Collected from My Travels: Five Items I’ve Brought Home that Bring Me Joy

One of the joys of travel is finding something special to bring home—a piece of a place that holds a memory, tells a story, or just makes you smile. Over time, these keepsakes start to weave themselves into the fabric of your everyday life, letting you relive the feeling of a journey long after your suitcase is unpacked.

Some of the items I’ve collected are things I’d been looking for—thoughtfully chosen after a sizable search. Others were serendipitous discoveries that I happened upon. Each one serves as a reminder of a trip, a place, or a moment.

In this post I’m sharing five items I’ve brought home from my travels which bring me joy. These are all durable items - I’ll save the wine, music, food, and other more ephemeral things for another post. I hope they inspire you to seek out, or stumble upon, a few treasures of your own the next time you travel.

Mozart & Bach Ornaments (Austria)

Christmas tree ornaments make great travel keepsakes—they’re small and easy to pack in your luggage, and often reflect the charm or craftsmanship of a destination. Best of all, they resurface once a year during the holidays, giving you a built-in moment to pause, reminisce, and retell the stories behind them. Over time, your tree becomes a collection of memories as much as decorations.

These ornaments of Mozart and Bach come from a Christkindlmärkte, or Christmas market, near the Vienna State Opera House. Vienna is a year-round destination, but particularly shines around the holidays.

Acoma Pottery (New Mexico)

My wife has a small but growing collection of Native American pottery, and during our recent family trip to Santa Fe we were on the hunt to add a piece. After a small search, we chose this vessel by Native American artist Sandra Victorino, of the Acorn and Eagle clans, which Jen found at Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery. The geometric pattern is hand painted and unglazed in stark colors, hallmark features of Acoma-style pottery. The piece now sits on the mantle above our fireplace, a beautiful addition to our home and a reminder of the culture and sense of place of New Mexico.

Woven Basket (Eswatini)

A number of years back I spent six months working in Eswatini and traveling in southern Africa. I brought home a number of items from that trip, but none that I use more than this small woven basket. It sits on a shelf in my clothes closet and holds my keys, AirPods, coins, and whatever else is in my pockets.

This basket is from Tintsaba Crafts, in the Pigs Peak area of Eswatini, and is made of typical materials, and colors. Tintsaba trains and provides market access to rural women artisans, much in the spirit of the organization I worked with there.

Koa Wood Pencil Holder (Hawaii)

My wife and I spent several weeks in Hawaii with our first son between leaving New York and moving to Chicago. We kept seeing beautiful woodwork items - from canoes to furniture to smaller knickknacks - made from koa wood. Koa is indigenous to Hawaii, and is noted for its grain and texture.

I bought this koa wood pencil holder from Martin & MacArthur, and it now sits on a desk off my kitchen. It’s small and simple, and something which everyone in the family uses each day.

Ceramic Bowls (Bulgaria)

I picked up these ceramic bowls from an artisan in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. A friend was stationed in the Peace Corps in the Rhodope Mountains, giving me a great excuse to cross over the border during a trip to Turkiye.

These bowls are hand-painted in a pattern typical of Troyan Pottery. They’re well-used in my home, and I’ll fill them up with olives, crackers, or other snacks when guests come by.

Key Takeaways

Each of these items holds more than just aesthetic or functional value—they carry with them the memories of a trip. They sit quietly among my everyday surroundings, but each time I pass them, use them, or share them with others, I’m brought back—if only for a moment—to where they came from.

Do you have a favorite item you've brought home from your travels? I’d love to hear about it. Send a note to hello@keytraveladvisors.com to share what it is, where it came from, and why it means something to you.