Preserving Wanderlust: 5 Ideas for Savoring Your Travels
You had a great vacation and took lots of photos, bought those postcards and religiously kept every map, so now what? Don’t just throw those postcards into a box somewhere or transfer those photos to your hard drive only to be forgotten, take some time to memorialize and capture your trip. Preserving your wanderlust will serve you well.
My grandmom became a traveler later in her life after my grandpop passed away. Like a lot of older folks, she had the time and money to finally fulfill one of her lifelong goals of being well travelled. And she made the most of every single trip, including taking the time to preserve her memories and create travel journals when she got home. She understood travel isn’t just about the journey, but also about the memories you create and nourish. She knew that it’s important to preserve and share photos and mementos in order to help jog your memory too.
Here are some ideas for preserving and sharing your wanderlust
1. Keep a Travel Journal
Image: missArAyA
One of the things my grandmom did on her trips was to keep a travel journal to jot down notes, sketch and to slide postcards and maps into. A journal can sometimes be a more effective way to capture a moment than even a photo can. You can record smells, sounds, how you felt and other attributes that just can’t be recorded by a photo.
2. Frame Maps & Postcards
Image: Julieannas Creations
You take the time to collect those maps, brochures and postcards and it seems such a shame to throw them away or file them. Instead, consider framing them and making them a part of your home decor. Not only will they have special meaning for you, but they might be great conversation starters at your next soiree.
3. Make a Wanderlust-Inspired Coffee Table Photo/Scrapbook
Image: Easton and Belt
Making a photo/scrapbook of your trip is a socially acceptable way to share your journey with friends than the days of pulling out the slide projector.
4. Decoupage
Image: Dust and Wanderlust
Want to preserve the feeling of your trip in an unusual way? Decoupage an end table, coffee table or kitchen table with photos and mementoes.
5. Memory Box
Image: Light Iimpressions
Finally, if you aren’t into showing off your trip, but want to preserve it for those rainy day “pulling out photos” kind of days, create a memory box in which you store all your mementos and photos. You can organize boxes by trip and store them on a bookshelf for easy access.
Top Image: Jess West Designs
