Preserving your travel memories.
I’m sure you all begin your travels determined to create and preserve memories of the trip, but if you’re like me, you might not be so great at the follow through.
Photos stay on the iPhone, ticket stubs and postcards don’t quite make it into a scrapbook, and the magnets get lost amongst all the other paraphernalia on the fridge.
So here are six great ideas to create meaningful mementos:
- 1. Create a photobook: Photo books from five years ago scream of effort (uploading, designing, editing) but today there are some great alternatives. Social Print Studio can quickly turn your Instagram photos into these cute mini books (and more); Chat Books auto-creates photobooks from images on your phone – they even exclude the blurry ones and exclude screenshots and duplicates; and recently converts images on your iPhone into beautiful magazines.
- 2. Display a travel map: Mount a world map from the newsagent on some corflute from Bunnings and use vibrant push pins to remind you of the far-reaching places you’ve visited, or for something a little more stylish purchase one of the many Scratch World Maps available online. If you’d prefer to be more discreet about your long list of travel destinations check out these beautiful minimalist posters.
- 3.“Encase” your favourite pic on your phone: If you pine for that stunning beach vista long after the holiday is over, why not put a photo of it on a custom-printed phone case? You won’t quite be able to hear the waves, but you’ll still be reminded of that relaxed feeling every time you make a call.
- 4. Write a blog: Your own personal travel blog is not just for your friends and family to jealously read along while you trip around the globe, it’s also a great place to record your memories and post photos. Think of it like the old-fashioned written journal, but SO much easier. Platforms like Squarespace (and many similar platforms) allows you to write blog posts from an app on your phone, so you can record down thoughts and memories on the go, in the same time it takes you to send a text message.
- 5. Get a tattoo: I’ll admit, I’ve not headed down the ink path personally, but for many it’s a very personal and valued form of expression. Choose a phrase, symbol or design that resonated with you while away, but be sure it’s something you’re going to love for life – you’ll be looking at it for a long time. As a travel consultant I would advise you to be very mindful of accreditations and hygiene standards if you choose to get your tattoo overseas. My recommendation would be wait until you’re home – you may find Australian standards and terminology easier to understand when you’re examining the artist’s credentials and you won’t need to worry about protecting your still-healing tattoo while you’re manhandling your luggage.
- 6. Purchase something to wear and love: It might be an item of clothing or a piece of jewellery. Whatever you choose, it will remind you of the sights and smells of the culture you were immersed in. For me, it’s a scarf I bought whilst in Budapest. It wasn’t expensive yet I still wear it a lot and remember the trip fondly. If you’re not into clothing, you might prefer to pick up an item you’d often use around the home – small bowls for dips and condiments, tea towels (linen tea towels like your Nanna has are fashionable again) and cheese knives all work well and are easy to transport home.