Over the years the methods for recording special memories have changed a great deal. Once, the only way to journal your experiences was by taking up pen and paper and writing it all out. While many people still prefer the comfort of using a bound journal to describe their trips, we now have so many other options at our fingertips. Especially when traveling, there are many new ways to make a record of your experiences, both so that you can keep your memory fresh, and so that you can share your trip with your friends and family.

If you prefer to keep a hard copy of your experiences, one idea is to make a scrapbook of your trip. Scrapbooking has become very popular, and most stores sell a wide range of materials to make your scrapbook colorful and interesting. As you travel, pick up several brochures and booklets about the area you are visiting or passing through. Cut out interesting bits of information and photographs from these and from local newspapers. Add to these photos that you have taken while traveling. If you keep a written journal you can either add bits of your writing to the scrapbooked pages, or alternate a page of writing with one or more pages of photos. While a scrapbook is a lot of work, it can be a family treasure for years to come.

With digital cameras becoming the norm, it is easier than ever to record your experiences. Digital photos can be uploaded to computers and the internet, printed from home printers, or taken in for professional printing. These cameras also have the capability of creating simple videos of memorable events. Never before has it been so simple to take photos or videos and share them with the world around you.

For photo sharing there are several sites dedicated to photos. You can upload photos and comments to sites such as Flickr or Photobucket. Most of these sites allow for discussion with your visitors, and there are different privacy options to control who you wish to see your images.

With high speed internet and easy access to computers at many hotels and libraries across the country, many people are turning to online journaling solutions. There are so many ways that you can share your experiences that it can be difficult to know where to start.

One popular option is to turn to social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. With these sites you can show off your photos and update your friends with on-going information about your trip. However, because these sites are designed primarily for social interaction and networking, they are limited for the dedicated trip journalist.

Videos are highly popular and can even rack up viewers if they turn out to be popular. The best known site is of course YouTube, where video sharing has become amazingly simple.

But photo sharing and video sharing sites have one little problem. They do not allow you to keep track of your whole trip the way a journal does. You can try using a blog such as Blogger. These allow you to keep track of your trip, post photos, add links, and much more.

There are also sites that specialize in creating friendly, easy-to-share journals for travelers. One such site is MyTripJournal.com. Here you can create your own personal site with all kinds of details about your trip. With a map, photo and video sharing, space for travel stories and many other fun utilities, sites like MyTripJournal are a nice alternative option for keeping track of your trip memories.

Whatever way you decide to do it, keeping a journal of your journey is an important part of your vacation. It is so easy to forget things as time passes, and a journal is the best way to keep those memories fresh. Online or on paper, keep your memories alive so that you can share both now and in the future.