7 Creative ways to recreate travel memories at home
We all know the feeling of discovering new places and falling in love with other cultures as we travel the world. These things make us reminisce about the places we have visited and often dream of going back to. So, how do you keep those travel memories going after you get home?
Looking back at your pics and social post is a great way to remember your travels. However, even images won’t always bring you back to that special place and time. But don’t worry. There are several other ways to relive your adventures and extend that travel vibe even after coming home.
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Bring travel memories alive with authentic food and drinks
While it’s true that food tastes best at its source, it’s never been easier to recreate your culinary travel memories at home. Even if you don’t live in a place that has a wide range of food options from other countries, there are many ways you can recreate them.
As the world paused on travel, destinations, tours and experts have gone online. Lucky for us, there has been an enormous rise in online classes and workshops where chefs, foodies and location experts will teach you how to make the dishes you love.
Are you dreaming of that coffee you had in Vietnam? Pasta that made you cry with joy in Italy? Learning how to make these dishes has never been easier. Between Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest, you’ll learn how to make an Italian Negroni, Ethiopian yetsom beyaynetu or Mexican pozole in no time! Even if you can’t get the right ingredients at home, chances are you can get them delivered.
Travel tip: If food is your passion, sign up for cooking classes while you’re travelling. You’ll learn how to make the dish from the source and get the recipe to bring home with you!
Take up language lessons
Chances are that you’ll fall in love with a culture that has a very different language than the one you already know. There is no better way of bringing back travel memories than hearing the language of the place you love around you. So, while you’re dreaming of returning to that special place, why not try to learn the language?
For some, learning a new language is very easy, while for others, it’s almost impossible. Trust me, I’ve been there. While nobody expects you to become fluent in a foreign language overnight, think of how much more fun your next visit could be if you knew even some of the words?
Between online tutors that you can do video calls with, YouTube and language learning apps, it’s never been easier. You might even be able to find local groups where you can converse with others in the language you are trying to learn. You’ll make new friends, get some tips for your next trip and polish up your vocabulary.
Relive travel memories through music and film
Watching foreign movies is a great way to immerse yourself in other cultures. Thanks to online streaming services and YouTube, your choices of watching foreign movies and shows have never been better. Missing Iceland, Spain or India? You can now watch shows made in these countries right at home.
To incorporate language learning, you can even watch these shows in their native language or with subtitles. I’ve been watching a lot of movies and shows lately in Italian with English subtitles and in English with Italian subtitles. Sometimes one works better than the other, but doing this has helped me brush up on my Italian.
You don’t always have to watch foreign movies and shows to be transported back to the places you love. There are countless movies and shows made in foreign locations that are guaranteed to spark some travel wanderlust in you. Pick a country. You’ll be bound to find a movie or a show filmed there.
Music is another way to transport yourself back to a place you have visited. Thanks to the Internet, you can hear music and watch music videos from anywhere in the world right at home. So next time you’re making a dish from your favourite destination, put on some music from the same place to maximize on those travel memories.
Brush up on your knowledge of the places you love
You’re not going to know everything about each place you visit. The world is a complicated place with a long and even more complicated history. During your travels, you might find yourself in a country that you suddenly love and want to know more about it. That’s the beauty of travel.
I felt like that about Latvia. When I got home, I started to read more about its history and wanted to understand this country that I knew so little about. Whenever I found another article, book or show, my travel memories of Latvia came rushing in. I became even more intrigued and started to plan a trip back.
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Learning more about places we love can be a great way to understand how things are in that country. It also gives us a reason to go back, explore and talk to the locals. It’s a great way to get excited about your next trip as well as a great way to remember your previous visit. Only now you’ll be more informed.
Let your souvenirs do the talking
Souvenirs come in many varieties and can be great for evoking travel memories in us. From trinkets to artisanal-made crafts and everything in between. The chances are that you have bought something on your travels that brings you back to those places every time you hold it.
While a key chain or a fridge magnet might not be the most magical way to bring you back, many other things can. Occasionally when I travel, I’ll indulge in shopping for clothes and shoes. Some days, I will wear the dress and shoes I got in Brazil, put on some Samba or Carioca funk music, and suddenly I’m transported back to a club in Rio de Janeiro.
On other days, it could be a traditionally made sweater and hat that bring me back to Iceland. It can be a bag from Berlin or the Bialetti Moka pot from Italy. All you need is a little bit of imagination and some props.
Vacation scrapbooks make for great travel memories
Creating a vacation scrapbook can also be a great way to relive travel memories. If you are a collector of items from your travels, this is an excellent option for you. Admission tickets, maps, menus, and anything else you want to keep can be organized in a vacation scrapbook.
You can relive your travels while putting your vacation scrapbook together. Every time you go through it after that is another way of going back. Whatever format you choose for your travel scrapbook (a book, album or board), it is a way of reliving an experience or an event you were a part of.
While some people prefer to keep items from their travels in a special box, the idea remains the same. By physically touching things from the places you’ve visited, you are immersing yourself in travel memories of that place. Some call it nostalgic, but it can also be very effective.
Document your travel memories with a travel journal
Many people love to keep a journal while travelling. It’s a great way to capture a moment in time with your own words. Document your impressions of places, the smells and sounds around you. You can be as descriptive as you like, especially if you want to read those journals when you get home.
Want to make travel memories with a journal? Here are some tips for writing a travel journal!
Travel journals don’t have to be made of essay-like entries. Nor do they have to be endless lists of facts and figures. Think of what you want to remember and why that moment is so important. Not all people have the exact reasons for writing a travel journal. Make sure yours will be helpful to you in the future. If what you’re reading doesn’t make sense, you’re not going to reap the benefits of why you created it in the first place.
Creating travel journals is a great way to remember. Even if you’re the only one who reads them, after all, they are your travel memories. They can bring you joy and take you back in time or to a place you once visited. Think of all the adventurers that travelled in the past. Let their travels inspire you to create your journals and memories.
Why travel memories matter
Travelling can be an uplifting experience, and it often becomes addictive. Since not everyone can travel all the time, remembering the places we’ve been to can alleviate the void of not travelling. Travel memories remind us of our experiences and the places we have visited. They also bring back happy memories and make us feel better.
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There are many places in the world that I’d like to go back to, but I know that won’t always be possible. The world is filled with places I have yet to visit, making going back to those I’ve already been to even more challenging. Often, just remembering the places I’ve seen makes me enjoy the moment I’m in, even if it’s in a different place, and that’s enough. That’s the beauty of travel.
