The journey companion

Draw the outline.
Describe the change.

A planning-note structure for urban journeys, with an emphasis on the decisions that happen between parts of a trip.

Describe the intended arrival

Write what the journey needs to make possible. Include the meeting place or final approach when that helps define where the trip actually ends.

Notice whether the return has the same purpose and circumstances. A journey can change when the people, things being carried, or meeting arrangements change.

Sketch the sequence

Draw the movements as a simple outline. Use labels that describe their role in your own plan rather than giving the drawing a false precision.

Keep current details from the actual source beside the sketch. The line can organize the journey without confirming every connection.

Give the transfer a place

Describe how one activity ends and the next begins. Ask what you will need to recognize at the change point.

Leave the answer open when it depends on the actual setting. A clear question is more useful than an assumed path through an unfamiliar place.

Label the planning layers

Separate a checked detail from a preference and an unresolved point. Keep the source with information that depends on the actual journey.

If the plan changes, update the relevant layer. A preference may move while a confirmed arrangement needs a separate check.

Add a return note

Afterward, record the part that the outline did not explain well. Describe the moment and the surrounding circumstances rather than generalizing from a single trip.

Carry forward the question that would have made the change point easier to understand. The next note can become more useful without becoming more elaborate.

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