Ten Fun and Unique Things To Collect On Your Trips Around The World

 

If you are like us and love to travel, then you probably enjoy bringing  home souvenirs from your trips.  For us, it may be something special we’ve purchased, while other times it is something free we have collected along the way. Bringing treasures home keeps your travels alive visually and if you creatively display the items, they are happy reminders of the memories you’ve created.

Here is a list of the most fun and unique things we  collect when we travel!

1. Seashells–I used to feel embarrassed to be seen scouring the shoreline in search of shells, but now I actually feel sorry for the people that miss out on this amazing treasure hunt Mother Nature has provided for us.  Besides collecting the shells, Brooke and I have so much fun turning them into necklaces, bracelets, or works of art. We also collect sand from the beaches we visit. It’s amazing how sand varies in color and texture–from white to pink to brown and black.

 

 

2. Currency-At this point we have collected money from 10 different countries and many Caribbean Islands.  It is awesome to learn about the currency exchange rates, compare the designs on the paper bills, as well as the unique coins from around the world.

 

 

 

3.Christmas Tree Ornaments-So far we’ve got ornaments from France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Belgium and  Switzerland. We also have many from different states in the US.

 

 

 

4. Postcards–Here’s an idea: for each destination you visit, write and mail yourself a postcard, telling what you did on that trip.  This is a great collection to pass along to future generations of your travel memories.

 

 

5. Rocks-Rocks are so fun to collect on hikes or on a beach.  You can write the location and date on the rock with a sharpie and display them in a decorative jar.

 

 

6. Local Candy-Swiss chocolate, Mozartkugels from Salzburg, Kinder Surprise eggs from Germany, etc.  Candy you can’t buy in the US is always a tasty treasure to bring home.

 

7. Swaroski Crystal–I started collecting Swaroski crystal over twenty years ago and have over 40 pieces so far.  I display them in our curio cabinet.   Although it is costly, it has become a sentimental collection that I look forward to passing on to my children.

8. Local handmade Crafts and Art-Brooke loves to buy handmade dolls, where I trypically look for paintings or pottery. Whatever it is, it is special to purchase something directing from the person who made it.

 

 

 

 

9.Tickets–museum tickets, train tickets, event tickets…you name it, we keep it.

 

10.Sunrises and Sunsets-Everywhere we travel we make sure to get a picture of a sunrise and sunset. There’s something surreal about knowing that no matter where you are in the world, the same sun rises and sets for all of us each day.

 

What do you collect when you travel?