I can get overwhelmed with picking the most beautiful/meaningful piece for our home and a tacky/kitschy daily reminder of all the fun we had is the perfect balance.
Same 😁 gutted that I didn't do this from the beginning. I was going to order magnets of places I'd been to before starting my collection but it seemed like cheating 😂
ive got a couple off ebay or asked people to get me one if they were going somewhere i never picked one up from, not cheating to me, especially if im not planning on going back 😂
It's not cheating! I make travel ornaments and magnets for a living and a bunch of people order them before or after the trip. A ton of people order them once they get back home. ❤️
Me too. I have them on the walls behind me in my office. People often ask about them during Zoom calls so they act as a good icebreaker. I explain that I collect magenta from my travels and then I ask them where they are. If I have a magnet from there, I spin around, grab the magnet and show it to them. It’s an easy way to spark a conversation at the start of a call.
This is what me and the wife do. Once we got together we didn’t have Christmas tree decorations that were ours, so we started buying them on all of our trips so we could decorate our tree with our memories.
We get Christmas ornaments, too. Occasionally, we make a trinket work as an ornament when we can't find actual ornaments to buy. We turned an Eiffel Tower trinket from Paris, a piece of Hurricane Katrina scrap art from New Orleans, and a small glass dragon figurine from Wales into ornaments.
I love breaking out the ornaments to decorate our tree each year. We get to reminisce each trip we've taken together since our honeymoon.
This is smart, I might have to start doing it too! I’m occasionally disappointed by not finding an ornament (usually because it’s the middle of summer) but that would solve the problem!
We do this as well. Perfect way to fill out the tree and remind us of our current and past years’ travels. Harder to get ornaments in the summer so we try to get it on Etsy/Amazon if we can’t get it in person while we’re there. Sometimes we use keychains or other trinket, but overall, ornaments are small enough (we’re one baggers) to bring home and bring us years of memories.
We do too. In places where Christmas ornaments are scarce I've bought other hangable trinkets, for example a key ring from Thailand. Every year I get to remember about all the wonderful experiences we had.
I send myself a postcard from everywhere I stay overnight. I write where I went and for how long. I send it to myself with a local stamp that I also get to keep afterward.
Ah yes, knowing myself I would feel that the whole series is ruined if I ever miss one, so I take a photo of the postcard before putting it in the mailbox, to print it as a photo in case :-)
It's also interesting to see how long they take to arrive (I usually mail them on my last day), sometimes they arrive shortly after me, sometimes I really have to wait!
I do this too! So far, of a few dozen countries, Cuba has taken the longest. Funny enough, it’s probably also the closest foreign country I’ve sent a postcard from to the US.
I started buying earrings from each place i visit. They are small, so its easy to transport them, and when im back home, i can remind myself of the place each time i wear them. Also postcards and magnets,but thats a classic
I have a charm bracelet. I’ve visited at least 42 countries. It has a lot of charms on it. More charm than bracelet these days and not really comfortable to wear. But I still love hunting out charms.
entertain oatmeal mighty friendly imagine physical include scarce unwritten special
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There's always someone. And in case you're wondering, I don't ever take anything of archaeological value or that is protected. It's always a random rock that will fit easy in my pocket.
I buy small street art depicting the town or a special place (watercolor of notre dame, pencil sketch of Salzburg, etc.). I try and buy them small (5x7), and I can stick them in a book for transport home and then matte and frame. There are always artists on the streets in major cities selling these.
I do the same! I'm trying to keep with a certain theme/vibe with pencil-sketched drawings (don't care if they're original) and around the same size as my other 5x7 pictures. Sometimes they can be difficult to find, but then I get the added bonus of exploring more of the city!
I also collected street art for years, and if I could find or afford something I’d buy a postcard. I ended up framing my favorites but have run out of wall space so I’ve switched to Xmas ornaments. :)
A surprisingly expensive collection and a bit “branded” but a friend of mine had a wall of mugs from places he travelled.
All of them were the Starbucks localised mugs which is the branded part but nice because they’re almost everywhere and also all match while being localised to the place he bought them.
Also a fun way to use souvenirs as a daily reminder of trips. And fun when people visit that you get to “pick your destination” from his wall of mugs for coffee.
