page.

Keeping a Journal

Used with permission from Sylvie Burnet-Jones, University of Colorado-Boulder; Barbara Kappler, University of Minnesota; and the website of the International Centre, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario

Think of a journal as a written and visual record of your experience abroad that you will have for years to come. You can document your travels, display souvenirs, describe a city, tell a story about someone you met on the train, keep a vocabulary list, or analyze a political discussion that you heard that day. You can start now -- before you leave -- and continue journaling after your return. You won’t regret it.

Reasons for keeping a journal

to record your goals and personal agenda for your sojourn abroad
to list the addresses and references you collect
to use as a diary during your time abroad to record your travel and daily routines
to act as a vehicle for creative thinking through observation, reflection and analysis
to assist in the cultural adaptation process
to record your feelings upon re-entry

Hints on journal writing

write in the same fashion as you would in a letter to a close friend
provide a context for the stories you relate
include specific names of things you discover in your new environment
translate words
use adjectives and adverbs to increase the descriptive quality of the text
tell stories; quote from the people you meet

Some questions to consider

Before leaving

Why did I select the program I did?
What do I want to get out of this experience?
How can I make friends in the host culture?
If I expect to improve my language skills, will I have to avoid other English speakers?
Am I concerned about missing friends, family? How will I stay in touch with them?
How would I describe the U.S? Americans? Myself as an American?

While in the host country

What are my initial reactions? Are they different than my companions’ reactions?
What type of experience engages me most? Isolates me most?
What interaction was the most confusing of the past week? The most stressful?
Who was most helpful to me this past week?
What am I doing to meet people?
Am I being viewed as an individual, as an American, as a foreigner?
Have my goals changed?

Upon returning

What did I learn about the host culture? About myself? How can I apply this information?
Who will listen to my stories? How can I get more involved in international activities?
Do I think of America any differently now that I have returned?
What advice would I give to those who are leaving tomorrow for my host culture?

If you’re interested in more information on journaling, and journaling in the context of living in a new culture, check out the following books:

Writing across Culture: An Introduction to Study Abroad and the Writing Process. Kenneth Wagner, Tony Magistrale, and Kenneth Warner.
Charting a Hero’s Journey. Linda A. Chisholm.

Blogs

...or, make a travel-themed blog!

Need inspiration?

See our page of "Hawks Abroad" student blogs for ideas. We have quite a few bloggers in quite a few countries, and some of them are bound to give you ideas.

Go here to read an article from Forbes listing the “Top 10” travel blogs.

Or here to visit a site that chronicles the lives of four students studying abroad in different countries. You can learn about (and from) their experiences and also give them advice.

This site showcases well-written blogs from people traveling to amazing places.