Every trip has a good memory, something you laughed at then or something you will laugh at later. Nothing is better than finding that one thing that brings the entire experience back to mind… and makes you laugh again.
It may be something as small as a snowman statue that resembles that hideous one you made — or a map that outlines a trail you followed on an eventful, hilarious hiking trip.
In any case, each time you look at it, you’ll get a smile on your face and think back to that great trip.
A great idea for remembering a special trip is to get a local map in the local language. Maps can range in detail from neighborhood streets to an overview of the region. Find a special interest map, like wine regions throughout France or boutiques along Magazine Street in New Orleans.
Use your map to mark a favorite spots during your trip — or to plan your next day. Write down your experiences and attach it to your map for an instant travelogue. Maps fold up small and are easy to pack on the trip home.
Bonus: you can share your map with friends when you get home, when they decide to go on a similar trip.
When most visitors to Europe think of art they imagine oil-on-canvas masterpieces hanging in distinguished museums. But beer companies adorn their coasters with colorful symbols and European scenes. Collecting them is not only fun, it doesn’t cost anything. When you leave the bar, just grab the circular print of the hearty fraulein holding onto the beer stein and pop it in your pocket.
The multitude of local brews allows you to collect a myriad of regal symbols and pastoral scenes. These remembrances of beers past can mark your trek through local London pubs and Berlin beer gardens.
If you’re traveling abroad on a tight budget with absolutely no extra room in your suitcase for a souvenir, then buy a stamp. Even the lowest denomination stamp of any country is colorful, cheap, and easy to find.
When you get home, mount the stamp in the middle of a piece of poster board, write the details of your trip on the back of the poster board, and put in an inexpensive frame. You’ll have a decorator look on a backpacker’s budget.
If you’re like me, you have to have a t-shirt commemorating every place you’ve visited. However, often times you end up with a drawer full of shirts you use when it’s time to paint the house or mow the lawn. Those “souvenirs” often become less appealing once you’re home.
Don’t despair: turn those shirts into something you can truly treasure by cutting out the front portion of each one, sewing them together, and making a travel quilt. This one-of-a-kind souvenir will bring back wonderful memories every time you snuggle up with it.