Trip Souvenirs: light on your wallet and on your pack
Memories, mementos, and knick knacks…if you’re like me, you might enjoy delighting family and friends with trinkets from your adventures. Shopping can easily get expensive and heavy, so here is a list of things you can bring back without breaking the bank or your back.
Photographs It’s probably a given, but photographs are my favorite way to remember my trip and share the travel adventures with others. I post adventures on social media so family can follow along in real time and I can easily go back and revisit. I also enjoying working on photos when I return home to create one of a kind wall art! Why hang a generic poster of the Eiffel Tower when you can display your own, from YOUR perspective? The photos below are typical Iceland and southwest shots, but they’re MY shots and hang on the living room wall at home.
Post When we visited the Vatican, we sent postcards home with the rare postmark. It’s an example of something you cannot get anywhere else! Even without a unique postmark, postcards are always appreciated and enjoyed. Visit the local post office (an experience in itself!) and collect a stamp or two especially if they highlight national treasures such as important figure heads, events/history or national holidays. If you don’t use them to send post, they can be easily shadowboxed later for display.
Print: Newspaper, maps, etc. One of my favorite souvenirs is the train map from Chicago. Matted and framed these items can look pretty cool and are usually free.
Currency Coins and crisp bills are a nice way to highlight your trip. In Belize, I went straight to the local bank and asked for every denomination up to the $10 amount. The bills were in perfect condition and it was fun getting them out for friends to see and examine.
If allowed, Earth I am guilty of pocketing a small rock or handful of sand. I have a very, very small collect of these from my travels in small .25 ounce containers. What astounds me most is the diversity of their contents, even within the continental United States. For example my tiny bits of driftwood from Washington State vs. the powdery sand of Destin astound me.
Sweets and Alcohol Minis Go to the grocery store (not the duty free shop at the airport) and select the most interesting items in the sweets section. I did this in Budapest and ended up with a collection of candies to share during family time. The alcohol minis are great because most airlines will let you travel with three in a carry on provided they’re in a ziplock bag.
Anything from a grocery store, really… In Nepal I found several touristy tea boxes in Thamel, but in Butwal we bought a container of what we’d been drinking the entire time. It was nice to have it in the kitchen and share with friends. Grocery stores are a travelers best friend!
Christmas Ornaments or something that can be crafted into a Christmas ornament. I try to collect ornaments that are actually made where I am visiting which is sometimes why I opt for a small items that can be transformed into an ornament (a seashell, a tabasco bottle and ribbon, etc.) “Made in China” doesn’t really do it for me. I date the bottom of the ornament and every year relive adventures as we dress the tree.
Hopefully some of these souvenir ideas inspire the traveler in you to think outside the box vs. outside your bag. Although the best part are the memories, sometimes it’s sweet to gift a little memento from a far away place. Happy souvenirs hunting!
