This quote from Ernest Hemingway seems quite appropriate after recently returning from an overseas trip. There were so many things I saw that made me want to write, but as anyone who travels knows, there is seldom time to do so as you move from one attraction to another. Especially if you are with other people. I was traveling with my husband and two dear friends, and I wasn't about to say, "Can you guys go sit on that rock for an hour or two while I write a story?" I wouldn't say it because I know what the answer would have been. And rightly so!
I think what Hemingway was trying to convey to us is that, once we are away from a place, our mind and imagination takes over and we can be far more creative in our writing. It needs to be a place that impressed you, whether it was somewhere you loved or someplace that gave you the creeps. You need to carry that feeling home with you, dredge it up when you're alone, and then write about it.
One of the places I would like to include in a story is St. Michael's Mount (see picture below). We had a spectacular view of it from our hotel room and we also visited when the tide was out, walking across a cobblestone walkway, then climbing like mountain goats to the castle on top. It was an amazing experience and someday I will write about it. Little things about the day we went there keep popping into my mind, and I should be jotting them down to trigger the memories again.
So, don't despair if you can't write about a place you visit immediately. It may be a blessing in disguise. One reason to keep a daily journal when you travel is so that you can capture some of those on-the-spot reactions while there, then put them all together once home with time at your disposal.
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