6 Great Ways to Document Your Travel Memories
I started with key chains. Each new country I visited I ran around from gift shop to gift shop looking for the perfect addition to my set of keys. I eventually forgot to look, which I then resorted to Amazon to purchase, of course. But then it wasn't authentic anymore. And then I was just sick of the weight on my keys.
I relied too heavily on my iPhone to be responsible for storing my pictures. But then I lost space on my iCloud and I had already upgraded my storage once, which I refuse to allow myself to move to the next $9.99 per month option.
There are obviously other options to figure out a way to keep track of the places you go. After playing around with multiple ideas or various keepsakes, the six options below work best for me.
1. Photo Books
My #1 recommendation to all who travel is to start creating coffee table photo books. My biggest fear I ALWAYS have is when the day comes that Facebook is no longer Facebook. My albums on that website go way back in time, and I think I trusted it too much to organize and carry my hefty load of pictures. Printing pictures doesn't work for me either. I put them in a crammed photo box that I really don't see or have the desire to flip through. I decided to start creating photo books about a year back. I am now attempting to catch up with all of my previous international travels and creating one for each. I think our generation has lost of sense of why it's important to have tangible memorabilia. I really don't want my future children scrolling down on my Facebook or Instagram page to look through my albums. I will always remember my parents' wedding album that sat low enough to the ground for us to reach as young kids. We constantly looked through the pictures and asked questions and laughed at the hairstyles of our aunts and uncles who appeared. I want this for my future children as well. I know that many of you think that photo books can be costly, but I use an app called "Free Prints: Photo Books". Every month you get a (almost) FREE ($7.99 shipping) 20 page photo book. It prompts me with the option of choosing pictures from my social media. I typically just download my entire Facebook album that I posted from my trip, and it pretty much creates it for me. Easy as 1, 2, 3. These books are small enough in size to not get crowded to store when you have plenty. I also recommend paying a few bucks extra to upgrade to the hardcover option.
2. iMovies
For the creative souls or the ones who just love to document life, this is a great go to. I LOVE my iMovies. You don't even need a Go Pro, just begin to take your videos sideways (I know this is a little difficult now a days, considering we take Snapchats and Insta Stories that automatically create vertical videos). iMovies are so fun to make and share. I really enjoy looking back at these videos, almost as much, if not more, than looking at my photos. I use Vimeo to publish.
3. Scratch off maps
Ding ding, thank you to the best boyfriend ever for purchasing this for me. My scratch off map is one of my favorite and yet the easiest way for me to document all of the places I have traveled to. This way I will never have to "forget" all the places I have been or the countries I have visited. I really enjoy coming home from a trip to scratch off a new location. I have also seen push pin maps as well. Highly recommend for all. This an easy peasy way to keep track of your adventures without the commitment. Click below for some great scratch off maps:
4. Blog posts (or even plain ole' journaling)
If you're an avid traveler/adventurer and love to write, why the heck NOT. I know the term "blogging" comes with a lot of pressure now a days, as tons of young women are trying to step into the field for reasons that aren't my own. But, the purpose of beginning a process to start documenting your travels should be for YOUR BENEFIT and yours alone. If YOU get the pleasure out of writing and you don’t think it’s a ‘chore', YOU will enjoy going back and rereading the content later on in life, and YOU will find a sense of conveniencey when your friends start asking for tips and it's all recorded in one common place. Blogging can be a pretty daunting task for newbies like me, and if you aren't ready to take on coding, plug-ins, or HTML, WIX is a user friendly option because it is a drag & drop site. There are plenty of easy options to choose from. You shouldn't have to commit your life to website development if your main goal is just to write.
5. Memory Box
Shout out to my bestie Emma Hinson! A few years back, Emma purchased this for me as a birthday gift, and let me tell you, this was the best. gift. EVER! This wooden box sits nicely on my storage cube shelf and I throw in what ever items I wish. When I come home from a trip with extra currency, I just simply throw it in there. If I have printed boarding passes, I'll just write the date and who I was with on the back and toss it right in. I have my old key chains I use to collect in there, I have a few photos in there, I have ticket stubs for Machu Picchu, Anne Frank house, and temple visits, I have anything else you could think of in there. I highly recommend this as well, friends. I have linked a few similar options below:
6. Christmas Ornaments
Although this is something I do not do, my parents are the king and queen of Christmas Ornaments. They are the people who have every single Christmas Ornament from every single important event in their lives, ever. My first time driving, check. Each city we have lived in, check. So yes, this definitely includes each place they have traveled to. Instead of running around each place searching for the perfect ornament, my mom can purchase them once she returns home. Thank God for the internet, cough, Amazon. I know my mom and dad really enjoy having ornaments as their choice of memorabilia because they spend time together putting the tree up every single year. When they put up their tree, they share in the memories when looking at each piece. This gives them a chance to discuss the "remember whens" and laugh at the memories that come with each decoration.
There ya have it, people. My advice is to pick one or two different methods and stick with it. Do not commit to something that you know that you can't keep up with. I really think it's important to have a way to document or keep track of a running list of your adventures. This way, you can always go back and remember the wonderful memories created.
xo,
Jenn