In a recent post on her blog called, in my spare time, Jan from New South Wales, Australia, has beautifully drawn maps and info in her rebound Moleskine-like sketchbook (she even did the rebinding herself!) in preparation for her trip to Paris. The sketches and teeny tiny info are amazing and avoid having to lug around a whole guide book that she doesn’t really need, plus it’s all part of her travel journal/sketchbook that will have her personal observations and experiences of her trip in drawings and writing. I am already dying to see it and she hasn’t even gone yet.

She used the maps and travel information from an old 1969 Guide France, which she also rebound – then sketched what she’s planning to do during her trip. I love this idea because it’s meaningful and personal (she didn’t just photocopy pages she needed) and shows how much she’s looking forward to the trip by spending so much of her time in preparation.

In a way it makes me feel guilty when I think of my first solo trip to Europe that lasted 4 months and I traveled all over. I had a huge guidebook and after I visited a place, I’d tear out and throw away the pages of the book related to that place, to lighten my backpack! (I know, how wasteful of me. I’m not as wasteful anymore, if that helps.)

Lastly, I admire how Jan loves old books so much so that she rebinds them to give them a re-birth instead of just tossing them in the trash. More people should be so thoughtful and kind to the environment. Thanks for sharing your wonderful blog, Jan.

See Jan’s Paris sketches

[via Angry B]