We get home from our vacations and talk for weeks with our family and friends about it. Then months go by and even years and we forget some of the small things about that journey. So how do we keep those memories alive?
I have the worst memory and as we get older those small details fade away. So how do we remember those little things to talk the next generations about? Here are some ways you can keep those blissful moments.
Scrapbooking
This is my favorite thing to do. I love putting a collage of all the best pictures, trail maps and even receipts in my book. The best part of a vacation is the planning. I do a detailed itinerary before we go anywhere and put that in the scrapbooking.
Yes, scrapbooking seems to have become a thing of the past in the digital world, but it doesn’t have to be. The best thing about that now is that you can get all those little stickers and bedazzles for half the price of what they use to be. Now you can have that book out for when quests come over and it’s a great conversation piece and a great way to head down memory lane.
Here are some things to collect on your vacation to add to your memory book. Coasters, receipts, guidebook, maps, currency (a coin or small bill), anything you may get on your travels. If you can think of anything else leave a comment below.
Scratch Map
Looking to travel the world? A scratch map is a great way to mark all those amazing places you have visited. I love getting back from a destination and heading to my map to mark it off. As you can see from mine, I still have so much more to see and I’m working hard at it. It’s crazy to know I have visited over 25 countries and the map is still so…. gold!
Choosing the right map for you is the first step. The first one I got as a gift from my sister. I had it a couple years before I framed it and started to scratch. I’m not sure if it was because it was old, but I had a hard time scratching it off. I got another one, Beatnik & Rustik, and found it to be much easier, again it was new when I started on this one.
Here is another idea for your map. As I said before with my first map, I had a hard time with it, but I love this map, so I will turn it into wall art. Frame your map and add red pins to the spots you have been. Now add pictures around your frame and connect a string from your red pin to your frame. This is also a great conversation piece that your guests will love to look at.
Journal
Time to dust off the pencil and pen and put your writing skills back to use. I love writing as you know and taking a journal on my vacation is a must. Now not everything I put in my journal makes it to the blog, but most. What I love the most about journalling is expressing that moment, the rush, the relaxation or the pure blissfulness of the brief period of time.
Yes, I know writing on a piece of paper is out of date and a piece of history. However, here is the way I look at it. If technology crumbles (no, the world is not ending), I mean if the hydro goes out and I can’t work on my laptop, why not have something you can open up and look back on. Take a small trip down memory lane and enjoy that moment.
Everyone will write in their memory book differently. I love to sit down at the end of my day and write down how it went. The trail I took, or a tour I went on. The people I had the privilege to meet on my journey. There is so much to that can go into your writing, this is where you get to be you!
Frame it
It is time to frame it! There is always one or two things on your trip that will hold an everlasting memory. Get out and get yourself a beautiful frame. The thing I love the most about this idea, it will always make you smile. You could be having the worst day ever, walk by that picture, and it will surely make your day a little better.
That’s the great thing about pictures, yes once again we are going back into, there is technology and it’s on my phone. However again, a picture won’t stop working because your hydro went out. They are an everlasting memory to look back onto.
So, build up your memory wall with all the amazing places, people and things you have collected. A great place to get amazing ideas from is Pinterest. Here you can find ways to build an area of just traveling. Gifts you collected and memories to last a lifetime.
Video’s
Now we can also talk about videos. We all have the means these days to capture amazing videos, your cell phone. You don’t need to go out and buy a fancy camcorder anymore. With technology today you can film and edit and masterpiece.
I have just started getting into vlogging (Wandering with Jenny coming soon on YouTube). Now I’m not the greatest with technical things so finding an easy editing software was a must. There are free ones you can find but I went with a onetime payment option with Movavi. Once I have a grasp on the program, I will do a blog on it to help you make your video memories.
Making memories
Capturing those moments is great, however don’t forget to live the moment. Sometimes we are so caught up in finding that perfect picture that we forget to take a moment and just take it all in. How much are you going to remember about that stunning picture if you don’t sit back and reel it all in. So, the next time you snap the incredible photo, look around you, close your eyes and really hold onto that moment.
