Postcards from the Past: Using Historic Letters and Diaries to Inspire Travel Writing

Long before students could snap a selfie or post a travel vlog, travelers documented their journeys through letters, postcards, and diaries. These intimate, descriptive accounts weren’t just records—they were windows into what it felt like to stand in a foreign square, hear a new language, or see a monument for the first time.

What if students could tap into that tradition as they prepare for their own educational tours? By exploring historic travel writing, teachers can help students sharpen their observation skills and see themselves as storytellers long before departure day.

1. Why Historic Travel Writing Inspires Students

Historic letters and diaries do more than describe places—they capture emotions, culture shock, and curiosity.

• They model vivid description: Students see how travelers bring sights, smells, and sounds to life with words.

• They show the value of reflection: These writings weren’t meant to impress followers; they were meant to preserve memory.

• They humanize history: Reading a student’s letter from 1920 or an explorer’s diary entry makes the past feel relatable.

2. Classroom Activities to Bring This Idea to Life

Try these hands-on activities before your tour:

📜 Primary Source Dive

Bring in excerpts of real travel writing—letters from soldiers in Europe, diary entries from early explorers, or postcards from the 1950s. Have students:

• Highlight descriptive language

• Discuss how the writer felt about their experience

• Imagine what they would have written if they were there

✍️ “Dear Future Me” Letters

Ask students to write a letter to their future selves describing what they hope to feel, see, and learn on their trip. After returning home, they can write a follow-up letter comparing expectations to reality.

📷 Postcard Challenge

Give students a blank postcard template and ask them to write about a local landmark or neighborhood as if they were describing it to someone back home. This gets them thinking about detail and audience before they travel.

📝 Travel Journal Warm-Ups

Practice daily prompts in class for a week before departure:

• What’s one detail about your school day you think a visitor would notice?

• Describe a place you pass every day using only senses other than sight.

• Write about a “journey” you’ve taken—big or small—and what you learned from it.

These exercises help students slow down and practice the kind of mindful noticing that turns a trip into a meaningful memory.

3. Creating a Classroom Travel Archive

Make reflection a shared project by creating a “class travel archive” where students can:

• Compile their journal entries, postcards, or sketches into a single class book

• Share favorite moments with younger students or future travelers

• Reflect on how their trip fits into the bigger story of global exploration and learning

This not only preserves memories but also inspires future groups to keep the tradition alive.

4. Why This Matters Beyond the Trip

Helping students connect with past travelers shows them that they are part of a long human tradition of curiosity and discovery. They learn that their reflections matter—not just as souvenirs, but as pieces of history in the making.

✈️ Final Thought

Travel is more than visiting new places—it’s about documenting how those places change us. By using historic letters, postcards, and diaries as inspiration, teachers can empower students to turn their educational tours into stories worth telling for years to come.