When traveling it can be nice to find something to bring home to remember your travels or as a gift for others. However, finding something unique that is also easy to pack, doesn’t take up a lot of space in your home and that you’d actually use can definitely be challenging! We travel a lot and no matter where we are we seem to come across a lot of the same items just with different locations printed on them. Mugs, shot glasses, tshirts, sweatshirts, beach towels, magnets and keychains seem to be among the most popular souvenirs offered. So how do you know what’s right for you?
We were in St. Croix for our wedding in June of 2002 when my husband and I started our first conversation about what the best souvenirs from our travels should be. It’s nice to have something to remember a trip by and this was definitely an important vacation we’d always remember! We searched multiple marketplaces and gift shops for the perfect item and eventually walked away with a beautiful map of the US Virgin Islands. Now a map isn’t something we’d want from everywhere but since the US Virgin Islands became significant in our lives it worked for this trip, and almost twenty years later it still hangs above our bed. As we were shopping we also came across a pretty Christmas tree ornament which gave us the idea of getting an ornament from every place we visited! It was something small that would be easy to keep and we could enjoy every year. St. Croix was ornament #1 and the collection has grown to almost 30 since then!
We travel at various times of the year so it’s not always easy to find holiday ornaments. Some shops seem to have them as regular year round inventory but many do not and we’ve definitely had to get creative! This can also be a fun challenge that the entire family enjoys taking part in. Through the years we’ve found that keychains and magnets are great substitutes. I just swap out the key ring for a tree hook or glue on some string. There’s only been two times we’ve boarded a plane without finding an ornament we liked. Norwegian cruise lines didn’t have any on board but Etsy came to the rescue with a beautiful wooden ornament spotlighting the ship and destinations visited. We also couldn’t find anything we liked on a trip to the Dominican Republic so we had a photo ornament made upon our return.
Our collection of souvenir ornaments does spend most of the year packed away in the attic but every year when we decorate the tree, and for the whole month of December we get reminded of all our travels and the memories that go along with them. Everytime one is pulled out of the box or noticed on the tree throughout the month, someone inevitably ends up sharing a story or event from a trip. The ornaments also spark conversations among visitors to our home throughout the holidays. They’ve even peaked interest and gotten questions from my children’s friends.
We do occasionally talk about past travels but I doubt we’d ever randomly bring up as many specific stories or go as far into the past as we do without the ornaments to spark the conversations. Our ornaments do what souvenirs should do – they really let us remember our vacations! Whether it’s climbing the Eiffel Tower, horseback riding in the Dominican Republic, a trip to Canada for a hockey tournament or a game show my husband and son won on the Disney Cruise, these are all amazing memories that I’m so grateful I get to be reminded of as I gaze at my Christmas tree.
I’m looking forward to purchasing ornament #30 on our upcoming trip in February. Whatever souvenir you choose to collect make it something special. Let it be something that sparks happiness and brings back all the memories of a wonderful getaway.
Take vacations, go as many places as you can. You can always make money, you can’t always make memories.
