diff --git a/services/travel-memories/app/state.py b/services/travel-memories/app/state.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0dc68b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/travel-memories/app/state.py
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+import json
+import os
+from dataclasses import dataclass, field, asdict
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Optional
+
+from flask import current_app
+
+
+@dataclass
+class Photo:
+    id: str
+    original_filename: str
+    local_datetime: str
+    tag: str = "untagged"   # untagged | journal | story | skip
+    order: int = 0
+
+
+@dataclass
+class Group:
+    id: str
+    photo_ids: list = field(default_factory=list)
+    entry_type: str = "journal"   # journal | story
+    title: str = ""
+    body: str = ""
+    location_city: str = ""
+    location_country: str = ""
+    date: str = ""
+    hero_photo_id: Optional[str] = None
+    shortcode_hints: str = ""
+    status: str = "draft"   # draft | written | skipped | exported
+
+
+@dataclass
+class TripState:
+    album_id: str
+    album_name: str
+    grav_trip_slug: str
+    phase: str = "triage"
+    phases_completed: list = field(default_factory=list)
+    phase_stale: list = field(default_factory=list)
+    photos: list = field(default_factory=list)
+    groups: list = field(default_factory=list)
+    notes: str = ""
+
+
+def _state_path(album_id: str, app) -> Path:
+    return Path(app.config["STATE_DIR"]) / f"{album_id}.json"
+
+
+def load_state(album_id: str, app) -> Optional[TripState]:
+    path = _state_path(album_id, app)
+    if not path.exists():
+        return None
+    with open(path) as f:
+        data = json.load(f)
+    photos = [Photo(**p) for p in data.pop("photos", [])]
+    groups = [Group(**g) for g in data.pop("groups", [])]
+    return TripState(photos=photos, groups=groups, **data)
+
+
+def save_state(state: TripState, app) -> None:
+    path = _state_path(state.album_id, app)
+    path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    tmp = path.with_suffix(".tmp")
+    with open(tmp, "w") as f:
+        json.dump(asdict(state), f, indent=2)
+    os.rename(tmp, path)
diff --git a/services/travel-memories/tests/test_state.py b/services/travel-memories/tests/test_state.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3bba99f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/travel-memories/tests/test_state.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+import json
+import pytest
+from pathlib import Path
+from app.state import TripState, Photo, Group, load_state, save_state
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def app_ctx(flask_app):
+    with flask_app.app_context():
+        yield flask_app
+
+
+def test_save_and_load_roundtrip(app_ctx, state_dir):
+    state = TripState(
+        album_id="test-album",
+        album_name="Test",
+        grav_trip_slug="test-trip",
+        photos=[Photo(id="p1", original_filename="a.jpg",
+                      local_datetime="2023-01-01T10:00:00")],
+        groups=[],
+    )
+    save_state(state, app_ctx)
+    loaded = load_state("test-album", app_ctx)
+    assert loaded.album_id == "test-album"
+    assert loaded.photos[0].id == "p1"
+
+
+def test_atomic_write_uses_tmp(app_ctx, state_dir, monkeypatch):
+    written_paths = []
+    real_rename = __import__("os").rename
+    def fake_rename(src, dst):
+        written_paths.append(src)
+        real_rename(src, dst)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("app.state.os.rename", fake_rename)
+    state = TripState(album_id="atomic-test", album_name="X", grav_trip_slug="x")
+    save_state(state, app_ctx)
+    assert any(str(p).endswith(".tmp") for p in written_paths)
+
+
+def test_load_nonexistent_returns_none(app_ctx):
+    assert load_state("no-such-album", app_ctx) is None
+
+
+def test_exported_status_field_preserved(app_ctx):
+    state = TripState(
+        album_id="export-test", album_name="E", grav_trip_slug="e",
+        groups=[Group(id="g1", photo_ids=[], entry_type="journal",
+                      status="exported")]
+    )
+    save_state(state, app_ctx)
+    loaded = load_state("export-test", app_ctx)
+    assert loaded.groups[0].status == "exported"