Traveling is one of life's greatest pleasures. After all, you're seeing the gorgeous sites the world has to offer, indulging in foods not native to your country or town, and seeing the art and local way of life where you're visiting. Whether traveling to Ireland, Barcelona, or deep into the rainforest, there are always tempting souvenirs to bring home with you. While you don't want to buy everything that catches your eye, there are plenty of things worth investing in while on your travels. Let's look at some of the things you should purchase, without question if you find them on your travels. 

Nature's Bounty 

While there are plenty of beaches all over the world where you'll be hard-pressed to find beautiful seashells or sand dollars, there are others where they are in abundance. When traveling to beautiful and exotic locales, you may stumble upon lava rocks, native flowers to press, or shells on the beach. Especially if you created special memories on these excursions, these are souvenirs worth taking home. They're perfect because they cost nothing, are more beautiful than something you'd find in a gift shop, and are literally native to the place you're visiting - whereas some "souvenirs" could have been mass-produced in other countries entirely. There are laws in some countries about what you can and cannot take, so it's worth a quick internet search, but naturally occurring souvenirs are sometimes the best.

Art Is Always Worth The Investment 

Sometimes while wandering the streets of countries that have been around for centuries, you will find precious mementos that are worth investing in. Rare art, talismans, books, and more are worth the price tag in antique shops or museums. When you invest in pieces of history, no matter their form, not only is it beautiful to look at in your home, you know you took a piece of the country you were visiting history and culture home. Not to mention it's great for your portfolio as these types of purchases almost always retain and gain value over time. So, if you have the budget to invest in that sculpture or oil painting that caught your eye in a local shop, purchase it and ship it home.

Jewelry To Remember

They say diamonds are a girl's best friend - for a good reason - but diamonds are everyone's best friend. Maybe you're traveling somewhere where gems are more affordable than where you call home. It's worth investing in fine jewelry on your trip, especially if it's a native stone. You may be visiting Russia and want some Tanzanite, or you found a gorgeous Ruby ring in Australia. Jewelry also can become an heirloom piece that your family will treasure for decades after you're gone. Additionally, if you're traveling with your significant other, you could purchase loose stones that you later use to have set into a sentimental engagement ring. Jewelry is worth the investment, just like the art mentioned above. 

Worth 1000 Words 

With more and more people valuing experiences over possessions these days, you don't need to spend much money to take priceless mementos home with you. Most of us document our vacations with countless photos and videos we snap on our phones, which often get lost in the cloud or later deleted. Taking an actual camera with you and knowing how to use it is worth it because your pictures will come out way better than your phone's photos, and you can have the prints developed and displayed at home. While it may not be your aesthetic to have family photos in frames all over your home, it could be a particular vista that you enjoy, and you snap some shots during sunset or sunrise that you end up falling in love with.

There will likely always be gift shops scattered about or sellers on the street no matter where you travel. While supporting the local economy of places you visit or buying small tokens from street sellers is charitable and worth it in some ways, investing in mementos you'll treasure for a lifetime is a must while traveling. So, next time you're on holiday, make sure you find one of the souvenirs mentioned earlier to purchase or create to remember your trip. Happy Trails!