As a solo traveller, you will no doubt have seen some amazing places and witnessed some impressive landscapes during your travels. Recording your travels helps you to look back fondly on your adventures and remind you of the times when you are carefree and on the road. When you’re not travelling there are several ways to surround yourself with travel when you’re back at home. 

Social Media

Social media especially Instagram and Facebook are some of the most popular ways to share your experiences and document your travels. Although it is a great way to show your friends and family what you’ve been doing on your travels, you can also look back on the memories fondly. You could even start your own travel blog! 

The artwork on the right that I bought from my recent trip to Uganda

Buying Mementos 

I’ve lost count of the statues, artwork and cushion covers that I’ve collected from around the world over the last twenty years. During your travels, you may well see things that you want to buy or even make as a memento of your visit. These little things can hold powerful memories so they are good to take home. Having a colourful cushion from India for example can remind you of your time back in Goa. 

If you are on a long trip and are worried that you may run out of room, you can always send them home by mail especially sea mail if you’re not planning on returning for at least 3 months. Just don’t forget to pack them carefully so they don’t break. 

Journals

You might think that a picture can show someone all there is to see about a location but there is so much more to gain from writing down your travels as well. Everyone’s experience of a country or place is different for many reasons, so it’s nice to get a personal view of the atmosphere and places you visited. When you are travelling write a journal entry at the end of the day.

It doesn’t have to be long either, just enough to detail some of your experiences and adventures. Then you can read them back and be transported back to the sounds and other senses of when you were there. Recording your thoughts and feelings while travelling is a great way to remember those locations years later. You could even make a scrapbook too!

A zebra selfie in Africa!

Photographs 

Taking photos is the obvious way to record your travels. You don’t have to invest in a digital camera either and worry about carrying the extra film with you, as images from smartphones are just as good nowadays. But if you prefer the traditional process then invest in a good camera. Whichever method you use, remember to back up your photos.

You don’t want to lose them by not uploading them to the cloud for example. As well as keeping them safe it also frees up space for more photos on your next trip. Delete all the ones that you’re not happy with them put them into albums. Some phones even create a movie of your trip for you so you can watch it back and remember when you were riding a camel across the desert or dancing the samba in Brazil. 

A Mallorca ocean pool print

Wall Art 

One way to bring more travel into your life is to bring it into your home especially if you can hang it on your wall. Then you can be surrounded by nature without even having to go outside whether you want to decorate your living room, your office or the whole apartment.

If you only have a bedroom, you can still bring it to life no matter what your style and preference. Imagine waking up in the morning with an image of New York in front of you.

Having art hanging on your wall can really create a different atmosphere in your home and transport you back to the time when you were travelling and carefree. You don’t have to worry about your photography skills not being up to scratch either as you can purchase both timeless designs and classic pieces. And even create your own artsy bucket list of where you want to go. 

If you’re looking for a piece or two to hang on your wall, the artwork from Desenio is affordable and you can hang them in stylish frames too. They offer thousands of art pieces in several different designs including other wall art accessories so you can complete the look.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris

View the Eiffel Tower from your lounge or the Golden Gate Bridge in stylish black and white. See the streets of New York or the fun metropolis of Las Vegas to remind you of what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Or transport yourself back to the romantic city of Venice with an image of Venetian buildings and a famous canal in soft hues.

The collection of wall art created by Anna Lewandowska and Desenio will remind you of warm fond memories at the beach with prints in beige tones and sea blues. Choose from an image of an ocean pool or a cliff in Mallorca or a picture of a girl surfing for those who love the waves and miss the sea.

For those with a connection to Italy, you can remember the wish you made at the Trevi Fountain or see the sunset in Santorini. My favourites are the pastel-coloured posters. Those of the world on a grey background and the pastel poster of a Lisbon street, reminding me of the time that I was in the Portuguese capital for my birthday. I love the stylish urban prints of Barcelona and Paris too. I lived in Barcelona for 2 years so I have fond memories of this Catalan city and am having this on my wall when I get my own apartment. 

An urban print of Barcelona, one of my favourite cities and former home

There are also several maps for map lovers, so you can hang a map of your favourite cities or dream destinations such as Vienna, Tokyo or New York on your wall instead. Plus there are world maps too in black and white and also colour so you can dream away and plan your next voyage around the world.

You can create stylish walls with beautiful artwork to match the rest of your house or apartment whether that’s adding photographic prints, black and white images, something abstract or an urban print or illustration. And if you need any ideas on how to style the walls, you can follow Desenio on social media for inspiration and the latest trends. 

Plus, they are sustainable too. The trees used in the art prints are harvested in a responsible way that provides social, economical and environmental benefits. For every tree used they plant two new ones. Desenio also has a partnership with the Blue Marine Foundation to help protect the world’s oceans and even released an art collection to draw attention to the crisis facing the oceans. Now that’s art for a cause. 

Finally

Whichever way you decide to keep your memories of travel alive, recording your travels not only helps you to look back fondly on your adventures but also all the unique experiences that came with them. 

This post is sponsored by Desenio but as usual, all recommendations are my own.