We all have made room for souvenirs in our suitcases after a trip. Often I go souvenir shopping for an inexpensive trinket or memento. And occasionally I purchase something more substantial. Regardless, I look for creative ways to document my travel experiences. These purchases rekindle fond memories when we return home or are unable to travel.
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9 Creative Ways to Document Your Travel
Souvenirs Shopping
There’s nothing better than getting some time away from reality and stimulating the mind, body, and spirit. Just got back from an amazing vacation? It was probably great. But with each day, the sensations and memories start to fade. However, you find yourself right where you were when you needed that vacation in the first place. And part of that experience is in the memories you create. There isn’t one thing we look for. I try to find souvenirs that are meaningful to me. And that’s why I love to go souvenir shopping when I travel.
1. Shopping for Collections
Some people collect inexpensive trinkets like shot glasses, others collect Starbucks mugs, t-shirts, or spoons. Who else collects magnets and Christmas ornaments? Collections are usually small and inexpensive too. But I get transported every time I go to the fridge. I love reminiscing during the holidays.
DIY
Get really creative and make your own magnets, using one of your favorite pictures. I uploaded a picture to zazzle.com and they created their magnets. But there are also magnet making kits available at hobby shops.
2. Artwork
Not necessarily inexpensive trinkets, local artwork is a great souvenir. It doesn’t always have to be expensive. Our goal is to find something special just for us. One of the easiest things to transport is rolled paintings, sketches, and watercolors. They are great reminders of your travels that you can frame to suit any room in your home.
Home Decor
Again make your own artwork and upload a picture to Walmart.com or any photo studio. Make sure you take pictures using the highest resolution to ensure you can plow them up without losing quality.
3. Wine
Not all countries produce wine and even fewer produce GOOD wine. But you’d be surprised to find that countries like Hungary, Indonesia, and Switzerland do make very good wine. But not enough or with the desire to export to the rest of the world. Rare wines offer a great opportunity to relive your trip or share your travel mementos with friends and family.
You can purchase it in the airport duty-free shops too. But make sure you know the airlines’ policy beforehand.
4. Spices
I really love bringing spices home from my trips. And I still have a stash of Indonesian curry from a trip I took a year ago. Seal it properly and make sure you research how to keep it fresh. Aromas trigger emotional responses that are vivid and strong. For this reason, inexpensive mementos like spices, coffee, and candy are amazing travel souvenirs.
5. Photo Books
Photos are traditional souvenirs. Take some pictures and put them in an album or better yet, upload them to make digital books using one of the numerous online services like Snapfish or Shutterfly.
A modern take is to purchase an electronic photo frame and upload your photos. This also makes a great gift for the grandparents.
6. Ticket, Attraction Stubs, and Coins
Create a shadow box with ticket and attraction stubs, coins, and small trinkets or mementos and hang on your wall. Get real creative and make t-shirts, blankets, or accent pillows using transfer fabrics.
7. Essential Oils and Perfumes
They say smells take you back faster than any other sense. I believe that wholeheartedly. The scent of curry, lavender, and jasmine take me back to Bali, Provence, and Thailand before. And this is before my mind realizes what’s happening.
8. Maps
Tracing your exact travel plans can be fun and visual too. Maps are great as a background to shadow boxes, but they are also a great memento on their own as DIY framed art, coasters, and puzzles as well.
9. Journals
There are a lot of great journals on the market. And you can collect your notes and itineraries, hold ticket stubs and pictures. Also, they make great resources if you’re a blogger as you write your articles. But they also help friends build their itineraries and share your travels.
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Comments
I would add tea to #4, too! I think documenting and remembering your travel experience is so important. I always buy a memento, such as a magnet or a pin, to remember a trip by. But I also buy postcards to send to friends, and one extra to keep for our family, too.
Great idea! I love collecting souvenirs when I go travelling. Art work and some unique things are my favorite collectible.
This is awesome! I’m constantly trying to find new ways to document our trips! Thank you so much for the suggestions.
I totally agree! I love bringing things back from trips for me and family members.
I love to collect display plate or dish. Totally agree with you all your ideas. Helpful.
I love to collect display plate or dish. Agree with you all your ideas. Helpful.thanks for sharing ?
I don’t know why, but I always love a good magnet! Photobooks are so much fun though. I love putting them together and reliving the memory.
I love these ideas. I try to use a journal to document everything and this is a wonderful list of other options to commemmorate the experience.
I totally agree with you. I would have loved to document my son’s travel with all this but coudln’t get around it.Hopefully next trip.
Great tips. Will definitely be using these for our next vacation. We are always wondering what to buy/keep to document our vacations!
I love all these tips! Your blog makes me want to travel again! I collect shot glasses 🙂
I take tons of pictures of my experiences. I think it’s the easiest way to remember something. But it’s true they say smells, which we often ignore help bring back a memory. Great tips.
Thanks for your tips! Aside from collecting photos (an extra battery and memory card is a must) I also collect maps and travel leaflets. It guides me on my writing.
What amazing ideas!! This is absolutely I will follow every time I will travel. Thanks for sharing this idea.
My family and I have a shot glass collection from places that we have visited. I also take photos and print out photo books.
Great ideas! We collect fridge magnets and at this point I think we need another fridge!!!
I love buying coffee from my trips. This is always my special treat
I love your ideas for documenting travel. The wine idea is my favorite.
What amazing ideas!! I would have to go with spices, although I would use them. Wine, but I would drink those lol, I think Artwork. That is what I would use to document my travels!
I love to bring back some artwork for each trip. Not the tacky tourist stuff, but something interesting and unique.