Travel Souvenirs, 10 Simple Mementos

If you're like most people, you love to travel. Traveling enables us to discover new things, see the world through different eyes and experience life in ways we might not be familiar with.

Travel can mean anything from taking an easy day trip to a nearby location, to taking a five year odyssey around the world. Traveling is one of the most enriching experiences we can have and enables us to make many great memories.

Of course we want to bring something home with us to remind us of our travels. Here are some ideas for souvenirs that won't break the bank and as an added bonus - will easily fit into your suitcase.

• Fridge Magnets - you can also use these for an easy craft project! Just get a piece of metal cut to your specifications and arrange your magnets by geographic area. Then frame it with a nice wood frame and make art for your wall. It will be quite a conversation starter as well!
  
• Key Chains - remember, you always need extra key chains for your car, house, garage, post office box and even your suitcase!
  
• Pens/Pencils - you can never have enough pens and pencils. Keep them handy in your work area, your car, your purse or pocket and every time you use them, you'll be reminded of your trips.
  
• T-Shirts - these are easy souvenirs and as a bonus, they make great extra packing material for any of the more fragile objects you might be bringing home.
  
• Table Linens - special occasion or not, every time you use the napkins or tablecloth, you will be reminded of your travels.
  
• Stickers/Brochures - sometimes you can find unique stickers and you can find free brochures everywhere! Use them as bookmarks during your trip.
  
• Local Foods - my personal favorites. I love bringing home local spices or jams and jellies. If you're bringing food home from other countries, make sure you check any government and customs regulations before you buy.
  
• Books/Bookmarks - try to find books written by local authors or coffee table books with beautiful photography featuring locations you visited during your trip.
  
• Postcards - these can be cut up and used as scrapbooking material and used in other craft projects. Use them as bookmarks until you get home.
  
• Coffee Cups - easy to pack and you can put smaller items like jewelry inside. Once you get home you can start your day with great memories of your trip. You can also place pens and pencils inside the cups and use them as a pen holder.

These souvenirs are all very small and will take up virtually no room in your suitcase. They're inexpensive, easy to find and most come in a wide variety of designs. They're also easy to give away to others as small thank you gifts. You will be able to please just about everyone with one of these souvenirs. As a bonus, they are commonly used items that you will actually use once you get home. That means you will often be reminded of your trip!

Another added bonus to these simple souvenirs is that most of them are easy to collect. That means you can have an entire collection of magnets, key chains, coffee cups, bookmarks or postcards from every place you go.

These are just a few suggestions for souvenirs and mementos. The list of possible souvenirs is really only limited by your imagination, and remember, souvenirs don't have to be expensive. Sometimes the best souvenirs are simply the ones that have the most sentimental value. Be sure to bring something home that will bring you joy for years to come.

Happy Travels!