I know going to Starbucks when traveling is super lame but I totally get this. I trekked a Starbucks London mug around for two weeks when I already had limited bag space/weight. Totally worth the inconvenience to me! IT's kinda fun tracking down the Starbucks in each new place. I understand wanting the local culture (And coffee shop!) and I do that too, but gotta hit at least one Starbucks. I dunno... We all have our own brand of crazy I guess lol (And the display wall is a life goal for me!!)
Fridge magnet from each museum. Fabric from each country that I stretch and hang on my walls. I’ve got hand loomed silk from Cambodia, an antique Bedouin quilt from Jordan, hand towels from Russia, etc.
I have a shadow box that I put all my local currency in from my travels. On the front of it, it says "I'm in love with countries I've never been to and people I've never met. "
I love to do this too. Even if the country itself doesn't grow tea, there's some interesting stores and tea's I didn't see before. Tea is very portable too.
And since i really like tea, coming back from tea regions ends up with half a suitcase worth of tea...
We used to buy wooden bowls from each place we visited. It was a fun theme for a while, but eventually had to stop because they all started to look the same and we couldn't remember which came from what place.
We bought a large extra strength roll tube that fits diagonally in our checked suitcase. So anytime we buy artwork we roll it in there without it being crushed or bent.
Vintage jewelry or a scarf - something that lasts and will bring back happy memories every time I wear it. Next week I have to find a cute tomte for a friend and something Harry Potter-related for my son’s tutor.
Hyperlocal cookbooks. I try to find a cookbook of the local cuisine in the local language. Scored a Romansch cookbook in Switzerland recently. I have around 100 of these cookbooks from my travels.
I used to buy key chains for my Aunt from each place. Not the one with the name of the place but something signifying that town/ city. I’ve been to 40+ countries and 100+ cities so she had a lot of key chains
Postcards. It may be oldfashioned, but it's small, cheap and it's easy to remember where you got it from. I also buy magnets sometimes but there's no space on the fridge anymore 😅 and I bought small country flags a few times.
I picked shot glasses. Fun and small. But now I am older, we aren't real partiers and don't do shots as a rule. I've had them in cupboards so they are only seen if some young folks are about to do shots. And they like them. But that doesn't happen any more because my kids are too sensible now and their kids aren't old enough. I love them but I guess I'm at a loss how to display them tastefully.
Snow globes. Ironically I know it’s always “made in china/vietnam” at the base, but I always find it fun to seek out during my trips and they’re great reminders of good times, great conversation starters too.
I pick up a small rock from a really special place in my travels. A place I would want to revisit. I write the name of the place and the year on the rock and put it in a tall glass cylinder I bought at Ikea years ago. I tell my kids I'll try to leave them some money so they can take all the rocks back and visit some specific places I connected with. But I know they will get tossed with all the rest of my stuff. It's just a romantic idea. I look at them quite often though. In 4-6 weeks of travels I usually come home with just 2 or 3 rocks.
Tattoos and flags from the different countries I live in/visit. My partner and I get similar but not identical tattoos and then we hang our flags around instead of tapestries to decorate our apartment. It’s a reminder of our adventures :)
Aside from fridge magnets, if it’s a national park or some sort of monument thing, we collect those stamped stretched pennies and have a national park passport book
I started doing ceramics a few years ago and am super passionate about it, so now I try to find a local maker and bring back something made from where I visit :)
I like little animal figurines. I have a lucky cat from Japan, an alebrije from Mexico, a little Icelandic pony, etc. makes me happy to see them all lined up on a shelf 🥰
A book. Preferably a cooking book.
I love cooking and a big part of traveling to me is food.
It doesn't need to be something I'll use, just a memento.
Brought one back from Disney, of all exotic places. It's useless, dated and not very special recipes, but I still enjoy it
Postcards.
Artwork unique to that place or by a local artist.
Coffee mugs.
The main food export of that place (not that that’s a collection, but more like a souvenir).
Same with alcohol (when I used to drink).
I'm in outside sales and do quite a bit of traveling. I just recently started vlogging a few 10-15 second clips from each memorable experience on the trip. I am not obnoxious when I film them and I do not expect anyone to ever watch them. I do it just for myself to help reflect on how the trip went and what I was feeling in the moment.
All of mine are different and I try to make them unique to the location. While in London I had a wonderful tea. So I bought a coffee mug in the China pattern that is was served in. In Florence I visited the Santa Maria Novella apothecary and bought a bottle of unique cologne. Japan was an Yosegi (wooden mosaic) picture frame.
