A recent article in Vagabondish has a few great tips for buying souvenirs that won’t create clutter and collect dust only to end up in the rubbish bin in a few years. They suggest buying souvenirs that are practical, small and educational which got me thinking about the types of souvenirs I buy. My penchant for pop-culture tchotchkes doesn’t follow these rules, but my favorite souvenirs, books, certainly do. They can be a bit heavy in your bag, but they are great company on a long flight. My bookshelves tell the stories of my travels – the mystery novel I read on the train from Amsterdam to Paris, the book of short stories I picked up at a hostel in Riga (didn’t even have to pay for that one!)
On my first trip to Harrod’s, I knew I wanted to buy something to get a carrier bag, so I decided the best option was the bookstore. I picked up a tome by British national treasure Stephen Fry. Whenever I see the spine on my shelf, I remember my trip to London. (Ironically, the book is In America, which chronicles Fry’s road trip across the US. If you’re interested in traveling the US, I highly recommend it!)
The books you can pick up while traveling can be reflective of the place you’re in, written by a local author, written about that place, or they can just be something you read while on the plane or lying on the beach. Buying books abroad is one of my favorite ways to keep those memories in view.
My other quick tip for souvenirs is not pop culture related, but is very cheap and easy. In every city I visit, I buy a postcard and write the dates and the names of my travel buddies on the back. You can keep them in a box and flip through at your leisure or display them in your home. If you do go the display route for postcards or trinkets, Apartment Therapy has some great suggestions.
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