Not so many years ago I traveled with 20 rolls of film and a travel journal. I ditched the film in 2006 and the journal in 2008. I wouldn’t trade my digital camera for anything, but I regret not keeping up with my travel writing.

Documenting where you have been is a great way to relax at the end of a busy day of hard-core touring. Are you going to remember the unique characteristics of the Michaelangelo you saw 15 years from now? Probably not. And what about that unique encounter with a local that made you shudder or made your day? Write it down.

The other way of journaling about your travels is to photograph. I’m not talking about the perfect scene of Paris that is hung on a wall. While getting those types of shots can sometimes make your day on a trip, snapshots are what jar memories for me.

When I was in Florence one afternoon, I took the picture on the left. I wanted to show the massiveness of The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (The Duomo) from a side street. As I was photographing, the man on the right walked up to me and said, “I am as beautiful as this street. Don’t you want my picture?” And then he gave me that grin. When I look back at my pictures from that trip, I am always reminded of that moment when I see this silly grin.

Do you have a special travel memory or encounter with a local you want to share? Post your stories and photos at the Travel Snapshots Group Flickr page!