How To: Collect Souvenirs While Traveling Abroad

The “How To” series will discuss important topics related to volunteering abroad and traveling in general. As you read on, the following will give you advice on “how to” do something. Sounds simple enough, but a lot of these tips & tricks will make a world of difference once you’re out there traveling abroad. We know this because we’ve been there, and we’ll be sharing personal notes along with best-practice advice from world travelers!

I want to kick off this series by focusing on something different. While a lot of travel blogs talk about the journey, what happens when you return from your travels? I’m talking about memories of course. After all the places you visit, friends you make, and adventures you experience, you’ll want to remember them! Now, when I say the word “souvenir,” you may think of plastic knick-knacks overflowing among swarms of tourists. WARNING: avoid these at all cost (unless that’s what you’re into, of course!) The following will give you a list of creative ideas for “how to” collect souvenirs–meaningful souvenirs, that is.

• Be a kleptomaniac (but not literally). Every time you visit a restaurant, bar, theatre, exhibit, landmark, or even retail store, grab whatever pamphlet or card they are pushing out. These scraps of promotional materials, business cards and handouts will allow you to hold on to even the most obscure memories. They’ll also help you piece together your trip, and perhaps inspire you to scrapbook.
  

• Take a lot of pictures (obviously). The saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words” is still as true as ever. The vivid colors and minute details of your surroundings can only be captured on film. Cameras lend you the chance to snap photos at any time, and (almost) any place (note: not allowed in the Sistine Chapel), so be sure to carry one on your person as often as possible. You’ll want it for those authentic moments.

Photo via: faveprettythings.blogspot.com

• Grab a couple postcards. Sure, you can send some of them, but the idea is to save a few. As I mentioned before, you’ll find some places don’t allow cameras. These places are usually museums or galleries but you’ll still want to remember them! Postcards can capture the essence of a place perfectly. After all, they were professionally taken and chosen for that specific place. If you can’t get the right angle with your own camera, trust theirs.

• If you do enjoy knick-knacks, think of a creative or even mundane object you can collect as you go. Of course you could go with magnets or ornaments or snow globes (is it Christmas yet?) but the more authentic the better, right? It could be as simple as a rock from every place you stay, interesting patches found along the way, or perhaps a pair of earrings from every marketplace you find. Think about whether you would prefer a souvenir on a shelf or on your person and search accordingly.

• Don’t forget, whatever you buy, it has to fit in your suitcase and get through customs. Sure, you could buy almost anything, but it may come at a hefty price (depending on weight and size, it may cost extra or have to be shipped separately) or be confiscated altogether. And really, customs can be just the worst. So think ahead of time. You know souvenirs accumulate; make sure you pick one up at every location but save enough space in your suitcase as you go.

Remember: anything can be a souvenir; any object whose real value lies in its association with a past journey. What makes a souvenir special is the memory you store with it. There’s no need to worry about costs because money is no object here. Your souvenirs should be priceless to you.

Want to know “How To” do something? Ask us your questions in the comments below and we’ll put our heads together to get you the answer!