I've spent more than half of my life traveling. Through the years, I have amassed my share of travel souvenirs. My collection has ranged from T-shirts, magnets, coffee mugs, keychains, art, and furniture. Having also lived as an ex-pat, moving with your collection of souvenirs can be a hassle. Now I prefer a photographic memory or a small trinket that evokes special memories. Here are my thoughts on travel souvenirs.
You can find magnets almost everywhere you travel. For novice travelers, they can be a great souvenir from your travels. They can also be a great way to keep track of all your destinations. However, magnets can soon overwhelm the spaces you are displaying if you are or become a prolific traveler.
Destination coffee mugs are another excellent travel souvenir. However, they are fragile and take up a bit more room when packing. Like magnets, they can also become overwhelming as you can only use them sparingly. Choosing your morning coffee mug often becomes a chore when you have so many choices.
T-shirts are one of my favorite travel souvenirs, and I still collect them everywhere I go. Like magnets and coffee mugs, they too can become overwhelming. However, I have started creating T-shirt blankets and throws. These allow me to keep the memories the tees invoke close to me in a much more visible way.
Art is a great souvenir, but getting it home can be a challenge. As a souvenir, art requires much more thought than handheld souvenirs. It usually has to go with your home décor, and you need space for display. Packing art to carry home can also be a challenge as it often does not fit into your luggage, so transporting it can be a hassle.
Furniture is a great way to bring memories of a place with you. As a travel souvenir, however, like art, it is a thoughtful investment. Furniture usually requires shipping to your final destination, and often the costs can be prohibitive. But it will be a cherished memento that you will have for many years.
Whether a novice or expert traveler, I encourage everyone to grab a travel souvenir. It not only supports but can be a great way to keep your travel lust strong. Do you collect travel souvenirs? What are they? I'd like to know.
My travel souvenir!