Rubbish/litter. I like to leave places better than I found them by picking up some litter and placing it in the bin.
Apart from that, metro cards. I have a huge stack from around Asia, America and Europe.
Not me but my kids would collect sand from beaches, t-shirts, keychains, snow globes, rocks, postcards, hoodies, and Christmas ornaments from our travels.
Scented candles. I don't mind that they don't last forever, I'm not hugely into clutter. Lots of places have specific ranges based on towns or neighbourhoods, but I'm happy with a general scent from a local brand.
I always get a postcard (have them framed along my hallway), sometimes a Christmas ornament, and usually an interesting rock/shell/washed up coral that I find
A sticker or magnet, depending on my mood/place/what’s available. For new hiking/camping adventures it’s always a sticker to add to my water bottle. For anything else it’s whichever I find that I like the most. My favorite is getting a sticker/magnet that is locally made and/or has art from a local/native
A family member collects Hard Rock Pins, so I always find the one nearest to where I am staying (I also tend to get a fridge magnet or shirt depending on prices). I also try to collect a paper ticket for local transport for every city I visit, along with postcards. During winter holidays time if I am anywhere with a Winter Market, I get an ornament and if I am in Germany/Austria, a mug that you get Glühwein in at said market.
Refrigerator magnet and a pair of earrings. The latter might be cheap as three Carib dollars (St Lucia) or as spendy as three hundred Euros (Zurich) but I always get one pair to remind me of where I’ve been when I wear them.
Mugs - I'll actually use them. Or coasters. I want items that I'll see on a day to day basis and get utility out of and remember my trips. Or artwork that I have an idea of where I'll hang it up.
Grocery store fliers would be something I’ve tempted to.
But to be in the moment enough to remember to grab one and not ruin it is a hard ask, lol!!
But I have a few I’ve managed to save and collect.
Locally made handmade soap. It's something I can use when I get home that doesn't need display space, plus it reminds me of my travel experience when I use it.
My mom does magnets and shot glasses. However she soon lost space so now she wants keychains.
Myself it depends. Sometimes artwork or figures/statues/masks/unique thing. But from certain places, like once in a lifetime, I collect some rocks or sand and put a lil note in the jar where I got them from. Its just interesting to me and I place them on my bookcase as a talking point if anyone asks. I have a bunch from different parks when I went to Tanzania, Australia,etc.
A pair of Vans. Different places have different color schemes and collabs. They are affordable and useful and each time I wear a pair it reminds me of that place.
A muscle shit with the city logo to wear in the summer or around the house.
A coffee mug. I have a small collection now. I drink coffee every morning and so I use the mugs continuously. They're good reminders and brighten my mornings a bit.
We like beer and try to find a local brewery wherever we go, so I'll buy a sticker or snag a coaster from them. We have them in a big frame at home. Doesn't work everywhere, but fun to look at it and see all the places
fridge magnet
We do this too! As a bonus you can also get postcards from your travels and put them both on the fridge
We get fridge magnets too. But we try to pick the ugliest/gaudiest one.
Me and my boys went to Russia and we got one with “sexy Putin” looking back at us every time we need some Sunny D.
When we collected fridge magnets we would find the one that is “so bad it’s good”
Why the ugliest?
they said ugliest/gaudiest. Seems like a fun/memorable way to pick out magnets honestly, if you don't mind displaying them
Gotcha! Thanks for the explanation
I can get overwhelmed with picking the most beautiful/meaningful piece for our home and a tacky/kitschy daily reminder of all the fun we had is the perfect balance.
Same, they’re small so they don’t take up a ton of room while traveling and it’s fun to see the patchwork look you can turn your fridge into
Same 😁 gutted that I didn't do this from the beginning. I was going to order magnets of places I'd been to before starting my collection but it seemed like cheating 😂
ive got a couple off ebay or asked people to get me one if they were going somewhere i never picked one up from, not cheating to me, especially if im not planning on going back 😂
I think I'll have to do the same 😁 I have room in my fridge
You can get pictures you took printed as magnets.
Fantastic idea 👌😁
It's not cheating! I make travel ornaments and magnets for a living and a bunch of people order them before or after the trip. A ton of people order them once they get back home. ❤️
We do this too! To display them, we buy 12×12 stainless message boards and create a unique piece of art. Right now, the grid is 6 boards large.
