You have hundreds of travel photos. You might have thousands of travel photos. And yes, it’s true, these photos are priceless and you should keep them forever. At the end of Titanic, after all, there’s a reason the camera lingers on the many photos from Rose’s rich life — they easily capture the golden memories.

But. Years from now, when you reflect upon your travels, these photos will only take you so far. They tend to focus on the picturesque highlights — the view of the waterfall, the statue at twilight, the pose (you know the pose) by Machu Picchu. All fine photos. Yet they rarely catch the smaller moments, or the “less visual” nuggets of your travels, like the time they accidentally gave you ten pounds of rice, or when you almost missed your train in Budapest because you had to get a cup of coffee, or that hilarious argument with the snooty maître d’.

Keeping a travel journal has a sneaky upside. You’ll be giving a treasure to your Future Self, and the very act of journaling will help keep you grounded in the moment. Bonus? Studies have linked journaling to a better recall of memories, a lowering of stress and anxiety, and even — in this 2013 study from New Zealand — the ability to recover faster from injuries.

I’m not promising that your travel journal will heal your broken leg. But I’m confident that you’ll get something out of it, that you’ll appreciate it in the future, and that it’s easier than you think. Here’s how to make it happen.