Souvenir /ˌsuːvəˈnɪə/

noun

– A thing that is kept as a reminder of a person, place, or event.

Dictionary.com

Aha, am I finally touching on this topic? The magic word for this article: SOUVENIRS!

When I recalled my travels (now COVID, can only look back on our trips ya), my parents had said not to bother to buy souvenirs for them, and others. “Just focus on yourself during your holidays.”, they said. It is true. Ultimately, the trip is for you, not for others.

Dictionary.com’s definition also seemed to imply that the souvenir is centered around what you experience.

But… this is easier said than done.

Each trip, I was determined not to buy unnecessary souvenirs for others. But there is always that small feeling of doubt and anxiety on the last few days of the trip. Maybe gifting others is my love language?

I’m not going to say whether you should buy others back home a souvenir or not, because that is entirely your prerogative. But what I will say is that it is difficult to shortlist the options.

Here are 5 souvenir recommendations:

1. Magnets

Overall, I think magnets are good souvenirs. They capture the overall feel of the city/country, and are easy to carry around.

A friend I travelled with in Europe bought snowglobes for herself in each city we visited, instead of the typical magnets. Her bag ended up to be really heavy by the end of the trip (we travelled to different cities for about a month).

I have personally bought magnets as my own souvenir. I don’t explicitly look for it but if I happen to find one that is cute and affordable, I would get it. Whenever I look at the magnets at home on the fridge when drinking a sip of water, I usually recall all the adventures I had back then. My favourite ones are definitely my London and quokka magnet (because I had a really good time with a group of friends exploring London, and cleared my bucket list to skydive and meet quokkas in Aussie)!

It is also a good neutral gift. My dad’s fridge is half full of magnets from family members that travel a lot. Every time I look at it, it makes me interested to know more about the place that they had visited before.

2. T-shirts

As I got older, I started to want more usable souvenirs, and thought the same for others. (But I am bad at estimating sizes). T-shirts are affordable, and can be used at least a few times. The designs are usually catered to the specific city/country you are in, and meant for any age and gender. I thought the Perth shirts were one of the nicer ones.

You can also find unique ones at boutiques or even their department stores. Just don’t buy the ones that say ‘Made in X’ when you are in Country Y.

Tip that I saw online: Check department stores and supermarkets before you hit the souvenir shop — odds are you’ll find something cheaper (and just as authentic).

3. Local Food

This souvenir would probably not remain in memory for long, but tummies would be delighted. Easy to get too.

For example, London is known for their tea, Aussie is known for their honeycakes, milo, coffee, chocolates and peanut butter (no vegemite!), Dubai is known for their spices, Paris is known for their macarons, Indonesia is known for their lapis, and Japan has many amazing snacks.

But remember: Do not buy too much until you can’t finish it back home. When you think, should I get more? DON’T. STOP YOURSELF.

Based on my first hand experience

Getting them last minute at the airports tax free is also a good choice. I remembered I bought many boxes of Royce chocolates from KIX! (This we could finish.)

4. Creative Gifts

Any place you travel to, if you enter shops with little people or museums, that is where you can find unique gifts.

I especially love looking through the gift shops in museums (even SG has nice items!). While they may be a bit on the pricey side, the items are oddly lovely.

Apart from that, local markets would always have some nice handmade or vintage items. This could be handcrafted Jewelry (trust me, sooo many pretty ones urgh), to hand-sewn bags, to stickers, and phone cases.

Tip: If you are not the Creative type (or lazy and poor like me), get what is unique to the country. When I was in Nice, France, their local product was scented body soap. In Melbourne, maybe a coffee or Football related item.

A thought on postcards: I’m apprehensive towards blank postcards, even if many say those are one of the best gifts, and are inexpensive too. Although I bought postcards for myself. But for others? Hmm.

5. Things that reminds you of them

It’s the thought, not the item, that counts.

Sometimes, I hear my friends telling me, “this is something really small, but I bought this for you cause it reminded me of you”. Always grateful for friends with such kind thoughts.

Someone gave me some stickers, while a few others bought me some Pokémon-related goods. Another bought me foot mask, and caps (cause I liked wearing them). Nice to know my family and friends thought of me during their trips.

Tip: Save souvenir shopping until the end of the journey. Let a souvenir be a souvenir — a keepsake of experience — and don’t go off shopping for knickknacks before you’ve had some real travel adventures. Not only will this give you a social context for your destination before you start commemorating it with collectibles, but it will also save you the hassle of dragging this new found loot around with you as your journey progresses. An added bonus is that, as a shopper, you will have a better sense for the price and quality of your souvenirs once you’ve traveled and made some comparisons.

https://rolfpotts.com/why-we-buy-dumb-souvenirs/

What about…not buying souvenirs for others?

My take:

I feel that travelling itself is a privilege. Appreciate that privilege, rather than focusing on granting privileges for others through gifts.

But of course, you should buy souvenirs for yourself! This is my takeaway for you, be it through photos, or penny pressers. Since you know yourself, deciding what to get is much easier than for others.

After writing this, it seems very similar to other articles out there (which I hoped it wouldn’t!). Know that I gave some thought to this list, and gave as many examples as I could from my own experience. Hope this list helps whoever is reading this!