7 Meaningful Souvenirs to Get While Traveling

Hello fellow travelers! When it comes to traveling, one thing that’s always on everyone’s minds is souvenirs. There are your typical tourist souvenirs like cliche shirts, keychains, and the like, and then there are other meaningful ones. When I travel, I love getting something meaningful that I can use quite often. Some of these can be hard to find. Here are 7 meaningful souvenirs I love getting on my travels!

Apparel

I love getting clothing on my travels. Not only will I wear them, but it’s a constant reminder of my trip when I do get one. Some of my favorite apparel pieces to get are shirts and hoodies. Shirts are perfect for casual wear, and hoodies are great for those chillier days. Apparel is one of the most meaningful souvenirs I can get while traveling. It’s a constant reminder that I’ve been to that place.

Handmade crafts

One souvenir I love is handmade crafts. One of my favorite souvenirs from Canada is a handcrafted music box. It is made by an indigenous artist in Montreal. The music box plays the Doraemon theme song. I also love my pink little dreamcatcher, also handmade from indigenous artists. Something that is handcrafted is always something special. You get to see the meticulous work that went into each piece.

Condiments and other food items

When it comes to food items, it can be tricky. Most food items have to be stowed away in your luggage due to CBP in the airports. Pre-packaged food is okay. For me, I like getting small food items while I’m in the country. One of my favorite parts about traveling is trying other countries’ cuisine. For example, that is how I learned I really love tuna onigiri in Japan. I also discovered chazuke. It is a simple dish consisting of rice with dashi stock. In Spain, that’s how I discovered my love for Iberian ham. For Canada, it was poutine. When it comes to Boston, it was the clam chowder. Food is different in every country. Trying different foods makes me appreciate travel even more.

Accessories

Another one of my favorite meaningful souvenirs to get when traveling are accessories. These include things like canvas bags, jewelry, or even scarves and bags. One of my favorite souvenirs from Spain is a handcrafted bracelet made out of silver from Toledo. Another favorite souvenir of mine is a cord bracelet from the Salem Witch Museum. I love handcrafted accessories the most. For example, scarves and woven pieces are always a good souvenir. They allow you to admire the handiwork of the natives. These items are made by people who are from that country.

Something that is culturally tied to the country you are visiting

When I went to Japan, one thing that really stood out to me was the amount of protection charms. They were sold at every shrine we visited. I got a couple of charms. I wanted to have a little piece of Japanese culture with me. Getting a souvenir that has cultural ties to the place you are visiting is always a good thing to get. You’ll remember that place, and you get to have a little piece of the culture with you.

Postcards

One surprising thing I learned about myself is how much I like to collect postcards. I don’t get them often. I see them more as a touristy-type souvenir. Despite that, if a postcard has a lot of meaning, I will end up getting it. It needs to be eye-catching in a way.

Photos

One of the most meaningful souvenirs that I love are photos. Photos cost nothing to take. They last forever if you store them in a system like Google Photos. Amazon Photos or similar platforms also work. I love looking back at old photos and remembering the trip. I also reuse photos as content, especially on Instagram.

What are some meaningful souvenirs you love getting?

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