Through a Journal,
Carol Love Helps Kids Make Important Discoveries Early

– By Dolores Eyler –

Carol Love was a young teen when she started going to Laity Lodge Youth Camp in the hill country of Central Texas. “For the first time, I was forced to answer ‘Who are you?’ in the context of my family, community and world,” she said.

Now 43, Love said those questions are still the key in any passage she undergoes in life, as well as a tool in helping a child become an adult.

In that vein, Love recently published Clever Kids Travel Journal, a 30-page, full-color, quick-jot, tabbed journal to capture a child’s experiences while on family vacation. Written for 8- to 12-year-olds, the half-notebook-sized journal fits easily into a backpack, and asks for short answers, divided into three main categories: Navigate Now (maps), See ’N’ Sketch (writing and drawing about the trip) and Dig ‘N’ Discover (details of specific sites on the trip).

“During this age period, children are moving into understanding who they are and what their gifts are. This tool helps them get ownership of their trip. Our kids are learning fantastic things at home and school, but the opportunity to travel enhances it all. It brings culture to the things they have learned. And this book helps them figure that out and later reminds them of their story.”

Love says the journal is the “fourth generation” of her efforts, begun two years ago in preparation for a family trip to be taken while her husband Dan was on a sabbatical as associate pastor at Rye Presbyterian Church.

“At the time, I was involved in more volunteer projects than was healthy for me or my family,” she said. “I was also eagerly anticipating the sabbatical. I needed space to be open to new creative opportunities. I started researching the history and culture of places we were going to visit on our 10-day journey through the south. I enjoyed that so much, I continued doing it for friends and more family trips.”
In the beginning, Love’s journals, though customized, were cumbersome loose-leaf notebooks, stuffed with computer printouts she had gathered from a myriad of sites, including the Central Intelligence Agency (maps), Kidsites.com (children in history) and the National Park Service.

Soon, Love realized the format was too big and intimidating for some children. “The kids who loved it were the ones who like to read and write, like my daughter, Audrey (now 14),” Love said. But even kids who preferred short answers (“I call Taylor, now 15, my seven-word child”) enjoyed doing it, and personalizing their vacations.

Love also found she was reinventing the wheel. As much as she enjoyed doing the research, she knew the information she was compiling was already available in travel books for children. “I needed a short and sweet attractive piece to also grab the non-writer,” she said. “Sometimes just one word is needed to capture an experience with imagination.”

Love said that motherhood (Hyelom, their youngest child, is 11) has forced her to think creatively. “My children are all so different,” she explained.

Thus, Love developed a shorter, smaller, sassier Clever Kids Travel Journal, which after extensive professional and kid feedback, has evolved into the present one, featuring Cal, Kat, and the robot Tinbot. Using a graphic designer from Pittsburgh, she printed the books at Magjak in Port Chester. Love has also been talking to an educational publisher, with hopes of developing the line into adventure, culture and camp journals. “This process has been such a fun opportunity,” she said. “It has taught me so much about the community of creative people.”

What makes the journal truly individualized are the personal, reflective questions, such as “I would like/not like to live in this part of the world because…” and “I learned the most from this person/situation on my trip….” One of the most popular pages is titled “What the Heck?!?!” and features “My list of surprising and noteworthy goofs.”

Love, who studied interior design at the University of Texas, says she has been asked if she is passionate about her new project. “I tell them I am passionate about the interior design of the soul,” she said. “I believe everyone has a story to tell and this helps them tell theirs.”

The journals are available on-line at CleverKidsTravel.com and at Parkers on Purchase Street, where on June 20 at 4 p.m., Love is leading a workshop, “Where Are You Taking Me?” featuring vacation journaling tips, aimed at 8- to 12-year-olds. For information and registration, call the store at 921-6400. The $16 price includes a journal.