Hi everyone, it’s Abbey, and this video is basically my post-road-trip debrief—aka the very real “hodgepodge” unpacking of my travel journal kit after three weeks in the US. I went on my first-ever US road trip (plus SF Pen Show workshops and some SoCal time), and I’m showing you the messy aftermath: sticker books, receipts, Instax photos, brochures I tore up (yes, including IHOP), visitor center goodies, and the folder I used to corral all the ephemera I couldn’t deal with until I got home. I also walk you through the journaling system that actually kept me accountable while traveling. My big takeaway: I didn’t journal “on the go” as much as I thought I would, so I compromised. I used a passport Traveler’s Notebook insert to collect stamps and quick notes (super compact, easy to pull out at visitor centers), and I stayed diligent with my nightly routine in my everyday system—my Hobonichi Techo—so I’d have a reliable record to refer back to when I build the full travel spreads later. And if you’re a design nerd like me, you’ll love the Unigrid maps and the WPA-style prints/postcards I picked up. I’m picky about souvenirs (patches, pins, typography, color palettes), because if it’s going on my cover or into my journal, I want to love looking at it—again and again.