Keeping Memories: Souvenirs

Whenever I travel, I always want to take away something from the place that I’ve been. Over the course of my time at Harlaxton, I’ve made it a personal tradition to try to get at least one postcard everywhere I go, which I post on my board in my room. In addition to the postcards, I also try to get a key chain. My idea is that at the end of the semester,  I can fill up my Harlaxton lanyard with keychains of all the places that I went with the intent of hanging it on my wall when I get back home. Finally, my family also collects stocking pins and christmas ornaments from the various places that we go. 

Collecting souvenirs while abroad can be expensive. Even though they are meaningful objects, they can break your bank quickly if you aren’t careful. A souvenir can literally be anything that you take from a place; so it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to buy them if you want to save on money. For a lot of the trips I have been on, I have picked up a small rock. In addition to pieces of nature that you can bring back, something as simple as taking a picture can be a souvenir. They are easy to frame and you can give them to your family as gifts.

I recommend that when traveling, find a small number of little things that are easy to find in shops and are easy to fit in your luggage. My personal example would be the stocking pins that my parents and I collect. Because I’ve been to many different places, I’ve accumulated a lot over the years and it is fun to see my collection grow. In addition, I personalize my stocking pins by getting different ones than my parents so it is always significant to me and my experience.

Written by: Kelsey Fields