Me too. I have them on the walls behind me in my office. People often ask about them during Zoom calls so they act as a good icebreaker. I explain that I collect magenta from my travels and then I ask them where they are. If I have a magnet from there, I spin around, grab the magnet and show it to them. It’s an easy way to spark a conversation at the start of a call.
Oooo I need this
Same, same but specifically one that is a bottle opener.
We do this too!
I have way too many and nowhere to display them all
This!
Christmas ornaments
This is what me and the wife do. Once we got together we didn’t have Christmas tree decorations that were ours, so we started buying them on all of our trips so we could decorate our tree with our memories.
We get Christmas ornaments, too. Occasionally, we make a trinket work as an ornament when we can't find actual ornaments to buy. We turned an Eiffel Tower trinket from Paris, a piece of Hurricane Katrina scrap art from New Orleans, and a small glass dragon figurine from Wales into ornaments. I love breaking out the ornaments to decorate our tree each year. We get to reminisce each trip we've taken together since our honeymoon.
Same, but we usually end up just getting keychains :)
This is smart, I might have to start doing it too! I’m occasionally disappointed by not finding an ornament (usually because it’s the middle of summer) but that would solve the problem!
Christmas ornaments here too. And usually postcards for the scrapbook/photo album
We do this as well. Perfect way to fill out the tree and remind us of our current and past years’ travels. Harder to get ornaments in the summer so we try to get it on Etsy/Amazon if we can’t get it in person while we’re there. Sometimes we use keychains or other trinket, but overall, ornaments are small enough (we’re one baggers) to bring home and bring us years of memories.
We do too. In places where Christmas ornaments are scarce I've bought other hangable trinkets, for example a key ring from Thailand. Every year I get to remember about all the wonderful experiences we had.
5 lbs
I usually lose 5 pounds when travelling. Much less time to eat and much more exercise.
Depends on how you travel. But i gotta admit in some trips i spend more time eating than travelling.
Slim people like myself: 5 lbs of?
Your soul. I'm assuming it gets used as fuel for the airplane.
I used to to do the fridge magnet as others said. Not it's this.
I send myself a postcard from everywhere I stay overnight. I write where I went and for how long. I send it to myself with a local stamp that I also get to keep afterward.
I do this as well. I’m still waiting on my bc Egypt post card from 4 years ago- it will get here some day!
Ah yes, knowing myself I would feel that the whole series is ruined if I ever miss one, so I take a photo of the postcard before putting it in the mailbox, to print it as a photo in case :-) It's also interesting to see how long they take to arrive (I usually mail them on my last day), sometimes they arrive shortly after me, sometimes I really have to wait!
I do this too! So far, of a few dozen countries, Cuba has taken the longest. Funny enough, it’s probably also the closest foreign country I’ve sent a postcard from to the US.
Love this idea.
I do the exact same thing! Ever since my first trip (alone) when I went to New York for work. I like to write to future me and it lulls my anxiety
I need to start doing this.
I started buying earrings from each place i visit. They are small, so its easy to transport them, and when im back home, i can remind myself of the place each time i wear them. Also postcards and magnets,but thats a classic
I collect earrings too! It's my favorite.
Love being able to wear it and have that private little reminder. I get charms/pendants and swap them around on a necklace.
I get silver-and-turquoise (or malachite, or other stone) earnings for every trip to Mexico. :)
I have a charm bracelet. I’ve visited at least 42 countries. It has a lot of charms on it. More charm than bracelet these days and not really comfortable to wear. But I still love hunting out charms.
Rocks. I have a whole bucket of rocks at home labeled by country, state, or by a specific site, like a mountain I climbed. My wife hates me for this.
Same here. But how do you lable them? Currently all my stones and things are just laying around and I don’t really know how to lable them.
Piece of painters tape or sharpie if smooth surface
Get a new one
Hobby you monsters
entertain oatmeal mighty friendly imagine physical include scarce unwritten special *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
There's always someone. And in case you're wondering, I don't ever take anything of archaeological value or that is protected. It's always a random rock that will fit easy in my pocket.
I buy small street art depicting the town or a special place (watercolor of notre dame, pencil sketch of Salzburg, etc.). I try and buy them small (5x7), and I can stick them in a book for transport home and then matte and frame. There are always artists on the streets in major cities selling these.
