Hasta La Ideas

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A while ago I was visiting the site GoThreeTwentyFour. It was created by Stephanie and her goal is to visit all 324 (now 325) countries on the Travellers’ Century Club list.

In one of her blog posts, she recounts how she was in Cyprus on the beach where the mythical Greek goddess Aphrodite emerged from the sea. Stephanie’s first thought was to take one of the small, smooth stones as a souvenir but she did not. It was one of her biggest regrets about her visit to Cyprus. It was this experience that got her thinking about the traits of the “perfect souvenir.”

Stephanie indicates that a souvenir should have at least four of the following characteristics.

• Useful – You need to use the item you purchase. Eat the candies. Display the artwork.
• Collectible – Consider purchasing the same or similar item in every location but make sure you are clear on how to develop the collection.
• Personal – This should be something you identify with on a personal level, not just a fridge magnet with your name on it.
• Local – There should be something about the item that you can’t find anywhere else.
• Connective – The item should be a reminder of the place and the people you met along the way.
• Practical – It should be affordable and easy to take back home.
• Unique – Don’t shop at the same chain stores as you have at home. Get something that has its own story.
• Quality – Make sure the souvenir is durable enough for you to enjoy for a long time.

These tips can be applied when you’re buying souvenirs for friends and family too.

Stephanie says a rock from the beach in Cyprus would have had at least five of the characteristics of a perfect souvenir. She feels that the important characteristics for a souvenir might be different for each trip and different people might give the qualities varying degrees of importance.

Here is a quote from Stephanie, an idea that we at Unclutterer approve of:

“The goal is to skip buying something that will be a waste of money and recognize when you totally need to grab the rock on the beach.”

We would like to thank Stephanie for allowing us to share her infographic with our readers. Please visit her site, GoThreeTwentyFour for more details on the “Perfect Souvenir.”

Post written by Jacki Hollywood Brown