More Istanbul found collage materials. This time a poster ripped off a pole on a slow walk home. Love those giant b&w letters and numbers.
Maps. An old strip of wallpaper. Whatever catches my eye.
There is so much to pour into a travel journal. In a way it’s like a long string of love letters you write to a place. Some of these I make public here, but there are others that are just between Istanbul and I. There are so many things I think about when I travel. And so many big thoughts I store away to think about later.
For me… the journal is a vessel.
A blog reader sent me this beautiful quote from a book she’s reading: Foolsgold by Susan G Wooldridge…
Anywhere you travel, fully touch down. Take in what the natural world has to offer with body, soul, and spirit. Get to the heart of each place. It will offer blessings if you ask. Wander to the center of town. Eat at a central cafe. Read local news. Learn songs and words of a new language. Talk to the people in a park or pub. Find out what trees, flowers, plants thrive there. Explore land at it’s edges. Watch the birds. Find a perch by water and be there, senses open. Let your feet, skin, eyes, ears, nose absorb where you are, along with all the other senses you can’t name. Go barefoot when you can and feel the energy of the earth rising through your feet. Be ready to touch down somewhere new and live in another realm.
Mary Ann I love the photograph with yours and Sister’s shadows in it. Nicely done. It’s interesting and a nice rest for the eyes after all the Instanbul color and pattern. What a beautiful journal.
We have a real Mary Ann love fest going on here — and I’m in! I love the journal and what you wrote about it. Love letters to a place — yes! I have a few of those too…..thanks for sharing.
Love the journal, love the quote.
Mary Ann, your journal is a wonderful example of really *being* in and with a place, becoming one with it. You inspire me to try and capture the beauty and wonder of each day and not just on my travels.
you awaken travel yearning in my soul with your soft words and beautiful amazing expressive journal pages!
Good Mornin’ to you
Miss Mary Ann ( sung way off key and I need big mug O joe)
YES, a vessel. I was trying to figure out a way to describe how I feel about journals to someone and you simply nailed it. YES, YES, OHHHHH YES. I couldn’t agree more. And of course love that quote!!!! 😉
Your travel journals always take my breath away. Thanx for sharing.
So very wonderful and Inspiring!!!! The quote is a fabulous reminder to drink in our surroundings!! there is so much to learn, wherever we are!!!
Thanks so much for these inspiring journals!! your creativity is overwhelming and I´m so infected that I started a 36 page journal yesterday evening…
Now I´m thinking about joining your class, but I´m afraid of hardly understanding everything…
Interesting — ‘Taksim’ Urdu is ‘division’ — Pakistan uses it to describe the partition of India into 2 countries in 1947. I looke up taksim (from your sign) in a Turkish – English online dictionary & found the same meaning. Wonder what the sign was about. I’m loving your journal(s) and also your generosity in sharing sources of the materials you use, and methods.
Just lovely
This journal is just breathtaking! I can almost hear Istanbul in the background – the sound of traffic, snippets of conversation, blasts of loud music, the call of the muezzin…