Undoubtedly, when traveling we have experiences that will last a lifetime as we explore the world and dip our toes in unfamiliar cultures and customs. However, it can also be hard to keep track of all the thing we see, hear, and experience when exploring unfamiliar places, so we may need tricks in order associate our memories with certain places at a particular time.
I’m sharing my tips and tricks to help you better document your travels so that you go home with not only memories of your incredible trip (inevitable) but also bring back with you something a little deeper from the world you’ve just experienced.
Carry a journal
Bring a pen and a small notebook with you everywhere you go. You don’t have to be writer to jot down your thoughts. It’s a healthy thing to practice. I love pulling out my old travel journals, rereading things I wrote, and watching my transition in my thoughts throughout the years, recalling moments I’d almost forgotten.
Take photos
Take photos but only of the important things. There’s no need for constant snapping, but if there’s something that sticks out to you or something that you want to remember, then take a photo. Just remember to live in the moment and see things through your own eyes and not only through the lens of a camera.
Buy postcards
Buy postcards and write down your thoughts on the back of them. Whether it be specifically about what’s on the postcard or a funny or happy memory you experienced, it’s an awesome thing to do and something you’ll be able to look back on years later.
Take more videos
There’s something special about videos. The sounds of the place, the vibrance of it, the mood. It can have more depth than a picture sometimes has, and videos can help you recall moments you experienced due to the sounds and movements.
Take simple souvenirs
I love taking free postcards, business cards, magazines, etc from restaurants, cafes, and museums. Or if I see a show or performance, I tend to keep the ticket. If it’s a magazine, I’ll bring it back home, pick out and remove my favorite bits and stick them in a memory box with all the other items. They’re nice memorabilia. Plus, if you’re a travel blogger, it helps to keep the business cards when it comes time to write an article and you need to remember the address and name of the place you visited. Other simple souvenirs might be jewelry, pins, local emblems, and more.
Start a collection
Some people collect snow globes or magnets, others collect stamps or maps. I personally collect postcards. I spend a fair amount of time picking out the perfect postcards that symbolize my trip, or simply postcards that I find visually appealing. It’s up to you what you decide to collect, but it’s a nice thing to do if you’re not traveling long-term as all the extra goodies might weigh you down.
I look forward to the day I have a home (HAHA forever nomadic) that I can decorate with all my postcards from around the world.
Other ideas of things to collect: patches, small trinkets unique to the place you’re visiting, drink coasters, lapel pins, coins, etc. Find what stands out to you!
What do you do to document your travels? Share in the comments below! <3
