You spend your entire life going through the motions. Whether it be in childhood going to school and making friends or as an adult going to work and taking care of your own kids. You do what you have to do, because well, you have to do it. But do you ever stop and think about the memories that will come from each moment? Do you ask yourself, “will I even remember this at all, years down the road”?
As an adult, I find myself being more and more nostalgic. Thinking about yesteryear and remembering certain things about a situation. Sometimes that one thing may be a smile on someone’s face or maybe even a perfume that a person was wearing. I know preserving memories is often thought of when it relates to the older generation. That is where my conscious efforts have come into play for myself. As a woman in her mid to late 30’s, I am laying the stepping stones for my future. So what have I done to ensure my ability to continue to look back with fondness as I grow older?
Here is my list of 3 practices I’ve nurtured to make my moments count and remember them in the future:
Take Those Pictures
While I definitely advocate for living in the moment, I also advocate for taking pictures along the way. That’s not to say you should have a camera glued to your hand 24/7 in search of the perfect picture. Those snapshots of the journey will tell a story all on their own. And make sure to either upload them to your computer, save them to the cloud or get them developed. I learned the hard way that when your phone or camera goes down, sometimes those priceless digital memories can not be retrieved.
Grab a Momento
Everyone has their own little thing they like to bring back from a trip. For some it could be a coffee cup and for others you might prefer an antique spoon. For this girl here, it’s a magnet. And not just any magnet, but a magnet marking the states that I visited or traveled through along the way. I usually tend to get a magnet from the destination as well or if we visit a specific place (think Disneyland, etc), but they are not the one that holds a special place on my fridge and in my heart. That place is reserved for those state ones.
Write Down Your Thoughts
This can take many forms. In the world we live in now, writing it down will most likely be on social media. Whether that is Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, that is completely up to you. And there are others, like myself, that like the feel of good ole pen and paper. I don’t write in a journal daily, or even weekly, but on occasion the mood strikes me and I enjoy jotting my thoughts down. That is never more prevalent than when I’m on a trip. I save any writing time for the end of the day as kids are either unwinding or already asleep. I like to write down those precious memories that might otherwise fade away.
Memories are what you make them. You can sit back and just let things happen. Or you can be part of the moment. I implore you, take the trip, do the thing, go outside of your comfort zone, and take a few photos along the way. When it’s all said and done, you won’t regret the trip you took, but the one you didn’t take. Be willing to live in the moment.
Is there something specific that you do to make sure you keep your memories for a lifetime? Do you take photos or write in a journal? Is there something that you do that I may have left out. Drop your ideas down in the comments below.
