I tried! đ€·đ»ââïž In honor of the start of the holiday season here are some great travel-related gifts you can purchase this year in advance of the return of travel!
1. A travel journal - there are so many gorgeous ones out there! This one has pockets and lots of places to store tickets and mementos. You can find it on Etsy
2. For the practical-minded. Noise-cancelling headphones and/or a white noise machine. These are great ones - the headphones are perfect for planes, or if you need to block out the sound of your children playing while you're trying to relax on your vacation, and the white noise machine is just the thing in case you have noisy neighbors - or even the howler monkeys in the rainforest.
I've asked around, and these headphones seem to be the best for your money right now: Sony WH1000XM4/B Black Bluetooth Wireless Over-Ear Headphones
I also swear by this noise machine: Marpac Dhome
3. Postcards - so you can send them to people on your travels. My in-laws used to send my kids postcards from everywhere they traveled, and now that we've lost my father-in-law they've turned into even more precious mementos. There are lots to choose from, but you can find this great artist on Etsy as well.
4. Electronics Organizer. There are lots to choose from, but I like this one. It's small enough to fit nicely in your luggage, but it holds a lot. Check out the Jelly Comb Cord Organizer
5. A neck pillow - so you don't get that weird crick in your neck if you want to fall asleep on a long flight or drive. I used to mock people who wore these things, and now I am a person who wears one of these things. This is the one I bought in advance of our last road trip - and it worked for both my husband any myself: The Zamat Memory Foam Travel Pillow We did also end up using the eye mask as well. I recommend just throwing away the ear plugs before your dog eats them or your cat steals them. I also keep hearing good things about the Cabeau Evolution - it's next on my list to try!
6. A good travel book. This one is tough - there are SO many to choose from, and I'm also one who believes in reading about what you love - not necessarily about what someone else loves. So for this you could go with an escapist read, a book about somewhere you've traveled, a place you're planning to travel, or a place you dream of traveling. It's books - the opportunities are limitless. I personally love books that are going to be beautiful experiences for my travel. I once read an incredibly depressing book on vacation. Then I was freaked out, couldn't sleep, woke up my husband to talk to me....really nothing good came from that.
To be honest, I've been known to travel with anywhere from 5-8 books. My husband does not approve. (If you know me well you won't have any doubt as to how much I care about my husband's approval of my book packing habits).
As I've written this I've talked myself right out of recommending anything! This is a much longer conversation. Just give me a call, and we'll add it in to your consultation. You can tell me about what you're interested in, what you like to read, etc., and I'll make some individual recommendations. In the meantime - here are some independent bookstores who could REALLY use your support this year. Check them out, and if possible - make some purchases!
NYC's Strand Bookstore, NYC's McNally Jackson, Powell's City of Books in Portland, Shakespeare and Company in Paris, The Blue Bunny Books and Toys, and an Unlikely Story, and the Concord Bookshop in Massachusetts
7. Take a photo from a place you've been and have it turned into a canvas. I love the idea of decorating with things that are meaningful. There are lots of ways to do this, and websites that offer this service. My personal pick is Mpix. The site was recommended to me by a photographer, and everything I've gotten from them has been beautiful.
8. Custom Travel Map. I love sentimental gifts like these - it's another Etsy one, and they're completely customizable. I've sent these to friends who have moved, or it's a great gift to document where you've traveled with your family.
9. Travel-themed jewelry. I was once given a gift of a necklace with coordinates of the place I met two of my best friends. I also have a necklace that is of a small map of the small town in upstate NY that my family is from. There are so many great possibilities. Here are a few to consider:
10. Consider purchasing from a local women's collective like Huaywasi: Handmade in PerĂș. This one might be my favorite. I love supporting the local economy of where I send clients. This is a fair trade social enterprise project, and they work directly with female artisans in HuaycĂĄn, Lima, PerĂș. Their goal is to provide safe working conditions, fair wages for work, and support to the Light and Leadership Initativeâs cause of free, high quality and accessible education for HuaycĂĄn families. You can check out all of the details on their website, but rest assured that when you buy from them you are supporting a fair trade company that is helping to improve quality access to education.
They have all sorts of clothing, accessories, and home decor, and their website will tell you who designed and created the items. Here are just a few examples.
Bonus: Buy a vacation! Whether it's an all-inclusive resort, a trek across the National Parks, or a 10 day European getaway. Set the wheels in motion, and surprise your family!
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