Hi kids! Our girl Megan is quite the world traveler (and certainly has her sights set on many fabulous locales via her Tuesday Travel To-Do’s!), so I thought it only fitting to leave you all my own two cents on traveling!
You see, my daddy was (is) in the US Army, so for about the first half of my life, my family and I moved every 2-3 years! Between the ages of seven and nine, I lived overseas in Germany – and I must say, living there and experiencing a different continent and culture was life altering. The memories my family and I made during that time are simply priceless.
When it comes to travel, I have two pieces of practical advice. This really goes for anyone, anywhere. Even if you’ve never left the United States, or your home state, for that matter, you should really STILL be doing these two things:
1) Journaling.
At age 7, when I moved to Germany, I began to write in a diary/journal. And you know what? I still have each one of those little journals, and being able to look back on them calls forth memories I otherwise would have lost. So really – no matter your age or how often you travel, buy a beautiful journal (or start a blog if you don’t have one!), and write in it often. Write in it when you visit a fabulous antique store or a wonderful new restaurant, write in it when you fall in love or when you experience heartbreak – just WRITE. Even if it’s only a couple paragraphs now and then. Someday, looking back into the mind of your younger self and experiencing those memories all over again will be an absolute joy.
2) Building a Memory Box.
Another habit I started while living overseas was building my memory box. Up until I was a certain age, my mom had kept a memory box of sorts for me; it included things like my old baby blanket, little dresses I wore as a child, and a New York Times from the day I was born. Now, I add to that memory box frequently. Sometimes I keep ticket stubs, programs from a show, especially special cards or letters – any meaningful little tokens from a period of my life or an experience I don’t want to forget. If you’re a world traveler (or ANYONE, really!) and not building a memory box, you should really consider starting one. If not for yourself, then do it for future generations: children and grandchildren and great grandchildren who will find all of those things simply fascinating – like little pieces of history that would have otherwise been lost in time.
It’s never too late to start journaling or keeping a memory box, and I hope you’ll give this some thought if you don’t have one or both of these!
Have a fabulous day! -J
