A collage of four scenic locations: a lavender field with Mount Fuji in the background, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, a tropical resort with a pool and deck chairs, and a beach with a leaning palm tree and ocean.

Wander with Intention

A Soulful Guide to Travel Journaling

A smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing earrings and a purple vest over a black shirt. She is sitting outdoors with a background featuring graffiti art.

About The Guide

Cover of a travel journal titled "Wonder with Intention" featuring three travel photos: the Eiffel Tower, a palm tree by the beach, and a historic building.

Travel journaling isn’t about perfect pages—it’s about noticing the little moments that matter.

The glow of morning light on a quiet street. A stranger’s smile as they share something with you. The small details that make a trip unforgettable.

This guide will help you capture those experiences in a way that feels natural and personal. Not just a record of where you went, but a way to hold onto how it felt to truly be there.

Because the small moments? They’re worth keeping.

Because the moments that move you are too precious to forget.

Why Travel Journal?

Photos capture places, but they often miss the small, magical details that make a trip unforgettable. A journal helps you hold onto those moments—the morning light on stone walls, a stranger’s kindness at the market, the feeling of finding your way in a new city. I learned this after a trip to Hawaii, when I realized my photos couldn’t bring back the experiences I thought I’d never forget.

Travel journaling isn’t about documenting everything—it’s about noticing what made you pause, smile, or feel alive. Your journal becomes a home for these memories, so you can return to them long after the trip is over.

About Wander with Monica

After years of exhausting business trips and back-to-back flights, I stepped away from the corporate world. I didn't have a grand plan—I just knew that my heart longed for something more.

My work had taken me all over the country (47 of the 50 states). I spent years rushing through airports and staying in hotel rooms that blurred together. For a long time, I thought I didn't like to travel. But after a few thoughtful vacations with my husband, I realized it wasn't travel I disliked—it was the way I had been doing it.

Now when I travel, what stays with me are the quiet moments: a cup of coffee in a small café, the relaxing sound of waves through an open window, the unexpected joy of catching the sunset. Those are the kinds of moments I seek now—and the ones I share through my writing.

That's what this guide is really about—helping you find those moments of connection and presence, whether you're exploring a new city or simply sitting with your journal as the day winds down. Travel journaling isn't just about recording what happened; it's about staying awake to your own experience and carrying those feelings with you long after you return home.After years of exhausting business trips and back-to-back flights, I stepped away from the corporate world. I didn't have a grand plan—I just knew that my heart longed for something more.

My work had taken me all over the country (47 of the 50 states). I spent years rushing through airports and staying in hotel rooms that blurred together. For a long time, I thought I didn't like to travel. But after a few thoughtful vacations with my husband, I realized it wasn't travel I disliked—it was the way I had been doing it.

Now when I travel, what stays with me are the quiet moments: a cup of coffee in a small café, the relaxing sound of waves through an open window, the unexpected joy of catching the sunset. Those are the kinds of moments I seek now—and the ones I share through my writing.

That's what this guide is really about—helping you find those moments of connection and presence, whether you're exploring a new city or simply sitting with your journal as the day winds down. Travel journaling isn't just about recording what happened; it's about staying awake to your own experience and carrying those feelings with you long after you return home.

If this kind of thoughtful travel speaks to you, I'd love to stay connected.

You can find me at wanderwithmonica.com or on Instagram @wanderwithmonica, where I share heartfelt travel stories, quiet reflections, and inspiration for wandering with intention.

Thanks for letting me be part of your journey.