My Top 10 Favorite Souvenirs/Things I’ve Kept From My Trips

And Why They Mean So Much To Me

Do you have anything you’ve kept from your trips because they mean something to you?

Souvenirs, postal cards, t-shirts, or anything that can remind us of where we’ve been, have a special place in most world travelers’ hearts. They bring back the feeling of nostalgia and make us feel alive again by allowing us to replay some of the most remarkable memories of our lives just when we look at them.

I have a few items I’ve kept from my trips. So, allow me to share them with you.

By the way, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment in this post saying if you’ve kept something from your trips and why they mean something to you.

10- Boarding Passes

I love keeping all my boarding passes. I have hundreds of thousands of them. They allow me to relive some of the international trips that have been so remarkable in my life.

9-Hostel booklets

Whenever I travel, I always prefer to stay at hostels. They are very fun places for everybody, but especially for those who travel solo.

Some hostels were unique and provided very unforgettable experiences.

For instance, when I went to Barcelona, I made friends with a bunch of other solo travelers. We would explore the city together during the day and go clubbing at night.

8-Metro cards/bus passes

This may be weird for some, but I honestly love keeping those.

When I travel to a new place, I love using transportation like the local people.

I believe it’s not only a cheap way to go from one place to another but also one of those experiences that allow you to connect with the locals and see the city through their lenses.

7-Room key and wrist bands of two resorts I’ve stayed in, and the room key of the room when I went on a cruise ship

It’s not every trip that I get to stay at resorts, or go on a cruise ship.

These are very rare travel experiences I got to live — mainly because they’re so expensive — so I always make sure to keep the keys so I remind myself that I did it and that I can do it again.

6- The receipt of the day I went to Ellen Stardust Diner

Have you ever heard of Ellen Stardust Diner?

If you don’t know what Ellen Stardust Diner is, let me introduce the most incredible diner in the world to you. It’s a themed diner and it is most famous for its singing waitstaff.

Have you ever imagined going to a diner and your waiter is an incredible professional singer? While they serve you they sing. They get up on stage and sing so beautifully. Several alums of Ellen’s Stardust Diner singing waitstaff have gone on to have successful careers on Broadway and American Idol. Many current staffers have received critical acclaim with original musicals at the NY Musical Theater Festival.

So, I’m a singer and I love Broadway with all of my heart, so going to this diner on my birthday was everything to me. This is why I’ve kept the receipt.

The quality of the receipt is very low now, but still, when I look at it I get to remember that I celebrated my birthday in New York City in one of the most famous diners in the world.

5- The paper I got when I got my American Visa approved

Having to get a visa to be able to travel to a foreign country is definitely the most stressful and sometimes humiliating experience we can ever go through.

Getting the American visa stamped on our passports is no different. The process is expensive, stressful, nerve-wracking, and very hopeless.

If you come from a country where you have to get a visa to go to the U.S., you know what I’m talking about. Coming from South America, I have to apply for a visa and have a visa interview with an immigration officer, and during this interview, I have to do what I can to convince them that I am the perfect fit for the country and that they should allow me to go as a tourist. It is very hard to get a U.S. visa approved.

So, this is why, when I got mine, I was very happy. So, to remind me of the interview day, I kept this paper that says that my visa was approved. It was a very special day for me.

4- Porta Aventura World and Ferrari Land brochures and tickets

Those who know me will agree that one of my biggest addictions is going to amusement parks.

I am extremely obsessed with amusement parks and radical sports. And one of my goals is to go to the most famous theme/amusement parks in the world.

So, when I went to Spain, it wouldn’t be any different. I knew already that Porta Aventura, which is a theme park with some of the most radical rollercoasters in the world, is located 2 hours away from Barcelona. Going to Barcelona and not going to Puerta Aventura would have been a huge mistake.

The park is incredible. Ferrari Land is so freaking awesome. Getting to ride the tallest and the fastest rollercoaster in the world was a very remarkable experience for me.

So, for me to forever remember this unforgettable day, I made sure to keep the park tickets and brochure.

3- Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade tickets

One of the most fun (but cold) days in the U.S. for me was when I attended the 2019 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.

Thanksgiving is a huge holiday in the U.S. — unfortunately, not so big in Brazil — and while I got to live there, I didn’t only get to celebrate the tradition with an American family, but I also got to attend Macy’s Parade in New York City.

When I was at the parade I saw so many artists who I admire so much. I got to see up close Ciara, Kelly Rowland, the band Black Eye Peas, and so many others.

It was a very remarkable day for me.

2- Broadway playbills

I love Broadway so much. In fact, one of my biggest dreams is to be a Broadway star.

I’m an opera singer and musical theater obsessed. Before living in NY, I’d always dreamed of seeing some of my favorite Broadway shows as well as the new ones.

So, when I got to live in the States, I made sure to see many.

Because of my love for Broadway and because I have this tradition of keeping things that remind me of my travel experiences, I got to save all the Broadway playbills.

1- My personalized NYC car plate with my name on it

You know when you walk into any souvenir shop in Times Square and you see those that have names in them?

Well, this is the one I’d always wanted to have.

When I went to NYC for the first time, I wanted to get a souvenir that would tell me that I’d been to the Big Apple and that I would have to go back.

So, I got the car plate with my name on it.

It is very special to me because I really love New York. It’s home for me. It’s the place I feel myself the most. It’s the place that allowed me to dream big. So, this souvenir is my favorite one.

Today I use it as a bookmark. So, every time I read a book, I get to remind myself of how hard I worked to be in New York City and that I should book a trip there very soon.

Thank you so much for reading my article today!

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