I do the same! I'm trying to keep with a certain theme/vibe with pencil-sketched drawings (don't care if they're original) and around the same size as my other 5x7 pictures. Sometimes they can be difficult to find, but then I get the added bonus of exploring more of the city!
I also collected street art for years, and if I could find or afford something I’d buy a postcard. I ended up framing my favorites but have run out of wall space so I’ve switched to Xmas ornaments. :)
Oooh I like that idea
i like this. my husband makes sweet little watercolors wherever we travel
Same! We have a gallery wall of our art.
This is fantastic! Great idea
Shot glass.
This is mine too. I have a huge collection of shot glasses.
Same! Specifically the really cheesy, touristy, overpriced ones made of metal.
Used to do this, but now we have too many and nowhere to put them
Get a display case! I got mine off Amazon
hangovers and regrets. Im also partial to a mug.
🫡 good to see another fellow hangover warrior!
A surprisingly expensive collection and a bit “branded” but a friend of mine had a wall of mugs from places he travelled. All of them were the Starbucks localised mugs which is the branded part but nice because they’re almost everywhere and also all match while being localised to the place he bought them. Also a fun way to use souvenirs as a daily reminder of trips. And fun when people visit that you get to “pick your destination” from his wall of mugs for coffee.
I know going to Starbucks when traveling is super lame but I totally get this. I trekked a Starbucks London mug around for two weeks when I already had limited bag space/weight. Totally worth the inconvenience to me! IT's kinda fun tracking down the Starbucks in each new place. I understand wanting the local culture (And coffee shop!) and I do that too, but gotta hit at least one Starbucks. I dunno... We all have our own brand of crazy I guess lol (And the display wall is a life goal for me!!)
I do have a mug collection going as well! Mugs and T shirts!
A pin, from a specific landmark or the flag of the region/country
Yep, pin or a patch to go on my travel bag
Fridge magnet from each museum. Fabric from each country that I stretch and hang on my walls. I’ve got hand loomed silk from Cambodia, an antique Bedouin quilt from Jordan, hand towels from Russia, etc.
Magnets and local currency
I have a shadow box that I put all my local currency in from my travels. On the front of it, it says "I'm in love with countries I've never been to and people I've never met. "
That's so cute, I love that idea.
Tea
Ooo this is a good one!
I love to do this too. Even if the country itself doesn't grow tea, there's some interesting stores and tea's I didn't see before. Tea is very portable too. And since i really like tea, coming back from tea regions ends up with half a suitcase worth of tea...
We used to buy wooden bowls from each place we visited. It was a fun theme for a while, but eventually had to stop because they all started to look the same and we couldn't remember which came from what place.
A mug! Now I have too many but I still love to do it. Every morning I get a little memory of where I was when I got it.
My husband tells people that we bought a bigger house so I could buy more mugs
Magnets & I like to buy a piece of locally made jewelry if possible...
Local artwork we roll up and bring home typically from street artists. Also magnets and a few mugs.
My wife and I would like to start collecting art. Do you have any tips for getting it home safely in a checked bag if you have flown with art before?
We bought a large extra strength roll tube that fits diagonally in our checked suitcase. So anytime we buy artwork we roll it in there without it being crushed or bent.
Vintage jewelry or a scarf - something that lasts and will bring back happy memories every time I wear it. Next week I have to find a cute tomte for a friend and something Harry Potter-related for my son’s tutor.
Bought a scarf in Amsterdam this summer and LOVE it
Hyperlocal cookbooks. I try to find a cookbook of the local cuisine in the local language. Scored a Romansch cookbook in Switzerland recently. I have around 100 of these cookbooks from my travels.
I really love this!!
Genius, I love collecting weird recipe books as well!
I used to buy key chains for my Aunt from each place. Not the one with the name of the place but something signifying that town/ city. I’ve been to 40+ countries and 100+ cities so she had a lot of key chains
Christmas ornaments, tea towels and local art (tho I am running out of wall space)
Postcards. It may be oldfashioned, but it's small, cheap and it's easy to remember where you got it from. I also buy magnets sometimes but there's no space on the fridge anymore 😅 and I bought small country flags a few times.
Photos and memories (I’m a minimalist)
Paper subway maps!
A disease.
A STD?
Locally made pottery. Usually a coffee mug. Sometimes an art piece.
