If you plan to travel this summer, you aren’t alone. 68 percent of Americans plan to travel during the summer of 2018, which is an increase from 61 percent in 2016.

If you want to travel this summer, but haven’t made plans yet, take advantage of some unique experiences. You could look into something like taking surfing lessons in Waikiki. There are opportunities for people of all levels to enjoy the waves and learn something new. If you are traveling with family or friends, you could even take a group of family surfing lessons. Perhaps you want to go to a country you’ve never visited. You want to experience a different culture and see iconic landmarks. Experiences such as these create beautiful memories. Taking steps to commemorate these travel experiences will allow you to share a little bit of your adventures with others at home.

Souvenirs

While magnets, keychains, and shot glasses are fun, you might consider picking up souvenirs that are a bit more unique to the areas you are visiting as well. Almost every country seems to have something iconic that can make the perfect keepsake. Germany is known for its beer, so you might want to pick up a mass-a heavy glass mug used for drinking beer. If you are in the Netherlands, you might want to pick up some traditional blue and white pottery known as delftware. Italy is known for its high-quality leather goods, Sweden for its beautiful Dala horses, and Norway for its high-quality wool sweaters. These one-of-a-kind souvenirs all have interesting stories behind them about the countries’ histories and cultures. An added bonus is that they all have either a practical application or can be used as decor--sometimes both!

Displaying Photos

Chances are, you took hundreds of photos while on your trip. Instead of just posting them to Facebook and Instagram, why not come up with creative ways to display some of these photos in your home? Consider using canvas printing to turn your favorite vacation photos into works of art on gallery-quality canvas, perfect for displaying in your home. Whether it’s an artsy photo you took of a famous landmark or a picture of your family laughing on the beach, every time you look at it you ’ll remember just how much fun you had.

Shadow Boxes

If you collect souvenirs on your travel, don’t shove them in some drawer and forget about them. Instead, display them in an artful way. Shadow boxes are perfect for showing off keepsakes. Include everything from postcards and plane tickets to trinkets such as keychains. You could make a shadow box display for each place you have visited and create a mini gallery on a wall of your home to commemorate your favorite travel destinations. This will make it easy for you and your loved ones to reminisce about your travels together. It also will create a wonderful conversation piece when guests come to visit.

Scrapbooks

Scrapbooks are a classic go-to for remembering special life events. Consider creating a scrapbook just for commemorating your travels. For each page, pick out your favorite photos of landmarks and loved ones to be the centerpiece of your design. Play up the location of your trip by adding thematic stickers to the layout. Don’t forget to add a description of your trip that includes who you traveled with and the highlights of the vacation. This way you will be able to remember lots of little detail when you are flipping through your scrapbook in years to come.

Traveling is an enriching experience. There are many creative ways to preserve your precious travel memories. Not only can you enjoy traveling, but you can also have fun creating ways to share your experiences with others.