If a close friend or family member is unable to go on a trip with you, enlarge a photograph of their face and attach a paint-stirrer to the back with duct-tape. Take pictures of you and the face in key locations on the trip, such as at monuments and attractions.
You can then send the photos to the person in a letter to remind them that they’re there in spirit! This souvenir idea is both thoughtful and frugal!
On your long flight, learn a simple magic trick.
You can learn some tricks for free on the Internet. For example, a trick with your business card may impress your international client or maybe someone you find interesting. At the very least, you may entertain a child for a few minutes.
Magic tricks don’t always require speaking, so it’s a great ice breaker even with a language barrier.
One way to never forget the essentials is to maintain a “forever-packed travel bag.”
Find a small travel case and put travel sizes of all the basics — a toothbrush, floss, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, styling products, comb or brush, contact lens solution, soap, razor, shaving cream and lotion — inside. Other items to consider adding include safety pins, nail clippers, emery boards, shower cap and shoe shine cloth.
Each time you return from a trip, replenish what you used out of the bag before you put it away. Then, the next time you need to pack, you’ll save yourself time (no need to repack) and worry (“What did I forget?!”).
The expression “dirt cheap” applies to my keepsake hunting.
I like to collect soil from different historical locations. I then take said dirt home and mix it into my garden. My garden has soil from Normandy, Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, Kitty Hawk, Jerusalem, Fenway Park, Sarajevo, Kuwait, Mogadishu (my husband was in the military), and dozens of other spots.
My sister thinks that it’s sort of ghastly that I steal soil from what is essentially, in places like Antietam, a mass grave. I point out that over 22,000 people died to help grow my Shasta daisies.
To each, their own.
When traveling on overnight trains…
1.) Put your backpack/travel bag in a pillowcase while you sleep on it on an overnight train. It provides an obstacle for thieves.
2.) Also, set up the Coke-can warning system on your compartment door. Put some pennies in a drink can and tie it to the door.