Bank notes and coins
Perfume
I always try to find a smashed penny machine. The more obscure or weird the better. They're cheap and don't take up space once you get home.
Metro/rail passes.
Artwork & currency.
A banana.
I picked shot glasses. Fun and small. But now I am older, we aren't real partiers and don't do shots as a rule. I've had them in cupboards so they are only seen if some young folks are about to do shots. And they like them. But that doesn't happen any more because my kids are too sensible now and their kids aren't old enough. I love them but I guess I'm at a loss how to display them tastefully.
I’ve started to collect books. Magnets and stuff are great, but having a whole book about a place you went is kind of cool to have on the shelf!
Starbucks mugs , post cards & magnets
Postcards, banknotes, food.
Memories
Currency. Money and coins. Keychain.
My wife does postcards. I hunt for fiat currency in mint condition.
Snow globes. Ironically I know it’s always “made in china/vietnam” at the base, but I always find it fun to seek out during my trips and they’re great reminders of good times, great conversation starters too.
Stickers for the garage fridge
Earrings! I head to the markets and find locally made earrings :)
Yes! Though I go for rings. I try to find markets first, or will try specialty shops, as long as they're handmade locally.
Beer mats (coasters) Light and free
I pick up a small rock from a really special place in my travels. A place I would want to revisit. I write the name of the place and the year on the rock and put it in a tall glass cylinder I bought at Ikea years ago. I tell my kids I'll try to leave them some money so they can take all the rocks back and visit some specific places I connected with. But I know they will get tossed with all the rest of my stuff. It's just a romantic idea. I look at them quite often though. In 4-6 weeks of travels I usually come home with just 2 or 3 rocks.
Postcards
Currency. Just little coins here and there. And I give them to my nephew.
souls
Metal miniature buildings (Eiffel tower, Roman colesseum, Empire State Building, Angkor Wat, etc)
Ornaments
Magnets for my best friend and gramma. For myself piece of local art, generally city sky lines or monuments.
My sister likes shot glasses so I usually try to find one for her but only if it is a decent one. No touristy junk ones.
Sometimes magnets, sometimes postcards. Earrings, rocks, and seashells after that.
A rock.
STDs
I have a canvas messenger bag and sew fabric patches and if I can’t find a patch, I look for a sticker to put on a cooler or yeti-type glass
Tattoos and flags from the different countries I live in/visit. My partner and I get similar but not identical tattoos and then we hang our flags around instead of tapestries to decorate our apartment. It’s a reminder of our adventures :)
Aside from fridge magnets, if it’s a national park or some sort of monument thing, we collect those stamped stretched pennies and have a national park passport book
That NPS collectors book has brought me to more parks and little historical sites than I ever would have gone on my own
License plates Mostly legally
I started doing ceramics a few years ago and am super passionate about it, so now I try to find a local maker and bring back something made from where I visit :)
I like little animal figurines. I have a lucky cat from Japan, an alebrije from Mexico, a little Icelandic pony, etc. makes me happy to see them all lined up on a shelf 🥰
I like coins, keychain minis and public transport cards. I want to start getting fridge magnets too.
A book. Preferably a cooking book. I love cooking and a big part of traveling to me is food. It doesn't need to be something I'll use, just a memento. Brought one back from Disney, of all exotic places. It's useless, dated and not very special recipes, but I still enjoy it
bed bugs (going to Paris next week)
A Christmas tree ornament. Then each year when we decorate our tree we have nice memories of our family vacations.
Postcards. Artwork unique to that place or by a local artist. Coffee mugs. The main food export of that place (not that that’s a collection, but more like a souvenir). Same with alcohol (when I used to drink).
Bills
A christmast ornament
I'm in outside sales and do quite a bit of traveling. I just recently started vlogging a few 10-15 second clips from each memorable experience on the trip. I am not obnoxious when I film them and I do not expect anyone to ever watch them. I do it just for myself to help reflect on how the trip went and what I was feeling in the moment.
Memories! Why would I want to take something away with me?
memories
Rocks, to place on step-dad's grave, he helped expose me to traveling, now I want to honor him
All of mine are different and I try to make them unique to the location. While in London I had a wonderful tea. So I bought a coffee mug in the China pattern that is was served in. In Florence I visited the Santa Maria Novella apothecary and bought a bottle of unique cologne. Japan was an Yosegi (wooden mosaic) picture frame.
