The Cheapest Souvenir

Some of my favorite souvenirs don’t come from gift shops at all. They’re the tickets, brochures, and pamphlets I pick up along the way. These little scraps of paper might seem ordinary in the moment, but later they become some of my most meaningful reminders of a trip. A museum ticket stamped with the date I visited, a train pass that carried me across a country, or a folded pamphlet advertising a festival—they all carry a story.

What I love most are their designs. Every country, and sometimes every city, has its own style. Bold colors, playful fonts, or minimalist layouts all reflect something about the culture I was lucky enough to step into. They’re tiny works of art, often overlooked, but always distinctive.

Back home, I tuck them into a scrapbook or layer them into a junk journal. Sometimes I build a shadow box with a ticket at the center, surrounded by photos and small trinkets. Other times I tape them right onto my wall, creating a patchwork map of where I’ve been. Unlike mass-produced souvenirs, these papers are one-of-a-kind. They remind me not just of the place, but of the exact moment I held them in my hands.