When going to a foreign country, we often find ourselves wondering what souvenirs we can bring back home in order to remember that place and have a piece of local culture and heritage. Some travelers find an immense pleasure in collecting things from every stop on their journey. Whilst some of them can be beautifully displayed on a shelf back home, others will find their place in a memory box. This is something you can periodically open to reminisce over your trips. If you are one of those people, here are some ideas of things you can collect while traveling the world.

Patches

Collecting patches is another way to remember your trips without spending too much money on souvenirs. Before starting your journey around the world, go to your local thrift store. Whilst there find a really good denim jacket you can start decorating it with patches from every country you decide to visit. Turn your jacket into a canvas that represents your adventures by collecting patches with national symbols or flags. This way you will get an intriguing garment that makes a great conversation starter. Plus, such a jacket will ensure that you never get cold during your trips no matter what country you decide to visit.

Shot Glasses

Every seasoned traveler knows that shot glasses are one of the most popular collectable souvenirs in the world. Especially since they make not only precious tokens, but beautiful decorations for your home as well. Some of them, for example the Irish glassware, are true masterpieces expertly crafted from durable pewter. Shot glasses are easy enough to carry in your luggage. But if you want to make sure that your Irish glassware arrives home completely safe, you can order it online. Then you can rest assured that it will be well-protected during shipping.

Local Currency

In case you are short on money but don’t want to leave the country empty-handed, collecting local currency is a perfect way to bring back a souvenir. You can do this without (quite literally) spending any money. Every country has its own currency with captivating bills and coins of all colors and sizes. So collecting them can be a fun activity during your trips. Not only that, but some currencies such as the Romanian Leu, Australian Dollar, and Malaysian Ringgit are made of polymer and not regular paper. This can make collecting them even more interesting. My son has kept a one dollar bill as a memory from his trip to Las Vegas.

Sand

Collecting sand might sound like a crazy idea. But if you prefer tropical destinations with fantastic beaches, this is the exact thing you should add to your travel souvenirs. Create a time capsule by getting a big jar and fill it with layers of sand from every beach you visit. To not forget where every layer comes from, use a sharpie to write on the jar in which country you scooped it.

Don’t worry about the sand mixing together, as once you start collecting, you will notice how different every beach is. Plus how unique every layer looks in your jar.

What You Can’t Take

Just a word of caution perhaps don’t take sand from UK beaches. Just because of the Coastal Protection Act 1949 meaning it is illegal to take it. Therefore check wherever you are travelling for the rules in that country before you help yourself.

We have just been to the Grand Canyon and were told you are not allowed to take anything out of the park. Some people would try and take rocks or fossils. You can only leave with what you came with and official souvenirs from their shop. Which makes complete sense if everyone was helping themselves there would soon be nothing left to see!