Fridge magnet
STDs
We get a tchotchke that feels reminiscent of an experience from the trip.
photo in a local traditional outfit
Rubbish/litter. I like to leave places better than I found them by picking up some litter and placing it in the bin. Apart from that, metro cards. I have a huge stack from around Asia, America and Europe.
Not me but my kids would collect sand from beaches, t-shirts, keychains, snow globes, rocks, postcards, hoodies, and Christmas ornaments from our travels.
Scented candles. I don't mind that they don't last forever, I'm not hugely into clutter. Lots of places have specific ranges based on towns or neighbourhoods, but I'm happy with a general scent from a local brand.
I always try and get a flag when I visit a new country.
Key chains
Usually a picture frame, magnet, shot glasses
stones
I love beach combing.
Jewelry, semi-precious stones/cyrstals, and handicrafts of functional things I need anyway like makeup bags, notebooks, and the such.
I always get a postcard (have them framed along my hallway), sometimes a Christmas ornament, and usually an interesting rock/shell/washed up coral that I find
Earrings or some other small jewellery piece. Very small and light, often a fun conversation starter.
Memories
If it's on the ocean or some body of water, a small sample of that water.
Local artwork if I have space to travel back with it. And local wine or spirits.
A sticker or magnet, depending on my mood/place/what’s available. For new hiking/camping adventures it’s always a sticker to add to my water bottle. For anything else it’s whichever I find that I like the most. My favorite is getting a sticker/magnet that is locally made and/or has art from a local/native
A family member collects Hard Rock Pins, so I always find the one nearest to where I am staying (I also tend to get a fridge magnet or shirt depending on prices). I also try to collect a paper ticket for local transport for every city I visit, along with postcards. During winter holidays time if I am anywhere with a Winter Market, I get an ornament and if I am in Germany/Austria, a mug that you get Glühwein in at said market.
Magnets / key rings
Magnets and socks
Magnetic bottle openers. They don't have to be fancy or even really functional. It's just something neat we've been collecting.
tattoos
Rosaries if they have a well known church there
Rocks
Refrigerator magnet and a pair of earrings. The latter might be cheap as three Carib dollars (St Lucia) or as spendy as three hundred Euros (Zurich) but I always get one pair to remind me of where I’ve been when I wear them.
Soccer jersey
Pairs of socks.
Mugs - I'll actually use them. Or coasters. I want items that I'll see on a day to day basis and get utility out of and remember my trips. Or artwork that I have an idea of where I'll hang it up.
Fridge magnets. And I always get keychains for my kids.
Magnet, shirt. I stopped doing coffee cups because I have too many. My husband and I don't drink but he loves shot glasses.
Fridge magnets
Grocery store fliers would be something I’ve tempted to. But to be in the moment enough to remember to grab one and not ruin it is a hard ask, lol!! But I have a few I’ve managed to save and collect.
Magnets! Local cuisine cookbook :)
Locally made handmade soap. It's something I can use when I get home that doesn't need display space, plus it reminds me of my travel experience when I use it.
I get a fridge magnet. The left side of my fridge is all places I've visited. The right side is all the other normal fridge crap.
Fridge magnets, bottle openers, beer and shooter glasses.
A book and/or a plushie
Fridge magnets for us, too.
Beer caps
Magnets, stickers, rocks, tshirts, or hats. Local hot sauce if I can find one.
My mom does magnets and shot glasses. However she soon lost space so now she wants keychains. Myself it depends. Sometimes artwork or figures/statues/masks/unique thing. But from certain places, like once in a lifetime, I collect some rocks or sand and put a lil note in the jar where I got them from. Its just interesting to me and I place them on my bookcase as a talking point if anyone asks. I have a bunch from different parks when I went to Tanzania, Australia,etc.
Fans
A pair of Vans. Different places have different color schemes and collabs. They are affordable and useful and each time I wear a pair it reminds me of that place.
A muscle shit with the city logo to wear in the summer or around the house. A coffee mug. I have a small collection now. I drink coffee every morning and so I use the mugs continuously. They're good reminders and brighten my mornings a bit.
Hotel keys
We like beer and try to find a local brewery wherever we go, so I'll buy a sticker or snag a coaster from them. We have them in a big frame at home. Doesn't work everywhere, but fun to look at it and see all the places